[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Head416

The longer this goes on, the less crazy this sounds.

I think I read this week that the pilots can turn off the transponder, is that accurate? Could hijackers force them to turn it off, then fly somewhere else with nobody knowing where they are? I don't see how a plane can crash in the ocean and not leave a huge amount of debris behind.

And in the end, none of this really matters. The families are going through hell right now and the uncertainty must be making it even worse. I mean, what if they NEVER learn more than what they know today? Hard to get closure.

I can't speak for the 777, but in most aircraft the transponder can be shut off or disabled. Not so with the ELT, which should have been automatically activated in the event of a crash.