Associate
- Joined
- 13 Nov 2007
- Posts
- 169
- Location
- Aberdeen
Sounds a bit far fetched. I doubt it.
I hope this is not so.
- Thread starter the shadow
- Start date
A lot of planes have onboard access points now, wifi doesn't interfere with the navigation system as it uses a different frequency. Besides which, even if something did interfere with the system it would not cause the computer to descend at a dangerous angle like that as it is programmed not to exceed a certain AOA.
Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Mar 2006
- Posts
- 13,300
- Location
- Near Winchester
It'll turn out that the laptops weren't the cause and we geeks shall come out on top. Additionally, the laptops broken in the incident will be replaced at Qantas' cost (well, there insurers).
Now, explain why this is so? or are you just talking from your anus?
Personaly if i was making an auto pilot system I wouldn't make it wireless....
Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Mar 2006
- Posts
- 13,300
- Location
- Near Winchester
Even if the WiFi could interfere with the navigation system, it wouldn't cause this. The Fly-by-wire system won't even let the pilot pull a manoeuvre like that.
Software bug I bet.
Software bug I bet.
It has to be wireless, otherwise it wouldn't know where it was. INS isn't used except in a last resort situation due to accuracy.
Exactly.
Soldato
- Joined
- 7 Aug 2004
- Posts
- 11,301
Hmmm 2 things here, the plane fell 6000ft rapidly ? Null air pocket ? i.e. BAD turbulence ? OR the auto pilot apparently decided to lower the plane 6000ft ? Now im no advanced pilot.....BUT laws of physics and common sense here say a plane going at 500mph cannot simply just drop 6000ft almost instantly as is what the story is making out, UNLESS it hits a section of 'no air', l.e. turbulence, if it wanted to nose dive, the plane would obviously start to bank downwards 1st and then pick up a lot of speed, giving the passangers a good few seconds to think, hang on, the planes going for the floor, also they would have been thrown backwards in addition to upwards had the plane done this.
It sounds like bad turbulence to me, and there trying to find something else to blame it on? Or a mixture of turbulence and perhaps the auto pilot that over corrected, as obviously there programmed to run the plane where it thinks the plane is working fine (i.e. its wings are providing lift)
It sounds like bad turbulence to me, and there trying to find something else to blame it on? Or a mixture of turbulence and perhaps the auto pilot that over corrected, as obviously there programmed to run the plane where it thinks the plane is working fine (i.e. its wings are providing lift)
I dunno a few thousand pounds of thrust + mavity can probbably drop a plane pretty sharpish, even against the lift from the wings.
Soldato
- Joined
- 4 Aug 2008
- Posts
- 4,936
- Location
- Manchester.
Computers on panes don't use some kind of super voodoo magic that can only be destoryed by wifi and cell phones, regardless of how complex the software is, it is the same hardware as in your PC infront of you and isn't effected by any of this.
If anyone has proof that this isn't the case then please post it.
If anyone has proof that this isn't the case then please post it.
I would have thought it would have been custom hardware/chips designed specificaly for the purpose, for lower power/high efficency than just general computing parts.
In freefall with no lift the plane would take about 20seconds to drop 6000ft.
But what about with the engines pushing it down too/.
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 11,701
- Location
- Cheshire
People pay thousands of pounds for this sort of experience!
Soldato
- Joined
- 4 Aug 2008
- Posts
- 4,936
- Location
- Manchester.
possibly custom chips, but all chips are fabricated using similar tech and are similarly susceptible I would think.
I am no expert but other than in the tabloids I don't see much evidence.
good luck with that when you're in a plummeting plane
I may be pinned to the ceiling but damnit I'm going to get those cigarettes that I don't carry on the flight and smoke them, and attempt to consume alcohol when I don't even know which way is up.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 28 Jun 2007
- Posts
- 52,812
- Location
- Tamworth, UK
If they were that worried, they'd surround the navigation system with three feet of lead.
Soldato
- Joined
- 10 Sep 2008
- Posts
- 11,973
- Location
- Bangor, Northern Ireland
Clearly the pilot was on a laptop of his own trying to run crysis at high graphics settings, when it enevitably crashed he got angry and threw the laptop down in anger, disengaging the autopilot. Hence the plunge 