
2003 Boeing 727-223 disappearance - 67726e
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Boeing_727-223_disappearance
======
taknil
In 2009 a boing 737 originating out of Venezuela was purposefully crashed
landed in the sahara desert to transport massive amounts of cocaine.
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8364383.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8364383.stm)
It is rumored that more planes were landed in the desert for similar purposes.
Maybe the 727 was used as a one-way drug plane thereafter too?

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cc439
It seems like they landed it fine but either crashed trying to take off again
or just went overboard in demolishing it (when they had 10 tons of cocaine I
think they might have been a bit exuberant):
[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i6w-doyje...](http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i6w-doyjewoRGhOaaAHVYfrVWONQ)

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makmanalp
Cool in-depth story about this: [http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-
flight/the-727-that-va...](http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-
flight/the-727-that-vanished-2371187/?all)

You really get a sense of how parts of Africa is like the wild west.

~~~
brc
That was an exceedingly difficult article to read and understand. I've read a
few of these lately - more characters and subplots than a period drama.

I am not sure what the solution to the writing dilemma is - exclude everything
but a couple of people central to the story, fill in the rest with sidebars,
work in an info-graphic...not sure.

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binarymax
_...and the tracking transponder was turned off._

That is interesting. I would have guessed that it be impossible to turn off
the transponder on a commercial grade aircraft.

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phire
Easy as, the pilots are required to turn the transponder off as soon as they
land, so planes on the ground don't show up on radar.

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durandal1
Yes - even worse, having it on close to the runway will trigger TCAS alerts
for aircraft on final approach.

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kevin_nisbet
I also remember in one of the mayday episodes, that on one aircraft the
transponder control was somehow near the foot rest. So it was very common for
pilots on this model aircraft to accidentally disable or change transponder
codes when they put their feet on the foot rest.

Sorry I don't remember which aircraft model or episode this was.

~~~
cc439
Old cars used to have the high beam switch down there, a totally reasonable
concept. A switch that instantly throws every pilot and controller in the area
into panic mode? I want to meet the people who approved that and see what
their Pro/Con list looked like.

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jcrawfordor
I believe the transponder code can be changed to a special value to indicate a
hijack condition. Perhaps they install a sort of "silent alarm" control to do
this?

~~~
cjrp
7500 - hence in light aircraft (with rotary dials to adjust each number) you
have to switch the transponder to standby before changing squawk. Prevents
briefly sending out a 75/76/7700 as you're rotating through them.

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easytiger
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3ABen_Charles_Padilla](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3ABen_Charles_Padilla)

> Yes, I am Joseph B. Padilla, SR. I live in Pensacola, Florida - U.S.A. I am
> the Brother of Ben Charles Padilla Jr.

~~~
scott_karana
For those that missed it:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Ben_Charles_P...](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Ben_Charles_Padilla&oldid=599085844)

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stcredzero
A private plane was stolen from a friend of mine from a hangar in Texas. I
think it showed up for sale as a salvage plane with its wings removed.
Considering how valuable aircraft are, it seems a bit too economical to bribe
hangar personnel.

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ndespres
Fascinating entry on the Talk page from the brother of the missing pilot.

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secondhandvape
I was unable to find the link. Do you mind providing it?

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mnw21cam
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:2003_Boeing_727-223_disapp...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:2003_Boeing_727-223_disappearance)

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thescrewdriver
I don't see any mention of his brother on that page. Am I missing something?

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ndespres
My apologies. I wandered down the Wikipedia k-hole on this one and failed to
realize it. The page on the pilot was deleted and merged into a section on the
article of the event; the Talk page is here
[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Ben_Charles_P...](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Ben_Charles_Padilla&oldid=16519812)

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alexeisadeski3
No one says how much fuel was on the 'stolen' 727?

Seems an important piece of information.

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steve19
the first thing I though was "does Iran use the 727?". according to Wikipedia
they do. Iran goes to great lengths to obtain military aircraft parts. does
anyone know if commercial airline parts are also embargoed?

~~~
neurotech1
Civil aircraft parts are subject to US embargo. There are however, third party
suppliers in Russia that can supply parts to Iran. Iran also has domestic
parts productions capability.

The US Government sometimes allows limited parts supplies as part of ongoing
negotiations.

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brc
[wrong parent - deleted]

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thomasfoster96
Press Y

PRESS Y

GODAMMIT PRESS Y

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debt
This seems like a hijack and the Malaysian incident seems like a hijack. How
are there not satellite photos of the plane changing course and landing on a
freighter or something? That's got to pop on a satellite image somewhere.

~~~
dragonwriter
> How are there not satellite photos of the plane changing course and landing
> on a freighter or something?

(1) Because a 777 has only a slightly better chance of landing on a freighter
as a snowball has of landing -- still frozen -- on the surface of the sun, and

(2) Because there isn't satellite video being recorded of every point on the
Earth's surface, including the oceans, 24/7, contrary to what one might infer
from certain kinds of (deliberately fictional) movies and TV shows.

~~~
debt
I guess I didn't mean it literally landed on a freighter, but something
similar; like a small island or something. But it looks like it would've
popped up on somebodies radar at some point before it landed.

