With all GPS tech, how a plane can be "missed"??
 

sad story here http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090601/...a/brazil_plane
where is the GPS technology?? or its another Atlantis energy story?

some countries dont have laws to make it required

It was in the open Atlantic, not near shore, and there were no ships out there or any other radar (AWACS or whatever). There is not 100% coverage by radar of the earth, not by a long shot.

What there should be is a ping system for planes via satellite. It should only take a few bits of data, and we'd know fairly accurately where the pinging stopped. Get a few of them and we could triangulate or at least use a proximity system like with cell phones/towers.

HOw come theres no proof of UFOs existing? Same reason...

I WANT TO BELIEVE!

So sad for everyone that had loved ones on that plane. I can't imagine how they are feeling right now.

Somebody was on the BBC saying it is common for some parts of the oceans not to be covered by radar.

Yep, not even close as I said. Radar is not a long range thing where you can just aim one from south america and another from africa and cover the atlantic. You need them all over the freaking place to be useful.

Add to that the little fact that we know the surface of the moon better than we know the surface of our planet below the ocean and it's pretty much all she wrote :(

Yep pretty sad, I wonder if they will even find the aircraft.

There's been a lot of conflicting stories and confusion in the media all day today.

Some reports were saying that it did have a GPS tracking system on it.

Others were saying it was the African side of the air traffic system that first reported it missing from their systems.

The last thing I saw said it didn't descend off the radar, it just vanished :(

Very sad.

A lightning strike should not down an aircraft, it happens frequently. But when lightning hits the radar (it hits the weather radar b/c of it ionising water droplets around) and electrical systems fry you are flying blind. Add that to CBs up to FL500 in that area, sparse radar coverage and you have several factors for a catastrophe.

my prayers for the families of all on board.

I honestly didn't know this until I saw the news today. I was under the impression that these planes were tracked from point a to point b without any gaps. I guess you learn something every day.

I agree in today's day and age I don't think it would be to difficult to come up with something to offer info in those areas without coverage. It just comes down to $$$$$

I wonder if they will be the new cast of Lost next year. :winkwink:

Position reports via HF radio are given to track aircraft. But when communications fail (as is the case) that's not an option.

sounds to me like the plane disintegrated in mid-air
they hit really bad turbolence which are common in thunderstorms, not a little chop, think turbulence so strong that if you were not using your seatbelt, you would be mashed potatoes by being bounced around inside the cabin. these planes can withstand very high G forces, more than you would want to experience but there is a possibility the turbulence was so heavy that the plane just fell apart.
planes have very reliable radar onboard which directs them around the "cells" however there was a report of an electrical failure so if no electrical system, then no radar and then no circumnavigating a "dangerous" cell..