A $10 computer update could have provided data on missing Malaysian flight

As the mystery around the missing Malaysia airline plane deepens, it is reported that a computer upgrade that the Airlines decided not to purchase could have provided critical information to investigators in finding the plane.

Priced at 10 dollars per flight, the upgrade called Swift would have provided investigators with information on the direction, speed and altitude of the flight, even as other modes of communication failed, a satellite industry official said.

The unnamed satellite industry official said that if the Swift system had been upgraded to include the full package of applications, it could have sent information on engine performance, fuel consumption, speed, altitude and direction, regardless of whether the transponder and ACARS were working, the Washington Post reported.

The official said that when ACARS is turned off, Swift continues on, adding that if Swift is configured to track engine data, that data will be streamed off the plane as it continues to be powered up along with the aircraft.