That said, I'm pretty sure that most aircraft navigational equipment would be affected by powerful electromagnet bursts. It's not unreasonable that the plane could have been flying blind at a different altitude than it thought (which would explain the high survival rate, too).
A powerful magnetic source would have an effect on navigation systems, by interfering with GPS signals. However, IIRC the pilot said they were 1000 miles off course, which would imply that the nav/radio systems were affected at least an hour before the crash. As for the altitude, a drop from 5000 ft is just as likely to be fatal as a drop from 37,000 ft. Unless it's magic (or technology sufficiently advanced that it's indistinguishable from magic).
We all remember that Clancy Brown was the CIA agent who used Sayid in Iraq, right?
My dad used to work in the RAF (Royal Air Force), on 'fly-by-wire' systems (that is, electronic aircraft control systems). He did tell me that electromagnetic interference could cause problems - for example, the controllers on the Tornado jets could occasionally 'lock up' for a few seconds.
That said, the 1000 miles off course line comes from the pilot episode, which I know for a fact didn't have a lot of the current show canon worked out. Ultimately, as it goes along you are going to see more and more events which don't match very early episodes, but there's no way out of that really.
I can say the show has suffered a big loss of audience share this year - about 30% down - so I presume they are going to have to change things next year. A very arc heavy focus lost them audience share.
ETA: Well, attempted arc.
THAT'S who that was!
Also, who was Penny's dad? He looked very familiar.
Oh, and I also thought that the Arctic stuff was an ad.
We all remember that Clancy Brown was the CIA agent who used Sayid in Iraq, right?
I completely forgot about that. Huh.
it irritates the crap (and the carp, which I originally typed) out of me that no one on this show can tell another person the vital piece of information that should be obvious at the time that it should obviously be said. Everyone talks like gnomic Hallmark cards.
That is EXACTLY why I had to give the show up this year (but I like to check in on what folks here are saying about it). I have to deal with enough piss-poor communicators in my working life. I don't need to waste time watching them on my tv.
Penny's dad was Caleb from the O.C. (Making E and I laugh heartily at the "Newport Beach" on the back of the boat.)
I completely missed the Hume thing, and have been hearing Calvin as Kelvin all this time.
We all remember that Clancy Brown was the CIA agent who used Sayid in Iraq, right?
Why...yes. Yes I did. (No, no I didn't. The problem with not caring very much anymore is that it makes it difficult to pay attention to things the writers seem to think are important.)
Oh! THAT'S where I'd seen him before. (I can't believe I didn't recognize him.)
I remembered about Clancy Brown, because I say "Clancy Brown!" whenever he appears on my screen.
I had fun. ShortHair!Desmond is really striking, much more so than LongHair!Desmond.
We all remember that Clancy Brown was the CIA agent who used Sayid in Iraq, right?
And this is the one who played Kelvin, right (Desmond's first hatch-mate--the one he killed)?
I completely missed the Hume thing, and have been hearing Calvin as Kelvin all this time.
I got the Hume thing, but I'm pretty sure they were saying Kelvin. Off to check imdb, I guess.
ETA
imdb has no answers. They only list Clancy Brown for the episode
One of Them,
and the character's name is Joe Inman.
