Why would a hijacker turn off the transponders, turn around and fly for hours, and end up in the ocean with a plane full of Chinese, and then no groups take credit for the act?


I discussed this with a client that is a forensic scientist. What I didn't realize is the way the transponders work is they send a signal when they receive a radar signal. They aren't just actively broadcasting all the time. And the radar systems in that region of the world are mostly line of sight. If the plane had to descend suddenly to below 10,000 feet, the radar wouldn't be able to pick it up.


The whole thing is strange and none of the normal answers really fit