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TRANSPONDER SIGNAL.
TOM FOREMAN IS JOINING US WITH A
CLOSER LOOK AT HOW PLANES CAN
COMMUNICATE EVEN WHEN THE
TRANSPONDERS ARE DISABLED.
WHAT ARE YOU FINDING OUT, TOM?
>> A MODERN JUMBO JET IS A
FLYING COMMUNICATION STATION.
THAT'S WHY IT'S ASTONISHING TO
BELIEVE THAT AFTER 45 MINUTES IT
WENT UTTERLY SILENT, THAT ONE
SYSTEM MIGHT FAIL IS ONE THING.
THAT ALL OF THEM WOULD FAIL IS
DIFFERENT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THESE
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS ON BOARD.
I WANT TO START WITH A COCKPIT.
THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE THE MOST
BASIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ON A
PLANE LIKE THIS.
THE RADIO.
IT'S USED BY PILOTS ALL THE
TIME.
THEY USED IT ON THIS FLIGHT.
APPARENTLY WITHOUT INCIDENT.
UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE THEY
DISAPPEARED.
EVEN IF THEY WERE TO HAVE A
CATASTROPHIC FIRE OR A GIANT
LOSS OF PRESSURE ZAGS, THE MASKS
CAN EASILY SEND OUT A SIGNAL AND
NOTHING FROM THIS PLANE AFTER IT
DISAPPEARED.
ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THIS COCKPIT
IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE
TRANSPONDERS THAT WE'VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT SO MUCH.
THEY WORK WITH GROUND RADAR IN
THE SENSE THAT IT WORKS WITH THE
GROUND AND SAYS I SEE A PLANE
THERE.
THEY ARE ELECTRONICALLY
ANSWERING AND SAYING, YES, WE
ARE THIS MALAYSIAN AIR FLIGHT
AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE LOCATED
AND WHERE WE ARE GOING.
THE TRANSPONDERS WERE TURNED OFF
IN THIS PLANE.
IT'S NOT A HARD THING TO DO.
THEY CAN TURN IT OFF QUITE
EASILY BUT THERE'S NO REASON WHY
IT WOULD BE TURNED OFF
ESPECIALLY AT THE MOMENT THAT
THE PLANE DISAPPEARED.
WE HEAR A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE
FLIGHT DATA RECORDER.
THEY HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF
INFORMATION ABOUT EVERYTHING
THAT IS HAPPENING TO THIS PLANE
ABOUT THE ANGLE OF THE PLANE,
WHERE ALL OF THE FLATS ARE,
EVERY SYSTEM ON BOARD IS BEING
RECORDED THERE.
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INFORMATION
AND VOICES FROM THE COCKPIT SO
YOU CAN HEAR WHAT IS GOING ON
THERE.
THE PROBLEM IS THESE DO NOT
TRANSMIT.
THEY CARRY THAT INFORMATION.
THEY CAN BE COLLECTED LATER TO
REVIEW AN INCIDENT BUT THEY
DON'T SEND OUT ANY INFORMATION
WHICH BRINGS US TO ONE OF THE
LAST SYSTEMS WE HAVE TO TALK
ABOUT BECAUSE THIS IS THE REALLY
IMPORTANT ONE, WOLF.
AND THAT IS THE ACAR SYSTEM.
THIS SYSTEM IS A SYSTEM THAT
TRANSMITS INFORMATION IN AN
ONGOING WAY ABOUT SOME OF THE
SYSTEMS ON THE PLANE.
WHEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE
ENGINES TRANSMITTING INFORMATION
ABOUT THE FUEL USAGE, THE
PERFORMANCE, ANALYSTS HAVE
SUGGESTED THAT MAY HAVE BEEN
THROUGH THE ACARS SYSTEM.
UP UNTIL NOW WE'VE BEEN TOLD
THAT THERE IS NO INFORMATION
COMING OUT OF THE SYSTEM BUT NOW
IT SEEMS THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN
AND IF SO IT WAS COMING OUT OF
THE SYSTEM OR SOME PARALLEL
SYSTEM.
IF THIS TURNS OUT TO BE ANOTHER
FALSE LEAD, IT WILL BE ANOTHER