Electrical Fire

Autopilot

I was listening recently on CNN TV and the experts were talking about an Electrical Fire in the cockpit of the (Malaysian Air Lines jet) because it would explain why the transponder was shut off during the emergency in the cockpit. It also would also  explain the strange change of directions of the plane and even the strange altitude changes heading back to Malaysia. Since an electrical fire in the cockpit had happened before also and 4 crew members had to be taken to the hospital during this test because they were overcome from the smoke of the fire, it was obvious to other 777 pilots that if there were an electrical fire the pilot and or co-pilot would have passed out (likely fatally) before they were able to put their oxygen masks on because they only would have about 20 to 30 seconds before they would pass out from the fumes once this happened.

Pilots of 777s said all the actions would make sense if there was an electrical fire. But if and until they can recover the black box they cannot know for sure what happened.

My blog article "autopilot" is basically the same theory only replacing the problem with electrical fire with a malfunctioning Autopilot. This problem occurred already once in the air with a Malaysian Air Lines 777 previous to this one and the crew barely survived the incident because they almost couldn't find any way to disengage the autopilot to survive or to help their passengers survive either.

Autopilot word button is at the top if you are interested in reading my theory of what happened. But, of course until we know for sure it is hard to say anything absolutely. But, so far the electrical fire and the Autopilot problem both make the most sense of any theories I have heard so far given all the variables we know about now.

Later: I was thinking more about the electrical fire. Even if you put on an Air mask your eyes would be blurry from the caustic kind of smoke from burning electrical components. So, even though you might be able to breathe if you had already inhaled any caustic smoke you would be coughing inside your air mask and bleary eyed from caustic smoke. So, basically even if you could still breathe you wouldn't be able to see much to be able to navigate through your instruments except by what you could  feel with finger tips at that point.