[ossiblue]

Update

CNN is reporting that Malaysian military radar recorded a "sharp left turn and a descent to 12000 feet" just as the plane reached the black out point. The new data is the descent information.

Unfortunately, like all the information in this case, it raises more questions than it answers and it is tantalizingly incomplete. It does not say what a "sharp" turn means--does it mean a significant number of degrees or does it mean a highly banked turn? The radar tracked the plane for nearly an hour and forty minutes, how long did it take to make the turn? How long did it take to make the decent? That information has not been disclosed. Answers to those questions will drive the scenarios that are most likely.

One thing for certain, if the new information is accurate, flying at 12,000 feet changes everything. It is not low enough to avoid detection by radar, but it is low enough to avoid all other air traffic in the area. Also, if it continued at that altitude, it significantly reduces the range the plane would be able to fly, thus changing the likely area to be searched along the infamous arc.

Stay tuned...