Why would a plane that ran out of fuel only lose power to one engine?
Why does a man who supposedly intends to commit suicide ask for instructions on how to throttle in for a landing?
Why does a man get lightheaded while flying at low altitude?
Why is there so much video of the "barrel roll," yet not one video of the plane actually going down? ATC audio puts engine failure within a couple minutes after the last stunt.
Since when is it normal to have 25+ video and audio records of an event posted with 18 hours? It took 24 hours for the first video of that AC-130 crash to surface, and that took place in a far more populated area.
Its all very weird. Maybe it was just a weird guy taking part in a weird suicide. I still think something about it stinks.
I've never even though to ask this question... but do planes even have keys? Or do they just rely on perimeter security and complexity to prevent theft? I know that military humvees have key-less ignition, so I guess its possible.
Come to think of it, has a plane ever even been stolen? Obviously hijackings have happened, but what about a from-the-ground theft? Is this a first? I think it might be, at least for a US commercial airliner.
I have a friend who was a pilot for a small cargo service in the tropics. He insisted that flying a plane is really easy. He even went as far as to say it was easier than the simulators, just because you could feel the air currents and g-forces. I asked him about this a few years after 9/11, so he didn't really comment on takeoff/landing. Obviously I can't comment on any of the stunts this recent thief pulled-off, but needless to say, I agree. I'm baffled as well, though maybe natural talent is a real thing.
I do trust you, but if you have a timestamp on that I wouldn't mind having it on hand for reference.
A valid point. I don't really know the weather around those parts, but considering the cliche of rain in Washington, I can assume a clear day is worth enjoying.
Hey, I respect that and there's no need for the disclaimer. My gut feeling feeling of a conspiracy comes from the pure absurdity of this, but I'm completely willing to admit this could be anything or nothing at all. In my defense, my suspicions come from what might be called the "movie script" quality of the event. But again, I'm willing to admit that weird things happen. Perhaps hollywood is rubbing off on us as a culture.
Interesting connection, thanks for mentioning it.
This is about the only part I might disagree with. Putting aside his (admittedly hilarious) sense of humor, I can understand not wanting to land a hijacked craft at a military base. That's 100% certain death. I maintain that point. Anyone who defies federal airspace will not live to make their case. The last (near) exception I can think of is Viktor Belenko landing a Russian aircraft in Japan for the Allies.
I just cant see any situation where a rational man would land at a place occupied by the federal government. Frankly, I think a smart man possessed by irrational thinking would be more likely to see a long runway as a tempting option.
This part makes retroactive sense to me. The man admits "maybe I've got a screw loose," but he still realizes that any damage he was going to commit his been done. IMO, this seems like a planned apology, not some sort of return to conscience.
I agree 110%. All of this is speculation on my part as well, and there's really no making sense of it without a lot more context and evidence.
As usual, thanks for the compelling conversation!