( CNN ) -- The lack of definitive information about the fate of Malaysia Flight 370 has baffled and riveted expert and average person alike . Even the promise of Chinese satellite images capturing the location of crash debris turned out to be false , as Malaysian authorities said a search of the area found nothing . Amid the muddle of speculation , possibilities and blind alleys , are there logical explanations in this mysterious disappearance ? The short answer is yes . But what , of what we know so far , makes sense exactly ? First , the focus on the airplane 's transponders , the device that transmits a discreet signal to Air Traffic Control ( ATC ) radars , might be misguided . The 777 has two transponders . A failure of one would send a caution message visible to the crew . They would then select the alternate transponder with barely a second thought . A double failure ? Not likely , unless there was a serious electronic systems failure ( more on that later ) . The only other plausible explanation would have been that the crew moved the knob to the off position . No professional flight crew would knowingly turn off a transponder in flight . It is also possible the airplane flew out of ATC radar range by navigational error . Or as part of its assigned route , Malaysia 370 might have participated in a well-defined procedure for nonradar environments . Opinion : Conspiracy theories build around disappearance . The North Atlantic track system between North America and Europe is a good example of an area where such a procedure would be used . Airplanes entering the tracks are required to fly at assigned altitudes and air speeds , separated laterally and vertically . Pilots verbally report set latitude and longitude positions on their cleared flight plans to a ground-based service called AIRINC . The nonradar traffic picture is calculated by a computer , based on these position reports . In an airplane as sophisticated as a 777 , the on-board computer can generate these reports automatically without verbal communication from the pilots . It is possible that on a portion of Malaysia 370 's route , this procedure may have been utilized . If the airplane deviated from its assigned route because of an emergency , no problem would be indicated until the next reporting point because of the lack of ATC radar coverage . The crew would have to communicate the problem to the ground-based facility . The 777 is one of the most advanced electronic airplanes built . Data is constantly being processed and transmitted to regulate internal systems , from flight controls to fuel systems and hundreds more . Much of this data is being transmitted automatically to the airline . This data is used for dispatch computations and maintenance , among other uses . Only a very rare major electrical and electronic failure would prevent this information from being transmitted . Information regarding altitude , airspeed and heading is always available . Any irregularities in just these parameters alone would indicate a problem . Was the airplane descending rapidly ? Did the heading change indicate a course reversal ? Did the airspeed increase indicate a dive ? It 's possible Malaysia Airlines experienced a malfunction in the receiving system -- doubtful , but it would help if the airline made that information available . For argument 's sake , let 's say a major mechanical failure occurred . The crew might have been preoccupied with a serious problem as they progressed through the appropriate electronic checklist . A mayday call might not have been first on their agenda . All pilots are taught to `` aviate , navigate and communicate , '' in that order . Could the mechanical problem have been serious enough for the crew to have lost control of the airplane before a distress signal was sent ? Opinion : How did stolen passports get through ? Although remote , consider the possibility of a fuel tank explosion . For the flight time to Beijing , the center tank would most likely have been empty except for residual fuel as a matter of 777 procedure . The main wing tanks would have sufficient fuel for the trip . Could a short that caused a spark within a fuel boost pump have ignited the trapped vapor within the center tank ? The National Transportation Safety Board attributes the explosion of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island in 1996 to this cause . That accident involved a 747 and not a 777 . Boeing recommended both a mechanical and procedural modification for the potential , but not totally verified , problem for many Boeing airplanes . Airlines began the modifications within two years after the investigation was complete . Did Malaysia Airlines comply with the modification ? Now that the Chinese satellite image led nowhere , perhaps the rather chaotic search should be conducted over land . A different route may have been chosen if the crew had actually made the decision to return or divert elsewhere . Regardless , a debris field will be found . And if the airplane just fell out of the sky , it did n't happen as a result of only one factor . All accidents involve multiple factors . Let 's keep the speculation in perspective . The accident investigation process can be tedious , if not arduous . But the process is well-organized , especially in the United States ; the NTSB 's participation will be of tremendous assistance . Airplanes do n't just disappear . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Les Abend .
Les Abend : The lack of information regarding the fate of Malaysia 370 is baffling . Abend : Although remote , consider the possibility of a fuel tank explosion . He says no debris field has been located in the ocean , time to search land . Abend : If the airplane just fell out of the sky , it did n't happen as a result of only one factor .