Plane
Technology
ACARS, SATCOM, BTO/BFO, the 7th arc, and the remote-autopilot patent trail. These systems are why a communications company, not a radar site, became the principal witness to the last six hours. Patents prove a concept. They do not prove fitment on 9M-MRO.
EvidenceConfirmed7 Mar 2014 16:00 UTC
Inmarsat signalling-unit log for 9M-MRO
Perth Ground Earth Station · 7–8 March 2014
EvidenceOfficial finding15 Mar 2014 00:00 UTC
BTO range rings and BFO Doppler residuals
Inmarsat / Ashton et al. · Journal of Navigation
EvidenceOfficial finding8 Mar 2014 00:19 UTC
The 7th arc
00:19:29 UTC aircraft-initiated log-on
TimelineConfirmed7 Mar 2014 17:07 UTC
Last ACARS transmission
17:07:29 UTC
EvidenceConfirmed19 Feb 2003 00:00 UTC
Boeing US7142971B2 — uninterruptible automatic control
Remote engagement · disconnected onboard controls
EvidenceConfirmed4 Nov 2003 00:00 UTC
Cubic US6641087B1 — anti-hijack remote pilot
Commercial retrofit · satellite relay · cockpit exclusion
Open questionOpen
Did 9M-MRO have any path for external flight-control commands?
OrganisationConfirmed
Inmarsat
Classic Aero I-3 · Perth Ground Earth Station