Search for Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Drastically Narrows

[BlueStreak]

36. Those were visual observations and estimates. Not at all inconsistent

The terminology of compass bearings is inconsistent. Some people use counter-clockwise measurement. Others use clockwise measurements like


If McKay was using the clockwise system, then his estimate of 260-265 points almost directly at the turnaround point. That leaves only the distance was an issue, and in his own words "It is very difficult to judge the distance..." He estimated about 40 miles (i.e. not close at all), when the distance would have been over 200 miles. It was not close enough to identify any features in either case. He saw only the light of what he described as a burning plane. If the plane had ascended to 45,000 feet at that time, on a clear night he might have seen a bright light over that distance.

We know the plane was under flight control when it made that turnaround, so it is certainly possible that the pilots had time to enter that waypoint (or had actually entered the waypoint preemptively at the beginning to the flight as a contingency) and switched to it before quickly being overcome. I am told that some pilots are very anal about entering escape routes in all their programs just to be prepared. I don't have any evidence that these pilots did that customarily, but I understand that would not be unusual.

It seems to me that, rather than impugning the integrity of these pilots without any evidence, they should be given the benefit of the doubt until we have solid evidence that they did anything other than try their best to fly the plane safely.