Wreckage Spotted in Atlantic Ocean

[Knownothing]

Why don't they make the black boxes with floating devices???

[IcSyU]

Why don't they make the black boxes with floating devices???

I'm sure it's as close to airtight as possible to make it resistant to high impacts and data loss and build pretty darn solid.

[MoreCowbell]

I'm sure it's as close to airtight as possible to make it resistant to high impacts and data loss and build pretty darn solid.

Yeah, this.

My heart goes out to all the families of the passengers.

[jdoggivjc]

I know everyone is suddenly developing this fear of flying, but do you all realize how many thousands of fatal automobile accidents occur for every fatal plane wreck? Statistically, short of walking or bicycling, flying is still the safest method of transportation.

[The_Architect]

Sad news.

*Maybe they all survived and are living on a time traveling island!?

[jumbopackage]

Isn't the consensus they were probably all gone before they hit the water? Would probably have been a blessing.

Highly unlikely. Unless the aircraft broke up in flight, which is unlikely. It depends on what happened, to be honest.

Well, at 500+ mph, if you hang up in the air too long, you suffocate to death if the cabin loses pressure. If you go down too fast, the impact from the water is going to kill you. Either way, thoughts and prayers with the victims and their families.

Speed has nothing to do with pressure or oxygen. If the aircraft lost cabin pressure, you will go into hypoxia above roughly 10k feet. It will put you to sleep first before you die, which is nice I guess. Although that's why those masks pop out of the ceiling.

More planes are hit by lightning than officials want to discuss. I have been on a plane near Hunstville that was struck by lightning on the tail a few years back. That is why planes fly around storms - not just to avoid the downdrafts. I was on a small four seater plane one time over Ilinois and we started to get pelted with hail. I asked the pilot if that was okay and he said "No, I have not been hit by hail before". Yuck.

Aircraft are built to withstand lightening strikes. They don't generally do much harm, though, since the plane isn't really grounded to anything. The lightening just needs a path to travel through the aircraft, which is generally through a spar.

Where is the black box typically stored? Is it realeased some how?

It's generally in the tail of the aircraft, since that's the part that has the best chance of surviving intact. Bigger piece of wreckage means better chance of finding it.

I wish I didn't have a problem flying. I'm not sure if it's the control aspect or height, but I dread getting on a plane. I've flown many times but I am still a nervous wreck...the idea of being killed in a plane crash is terrible.

How about the idea of being hit by a car on your bicycle, or crushed in a car accident? Both far more likely to occur than dying in a plane crash. In fact, on board a commercial airliner is statistically one of the safest places you can be.

[SeattleClone]

I flew to Hawaii a few years ago, it was night so looking out over the dark ocean and seeing absolutely nothing made me think about how screwed we would be if we crashed. But I have absolutely no fear of flying, and airplanes are statistically the safest form of travel, so I didn't waste any time worrying about it. I wasted time watching that movie where The Rock coaches football for some kids in jail. It kind of sucked.

[IcSyU]

I wasted time watching that movie where The Rock coaches football for some kids in jail. It kind of sucked.

Was that The Longest Yard?

[HiltonMagic]

Was that The Longest Yard?

That's a negative. It'd be Gridiron Gang.

[SeattleClone]

Was that The Longest Yard?

No, that was with Adam Sandler where he was in prison, on a team that played against a team of guards. It also was a remake.

I just looked it up, it was Gridiron Gang.

[IcSyU]

That's a negative. It'd be Gridiron Gang.

No, that was with Adam Sandler where he was in prison, on a team that played against a team of guards. It also was a remake.

I just looked it up, it was Gridiron Gang.

Yeah, my bad. Bigger mental issues than normal. Must be because I'm actually working.

[DaddyMac]

I was watching alot of the national news stories on this last night.

The blackbox (which is orange) is located in the tail of the aircraft. It should be able to survive both the impact and the depths it's surely at. Finding it is going to be incredibly difficult, but it does emit a beeping locator once saltwater comes into contact with it. According to several of the sources, this beeper should last around 30 days. They really didn't follow up on how difficult it would be to find that beeper - ala how far off you could hear it. Finding it obviously is the key. Once located, I guess the thought was that an ROV could potentially recover it.

The consensus overall was that's it's quite likely we won't find it, and will proabably never know what happened with any real certainty. Everyone was baffled - it should be able to handle a lighting strike with no issues. It should've been able to withstand any storm and turbulence issues. And the plane is fairly new (4 yrs old) so metal fatigue and other common issues like that shoudn't be a factor. And given there was no may-day, the thinking is something catastrophic must have happened.

[BigBake]

I know everyone is suddenly developing this fear of flying, but do you all realize how many thousands of fatal automobile accidents occur for every fatal plane wreck? Statistically, short of walking or bicycling, flying is still the safest method of transportation.

I dont' know...I'm kinda in the "if man were meant to fly he'd have wings" camp.

[jdoggivjc]

I dont' know...I'm kinda in the "if man were meant to fly he'd have wings" camp.

I suppose you walk everywhere, then, because if man were meant to travel at speeds greater than 10 mph we would have been equipped with legs capable of carrying us at such speeds... (in other words, you don't let that inane argument prevent you from getting into your automobile or on your bicycle everyday, do you?)

[SeattleClone]

I dont' know...I'm kinda in the "if man were meant to fly he'd have wings" camp.

So you must walk everywhere?