C J Campbell opined

"Bela P. Havasreti" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 12:53:36 -0700, "kage"
wrote:

There is apparently some sophisticated software available (no doubt it
ain't cheap) that can take the radar data combined with aircraft
attributes & known weather patterns at the time and plot a "suggested"
search area.

Word has it the radar data showed "fragments" in the last frame(s)
(suggesting the thing came apart in the air....).

The search area as described is fairly small in size, but it is heavily
forested, rugged, and unpopulated, characterized by high knife-edge
mountains and steep valleys and passes. I have camped there in early summer
and listened all night to the roar of constant avalanches. Hikers go there
only in the summer. The snow in places can exceed 40 feet deep by the end of
the winter. I have encountered miles of waist deep snow on the Pacific Crest
Trail in late May. There are some popular snowmobiling spots in the area,
but any wreckage is going to be completely covered with snow by the time the
snowmobilers and cross country skiers get there. In short, I would not be
surprised if the wreckage could be found before next summer, perhaps not for
years.

A Lear flew into a mountain east of KLEB Christmas Eve a few years ago. It was
four years before someone tripped over it while walking in the woods. It can
be hard to find an aircraft in the woods.


-ash
Cthulhu for President!
Why vote for a lesser evil?