# Planes, trains, and... nope. Just Planes



## Stormcat (Jan 25, 2016)

I have a few questions regarding airplanes. I'm trying to plot out a doomed flight from Los Angeles to Grenada. I know nothing about planes, So I need help with a few things. Specifically what folks on the ground do when a plane goes missing.


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## Joe_Bassett (Jan 25, 2016)

My great uncle used to work for the NTSB.

If the plane goes missing, the first thing people will do is try to find the last point of contact it had with air control. From there they'll try and create a search area. 
They'll look for reports of crashes or emergency landings in the area.  
It'll be somewhat easier and faster to find a plane that went down on land since it'll leave a notable trail of debris.  On the ocean, it's more difficult, since debris might sink or be carried by the current to an entirely different location.
In the worst case situation, they'll be looking for the plane's black box.


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## Stormcat (Jan 25, 2016)

GuitarHiro97 said:


> My great uncle used to work for the NTSB.
> 
> If the plane goes missing, the first thing people will do is try to find the last point of contact it had with air control. From there they'll try and create a search area.
> They'll look for reports of crashes or emergency landings in the area.
> ...



Okay, this is good. But the plane is never seen again, not even in debris.

Got a couple other questions:
1. What determines a plane's flight number? Should I just make one up or is there a formula to it?
2. What model of plane would be flying from LA to Grenada anyway? Is it large enough to have different classes? If so, How many? What's the overall seating capacity?
3. How long will the government look for a missing plane before calling off the search entirely?
4. How long does a plane have to be off the radar before someone notices it's missing? Can they track a plane through other methods even though the plane is not in radio contact?


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## Joe_Bassett (Jan 25, 2016)

1) To your first question: check this out:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_number

 2)Well, most American Airlines use Boeing airplanes, European Airlines use more Airbus. You can look up a Boeing 737 or Airbus A380.

3)Well, look at how long they've been looking for the Malaysia plane.  There will be a lot of push to find closure for the families of the victims.

4)Probably less than an hour. Depending on varying factors.  Air traffic controllers are trained to notice when a plane drops off the radar. I'm sure someone can hack into onboard electronics on an airplane nowadays and get it's GPS coordinates.


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## Sam (Jan 25, 2016)

Stormcat said:


> 2. What model of plane would be flying from LA to Grenada anyway? Is it large enough to have different classes? If so, How many? What's the overall seating capacity?



Minimum 400, maximum 600, in a 747. 



> 3. How long will the government look for a missing plane before calling off the search entirely?



Months. 



> 4. How long does a plane have to be off the radar before someone notices it's missing? Can they track a plane through other methods even though the plane is not in radio contact?



Not very long. Minutes. 

Yes. The transponder. 

Even if it's turned off, the plane will still give off what's known as a "raw radar return", visible to air-traffic control.


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## Stormcat (Jan 25, 2016)

Well, now I'm looking at the airlines that actually fly into Grenada, and none of them are based out of LAX. So I guess I'll need to pick another "final destination". Any suggestions?


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## voltigeur (Jan 26, 2016)

Flights from the USA to Grenada will most likely originate in 1) Atlanta (Major hub Airport) or Florida (Miami).

Go to any travel site fake booking a flight to Grenada look at the connections. Look for one airport that comes up most all of the time. (I suspect it will be Atlanta (ATL))


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## Stormcat (Jan 26, 2016)

voltigeur said:


> Flights from the USA to Grenada will most likely originate in 1) Atlanta (Major hub Airport) or Florida (Miami).
> 
> Go to any travel site fake booking a flight to Grenada look at the connections. Look for one airport that comes up most all of the time. (I suspect it will be Atlanta (ATL))



Okay, so it'll be from LAX to miami then.

Does this change the plane type at all, since it's technically a domestic flight?


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## Joe_Bassett (Jan 26, 2016)

No, aside from the fact that the airplane will be a Boeing model.  So, like a 747, 737, etc.


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## Stormcat (Jan 26, 2016)

Alright, I've planned it out so the missing plane is "Zephyr Flight 867" And it was on it's way to Miami when... something... happened.

everything seem okay so far? Should I timestamp last known contact with radar?


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## Riis Marshall (Jan 29, 2016)

Hello Stormy

You might want to have a work with Hairball following his post _OMG I Did It!!!!!_ in the Lounge a couple of weeks ago. It sounds like he knows quite a bit about airplanes.

All the best with your writing.

Warmest regards
Riis


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