Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

Malaysia Airlines 777 Flight MH370 Goes Missing 2 Hours After Take-off, 227 Aboard Including 3 Americans (VIDEO) (Update: Oil Slicks Spotted)

Posted March 8, 2014 by Scared Monkeys

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2014/03/08/malaysia-airlines-777-flight-mh370-goes-missing-2-hours-after-take-off-227-aboard-including-3-americans/

(http://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.1720305!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg)

One more possibility could be human error.  JMHO

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26498628
Missing Malaysia airliner: Hunt for clues begins
March 8, 2014

Although it has not been stated explicitly yet, there seems little doubt that Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has crashed and probably with great loss of life.

Rescue will inevitably turn into recovery - of wreckage and bodies - and the search for clues will begin.

What happened aboard the Boeing B777-200 twinjet has already become the subject of much speculation, but it is important to recognise that answers will only emerge after a detailed investigation.

A team from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will already be on its way to provide technical assistance to the Department of Civil Aviation of Malaysia (DCA), which will probably lead the investigation.

So what might they look for?

Weather can almost certainly be ruled out as a cause. Conditions have been described in different ways, but the consensus is that the aircraft was airborne in near-perfect flying conditions.

This leaves just two main possibilities - catastrophic mechanical failure or an act of terrorism.
More...

Oil slick spotted in sea in search for missing Malaysian plane
4:30PM GMT 08 Mar 2014

The fate of flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing remains unclear more than 12 hours after air traffic controllers lost touch with the plane.

However, Vietnamese authorities said they had spotted a 14-mile long oil slick 120 miles off the coast of Cape Ca Mau - the most southerly point of Vietnam's mainland.

A Vietnamese government statement said the slicks were spotted late on Saturday off the southern tip of Vietnam and were each between six and nine miles long. There was no confirmation that the slicks were related to the missing plane, but the statement said they were consistent with the kinds that would be produced by the two fuel tanks of a crashed jetliner.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, the chief executive of Malaysia Airlines, said there was no indication that the pilots had sent a distress signal, suggesting that whatever happened to the plane occurred quickly and possibly catastrophically.

<snipped>

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10684770/Oil-slick-spotted-in-sea-in-search-for-missing-Malaysian-plane.html


(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02846/malaysia-flight-oi_2846523c.jpg)

An aerial view of an oil spill seen from a Vietnamese Air Force aircraft searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane


(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02846/MH370-_flightradar_2846418c.jpg)


The last reported position of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370

UPDATED
Malaysia Airlines: No 'evidence of any wreckage' 24 hours later
Posted: Mar 08, 2014 10:04 AM ET
Last Updated: Mar 08, 2014 3:04 PM ET

Malaysia Airlines has issued a statement Saturday saying an international search and rescue operation has "failed to find evidence of any wreckage" in trying to locate flight MH370, 24 hours after it went missing off Vietnam's coast carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew.

"The sea mission will continue overnight while the air mission will recommence at daylight. We are dispatching all information as and when we receive it," said the release.

<snipped>

There were no reports of bad weather and no sign why the Boeing 777-200ER would have vanished from radar screens about an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. There were no signs of sabotage nor claims of a terrorist attack.

However, in Europe, news reports and officials said at least two people on board may have been carrying stolen passports.

The Italian foreign ministry said in Rome that an Italian was listed on the flight's manifest although no national from the country was on board. They confirmed the man had reported his passport stolen in Thailand last August.

In Vienna, the Austrian foreign ministry said an Austrian listed among the passengers was safe and had reported his passport stolen two years ago while he was travelling in Thailand.

<snipped>

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-no-evidence-of-any-wreckage-24-hours-later-1.2565126

The stolen passports may or may not have anything to do with the plane crash, I guess we'll have to wait and see.  It would appear there needs to be better coordination and sharing of data bases.  How did these two manage to get on a plane with stolen passports?  One was reported stolen two years ago, the other a last year.   ::MonkeyNoNo::

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/08/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane-missing/
Traces of oil may be clue in search for missing plane
March 8, 2014

 ::snipping3::
Bits and pieces of information have begun to form, but it remains unclear how they fit into the bigger picture, if at all.
For instance, after the airline released a manifest, Austria denied that one of its citizens was onboard the flight as the list stated. The Austrian citizen was safe and sound, and his passport had been stolen two years ago, Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Weiss told CNN.
Similarly, Italy's foreign ministry confirmed that no Italians were onboard MH370, even though an Italian was listed on the manifest.
Police in Italy said the man's passport was stolen last year.
A U.S. intelligence official said authorities are aware of reporting about lost or stolen passports used by passengers on the missing flight.
"No nexus to terrorism yet," the official said, "although that's by no means definitive. We're still tracking."
Malaysian authorities reiterated during a news conference that they are not ruling anything out regarding the missing aircraft.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/03/09/malaysia-airlines-loses-contact-with-plane-carrying-23-people/
Interpol says no country checked its database before Malaysia flight
March 9, 2014

Interpol says no country checked its database for information about stolen passports that were used to board the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared with 239 people on board Saturday less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bound for Beijing.

In a sharply worded criticism of shortcomings of national passport controls, the Lyon, France-based international police body said information about the thefts of an Austrian passport in 2012 and an Italian passport last year was entered into its database after they were stolen in Thailand.

Interpol said in a statement it was investigating all other passports used to board Flight MH 370 and was working to determine the "true identities" of the passengers who used the stolen passports.

 ::snipping3::
There is still no sign of the aircraft,” Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director general of the Department of Civil Aviation, said during a news conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Rahman said that the search area has been increased to 50 nautical miles, from 20, and includes 34 aircraft and 40 ships. Aircraft are conducting 12-hour searches, until sundown, while ships continue the search through the night.

When pressed on reports of fake passports used by at least two passengers on board the flight and the possibility of a terrorist attack, Rahman re-stated that the priority is to find the aircraft and that any probe investigating a terror link is independent of the search mission.

Earlier, Malaysia’s air force chief told reporters that military radar indicated that the plane may have turned from its flight route before losing contact.

Air force chief Rodzali Daud didn't say which direction the plane might have taken when it apparently went off route.

"We are trying to make sense of this," he told a media conference. "The military radar indicated that the aircraft may have made a turn back and in some parts, this was corroborated by civilian radar."

 Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said pilots were supposed to inform the airline and traffic control authorities if the plane does start to return. "From what we have, there was no such distress signal or distress call per se, so we are equally puzzled," he said.

Earlier Sunday, Malaysia's defense and transport minister said that the identities of four of the plane's passengers are being investigated as "suspect." Hishammuddin Hussein, who holds both ministerial positions, said that "the four names are with me," but added that the investigation was focusing on "the entire passenger manifest." Hussein also said that investigators from the FBI had joined the probe.
 ::snipping3::
Just 9 percent of fatal accidents happen when a plane is at cruising altitude, according to a statistical summary of commercial jet accidents done by Boeing. The plane was last inspected 10 days ago and found to be "in proper condition," Ignatius Ong, CEO of Malaysia Airlines subsidiary Firefly airlines, said at a news conference.

U.S. officials said late Saturday that a team of safety experts had been dispatched to Southeast Asia to assist in the investigation. Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board told Fox News that the team, which includes investigators from the agency and technical experts from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing, had been sent to the region despite the fact that the plane had not been located due to the lengthy travel time from the U.S. and the team's desire to be in a position to assist local authorities right away.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10686058/Why-are-we-still-in-the-dark-about-Malaysia-Airlines-disappearance.html
Why are we still in the dark about Malaysia Airlines disappearance?
Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in the early hours of Saturday was a modern plane, from a reputable airline, flying in good weather. What could have gone wrong?
March 9, 2014

(http://i.imgur.com/HUmJCGU.jpg)
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is described by friends as an 'aviation tech geek' who loved his job

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has left agonised relatives waiting for over 48 hours without answers – and the rest of the world has been asking how the plane could have dropped off the radar, seemingly without trace.
It was flying in clear weather. The Boeing 777-200 plane was only 11 years old, and considered one of the safest in the skies. It was also at "cruise" level, having already completed the statistically-higher-risk take off.
Furthermore, the pilot, 53-year-old Zaharie Ahmad Shah, was highly experienced and described by friends as an "aviation tech geek" who loved his job so much he even spent his days off tinkering with a flight simulator he had set up at home.
"He was an aviation tech geek. You could ask him anything and he would help you. That is the kind of guy he is," said a Malaysia Airlines co-pilot who had flown with Capt Zaharie in the past.
"We used to tease him. We would ask him, why are you bringing your work home," said another pilot who knew Capt Zaharie for 20 years. "He knew everything about the Boeing 777. Something significant would have had to happen for Zaharie and the plane to go missing. It would have to be total electrical failure."
Other questions have been raised as to why there has been no wreckage seen yet; why there was no distress call; and about the four stolen passports used to board the flights
"At this early stage, we're focusing on the facts that we don't know," said Todd Curtis, a former safety engineer with Boeing who worked on its 777 jumbo jets and is now director of the Airsafe.com Foundation.
The significance of the four faked passports – one from Italy, one from Austria, and two believed to be Chinese – is not yet known.
The Home Office says that 298,055 British passports were reported lost or stolen in the year 2011/12 – the most recent data available.
"The issue of the passports is not at all conclusive," said David Learmount, operations and safety editor for Flight International. "Thousands of faked passports are in circulation – usually to get into another country, or hide yourself. Bringing down jet planes is not normally a reason for this."
And he added that the immediate aftermath of the disappearance was not unusual.
"All we can say for certain is that this is not unheard of," he told The Telegraph. "We just have to accept that, for the moment, we do not know what has happened."
He explained that there were a series of similarities in the circumstances of the Air France flight, which crashed into the Atlantic in June 2009.
Both the Air France and the Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared off the radar in the early hours of the morning – a time when all humans are least able to react to challenging situations. Both accidents happened in the cruise section of the flight. Both airlines are highly regarded, and flying modern, well-maintained planes.
And both sets of pilots failed to send distress calls.
"With the Air France case, their plane sent signals to Paris – so they already knew that some of the flight instruments were not working," he said. "Malaysia Airlines might have similar information but not be releasing it.
 ::snipping3::

I've read there are now there were four stolen passports used on the Maylaysia Flight, but this article is mentioning the initial two. 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* U.S. official says 'strange object' is not debris from missing flight
*Tickets used with Austrian and Italian passports were bought from China Southern Airlines
*Radar data suggest the missing plane may have turned back, officials say
*But the pilot appears to have given no signal to authorities of changing course

U.S. official says 'strange object' is not debris from missing flight
Tickets used with Austrian and Italian passports were bought from China Southern Airlines
Radar data suggest the missing plane may have turned back, officials say
But the pilot appears to have given no signal to authorities of changing course

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/09/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/
Official: 'Strange object' not debris from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
March 9, 2014

 ::snipping3::
Stolen passports
Two people who traveled on the missing passenger jet, using the stolen passports of an Italian and an Austrian citizen, appear to have bought their tickets together.
The tickets were bought from China Southern Airlines in Thailand's baht currency at identical prices, according to China's official e-ticket verification system Travelsky. The ticket numbers are contiguous, which indicates the tickets were issued together.
Here's where the mystery deepens: Italy and Austria have said that none of their citizens were on board the plane. And officials say the Italian and Austrian whose names were on the passenger manifest both had their passports stolen in Southeast Asia in recent years.
The two tickets booked with China Southern Airlines both start in Kuala Lumpur, flying to Beijing, and then onward to Amsterdam. The Italian passport's ticket continues to Copenhagen, the Austrian's to Frankfurt.
Authorities say they are investigating the identities of some of those on board who appear to have issues with their passports.

Passenger manifest questioned
A fuller picture of what happened may not become available until searchers find the plane and its flight data recorder.
"We have not been able to locate anything, see anything," Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, the director general of civil aviation in Malaysia, told reporters Sunday.
Confusion over who exactly was on the plane has drawn particular attention, notably the case of the Italian and Austrian passports.
The passport mystery raised concerns about the possibility of terrorism, but officials cautioned that it was still too early to arrive at any conclusions.
A U.S. intelligence official said that no link to terrorism had been discovered so far, but that authorities were still investigating.
Another possible explanation for the use of the stolen passports is illegal immigration.
There are previous cases of illegal immigrants using fake passports trying to get into Western countries. And Southeast Asia is known to be a booming market for stolen passports.

Interpol database
Malaysian authorities have been in contact with counterterrorism organizations about possible passport issues, Hussein said earlier.
He didn't specify how many potential passport issues there were, saying authorities are looking at the whole passenger manifest.
The U.S. government has been briefed on the stolen passports and reviewed the names of the passengers in question but found nothing at this point to indicate foul play, said a U.S. law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Of the two passports in question, the Italian one had been reported stolen and was in Interpol's database, CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes said, citing sources at Interpol.
Additionally, no inquiry was made by Malaysia Airlines to determine if any passengers on the flight were traveling on stolen passports, he said. Many airlines do not check the database, he said.
Rahman, the Malaysian aviation official, declined to say whether the airline or Malaysian authorities had checked the database.

Disappearing during cruise
There is a precedent for a modern jetliner to fall from the sky while "in the cruise" and lie hidden for months, according to CNN aviation correspondent Richard Quest.
On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447 was en route from Rio De Janeiro to Paris when communications ended suddenly from the Airbus A330, another state-of-the-art aircraft.
It took four searches over the course of nearly two years to locate the bulk of flight 447's wreckage and the majority of the 228 bodies in a mountain range deep under the ocean. It took even longer to find the cause of the disaster.
In May 2011, the aircraft's voice recorder and flight data recorder were recovered from the ocean floor after an extensive search using miniature submersible vehicles.
It was not until July 2012 that investigators published their report, which blamed the crash on a series of errors by the pilots and a failure to react effectively to technical problems.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26502268
Missing Malaysia plane: Search resumes off Vietnam
March 8, 2014

 ::snipping3::
In a statement, the airline urged "all Malaysians and people around the world to pray for flight MH370".

The plane vanished at 17:30 GMT Friday (01:30 local time Saturday).

It reportedly went off the radar south of Vietnam.

According to Malaysian Airlines, it last had contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu.
 ::snipping3::
(http://i.imgur.com/KaqSVD3.gif)

Texas firm Freescale Semiconductor says 20 of its Malaysian and Chinese employees were on the flight, according to a statement on its website.
 ::snipping3::

Manifest for Flight MH370

153 Chinese including one child
38 Malaysians
7 Indonesians
6 Australians
5 Indians
4 French
3 Americans including one child
2 each from New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada
One each from Russia, Taiwan, Italy, Netherlands and Austria ( although both Italy and Austria deny any of their nationals were onboard)
Source: Malaysia Airlines

Boeing 777 fact sheet

Twin-engine jet launched in June 1995
One of the world's most popular long-distance planes
Seats between 300 and 380 passengers
Has flown around five million flights
Often used for non-stop flights of 16 hours or more
In September 2001 a crew member died in a re-fuelling fire on a 777 at Denver International Airport
In 2013 three Chinese women died when the 777 Asiana Flight 214 crashed in San Francisco

http://www.firstpost.com/world/live-search-on-for-missing-plane-hijacking-a-possibility-says-malaysian-govt-1424627.html
Live: Search on for missing plane, hijacking a possibility
March 9, 2014
By Arun George


The DG, Malaysian civil aviation  today at press conference said the government is currently investing any breach of security, while videos of the two passengers who had used stolen passports are being investigated too.  Two people who traveled on the missing passenger jet, used the stolen passports of an Italian and an Austrian citizen and appear to have bought their tickets together in Thailand. The DG also said that Australia and Thailand will join the investigation as the main focus is to find the missing Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200 plane. Authorities emphasized that finding the aircraft will help establish what exactly happened. On possible MH370 hijack, the civil aviation chief said, "We are not ruling (out) any possibility". They also confirmed that the search radius has been increased from 20 nautical miles to 50 nautical miles. Countries assisting in the search include: Vietnam, China, Singapore, United States, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Australia. Air search to take place between 7am and 7pm, while naval search will go on round the clock. Malaysia also searching in the Straits of Malacca due to reports that MH370 turned back.
He also said that 34 aircraft  and 40 ships are now involved in the multi-national search and rescue effort for the missing flight while the authorities have still not received  analysis report verifying whether the  oil from spill is from MH370. The Vietnamese navy had earlier reported two oil slicks near Vietnam’s Tho Chu island while the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has also spotted oil slicks 20 nautical miles (37 km) away from the passenger jet’s last known position. Earlier in the day,  Malaysian military officials said the  flight may have changed course and turned back toward Kuala Lumpur.
More...

Looks like they're still looking at the two initial stolen passports and noting the number of four stolen passports was error. 

http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Air-force-chief-Malaysia-jet-may-have-turned-back-5301204.php
Jet may have turned; suspicious passengers checked
March 9, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — International intelligence agencies joined the investigation Sunday into two passengers who boarded the missing Boeing 777 jetliner with stolen passports, as Malaysian authorities said radar images showed the plane may have turned back before vanishing.
 ::snipping3::
The missing plane apparently fell from the sky at cruising altitude in fine weather, and the pilots were either unable or had no time to send a distress signal — unusual circumstances under which a modern jetliner operated by a professional airline would crash.

Malaysia's air force chief, Rodzali Daud, said radar indicated that the plane may have turned back, but did not give further details on which direction it went or how far it veered off course.

"We are trying to make sense of this," Daud said at a news conference. "The military radar indicated that the aircraft may have made a turn back, and in some parts this was corroborated by civilian radar."

Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said pilots are supposed to inform the airline and traffic control authorities if the plane does a U-turn. "From what we have, there was no such distress signal or distress call per se, so we are equally puzzled," he said.

Authorities were checking on the identities of two passengers who boarded the plane with stolen passports. On Saturday, the foreign ministries in Italy and Austria said the names of two citizens listed on the flight's manifest matched the names on two passports reported stolen in Thailand.

"I can confirm that we have the visuals of these two people on CCTV," Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said at a news conference late Sunday, adding that the footage was being examined. "We have intelligence agencies, both local and international, on board."

Hishammuddin declined to give further details, saying it may jeopardize the investigation.

"Our focus now is to find the aircraft," he said, adding that finding the plane would make it easier for authorities to investigate any possible foul play.

Interpol confirmed that at least two stolen passports used by passengers on the plane were registered in its databases. It said no one had checked the databases, but added that most airlines and countries do not usually check for stolen passports.

Hishammuddin said only two passengers had used stolen passports, and that earlier reports that the identities of two others were under investigation were not true.

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken said Sunday that the U.S. was looking into the stolen passports, but that investigators had reached no conclusions. He said it was premature to speculate whether the passengers using the stolen passports had a role in the incident.

In addition to the plane's sudden disappearance, which experts say is consistent with a possible onboard explosion, the stolen passports have strengthened concerns about terrorism as a possible cause. Al-Qaida militants have used similar tactics to try and disguise their identities.

Still, other possible causes would seem just as likely at this stage, including a catastrophic failure of the plane's engines, extreme turbulence, or pilot error or even suicide. Establishing what happened with any certainty will need data from flight recorders and a detailed examination of any debris, something that will take months if not years.

European authorities on Saturday confirmed the names and nationalities of the two stolen passports: One was an Italian-issued document bearing the name Luigi Maraldi, the other Austrian under the name Christian Kozel. Police in Thailand said Maraldi's passport was stolen on the island of Phuket last July.

A telephone operator on a China-based KLM hotline on Sunday confirmed that "Maraldi" and "Kozel" were both booked to leave Beijing on a KLM flight to Amsterdam on March 8. Maraldi was then to fly to Copenhagen, Denmark, on KLM on March 8, and Kozel to Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8.

She said since the pair booked the tickets through China Southern Airlines, she had no information on where they bought them.

Having onward reservations to Europe from Beijing would have meant the pair, as holders of EU passports, would not have needed visas for China.
 ::snipping3::

Disintegrated in midair or on the bottom of the ocean?   ::MonkeyNoNo:: "The source" of this isn't named,  so I would take it with a grain of salt till we know more.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/09/us-exclusive-probe-plane-idUSBREA280FF20140309
Exclusive: Probe into missing Malaysia plane looks at possible mid-air disintegration - source
March 9, 2014

(Reuters) - Officials investigating the disappearance of a Malaysian airliner with 239 people on board are narrowing the focus of their inquiries on the possibility that it disintegrated in mid-flight, a senior source said on Sunday.

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanished after climbing to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing in the early hours of Saturday, but search teams have still not been able to make any confirmed discovery of wreckage in seas beneath the plane's flight path almost 48 hours after it took off.

"The fact that we are unable to find any debris so far appears to indicate that the aircraft is likely to have disintegrated at around 35,000 feet," said the source, who is involved in the investigations in Malaysia.

If the plane had plunged intact from such a height, breaking up only on impact with the water, search teams would have expected to find a fairly concentrated pattern of debris, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the investigation.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/24925435/vietnam-says-it-may-have-found-missing-jets-door
Vietnam says it may have found missing jet's door
March 9, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Vietnamese authorities searching waters for the missing Boeing 777 jetliner spotted an object Sunday that they suspected was one of the plane's doors, as international intelligence agencies joined the investigation into two passengers who boarded the aircraft with stolen passports.

More than a day and half after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing, no confirmed debris from the plane had been found, and the final minutes before it disappeared remained a mystery. The plane, which was carrying 239 people, lost contact with ground controllers somewhere between Malaysia and Vietnam after leaving Kuala Lumpur early Saturday morning for Beijing.

The state-run Thanh Nien newspaper cited Lt. Gen. Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of Vietnam's army, as saying searchers in a low-flying plane had spotted an object suspected of being a door from the missing jet. It was found in waters about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Tho Chu island, in the same area where oil slicks were spotted Saturday.

"From this object, hopefully (we) will find the missing plane," Tuan said. Thanh Nien said two ships from the maritime police were heading to the site.
 ::snipping3::
Finding traces of an aircraft that disappears over sea can take days or longer, even with a sustained search effort. Depending on the circumstances of the crash, wreckage can be scattered over many square kilometers (miles). If the plane enters the water before breaking up, there can be relatively little debris.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-09/suspected-airplane-window-fragment-found-by-vietnam-searchers.html
Plane-Debris Hunt Turns Up Suspected Aircraft Window Part
March 9, 2014

Vietnamese searchers looking for a missing Malaysian Boeing Co. (BA) 777-200 said they found a suspected window fragment from an aircraft as efforts to learn the plane’s fate extended to scrutiny of closed-circuit television images of two passengers using stolen passports.

Dinh Viet Thang, head of Vietnam’s search-and-rescue steering committee, didn’t give further details on the discovery of the debris when contacted late yesterday by phone.
 ::snipping3::

When did you learn how to post pictures?

 ::MonkeyHaHa::

Klaas and DIL baby stepped me through the procedure more than once.  It eventually  clicked.

How ya doing Blonde?

Janet

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Still Missing: New Leads Explored in Plane Disappearance … Possibility Plane Turned Around and Went Down in the Andaman Sea, near Thailand’s Border

Posted March 9, 2014 by Scared Monkeys


http://scaredmonkeys.com/2014/03/09/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-still-missing-new-leads-explored-in-plane-disappearance-possibility-plane-turned-around-and-went-down-in-the-andaman-sea-near-thailands-border/#comments

UPDATED
Malaysia Airlines missing jet: object in water might be plane's door
Posted: Mar 09, 2014 12:24 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 09, 2014 3:49 PM ET

Vietnamese authorities searching waters for the missing Boeing 777 jetliner spotted an object Sunday that they suspected was one of the plane's doors, as international intelligence agencies joined the investigation into two passengers who boarded the aircraft with stolen passports.

More than a day and half after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing, no confirmed debris from the plane had been found, and the final minutes before it disappeared remained a mystery.

<snipped>

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-missing-jet-object-in-water-might-be-plane-s-door-1.2565649

Thanks for the updates Muffy.

Off to a family gathering at the home of my brother and sister-in-law.  I will check in later tonight.

Janet

You're welcome Janet.   Thank you for starting the thread and posting updates and photos too! Have a good time at your family gathering.  I personally believe it's going to take a long time to get answers about this plane crash.   ::MonkeyNoNo::

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 mystery: Jet's door may have been found, officials say
Published March 09, 2014

Vietnamese aircraft spotted what they suspected was one of the doors belonging to the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on Sunday, as troubling questions emerged about how two passengers managed to board the Boeing 777 using stolen passports.

The discovery comes as officials consider the possibility that the plane disintegrated mid-flight, a senior source told Reuters.

The state-run Thanh Nien newspaper cited Lt. Gen. Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of Vietnam's army, as saying searchers in a low-flying plane had spotted an object suspected of being a door from the missing jet. It was found in waters about 56 miles south of Tho Chu island, in the same area where oil slicks were spotted Saturday.[/b]

<snipped>

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/03/09/malaysia-airlines-loses-contact-with-plane-carrying-23-people/

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarrant/Sons-describe-dad-aboard-missing-flight-He-embodied-love-249228181.html
Sons describe dad aboard missing flight: 'He embodied love'
Posted March 9, 2014, Updated March 10, 2014

(http://i.imgur.com/zuHgnPH.jpg)
The Wood family seeks some kind of closure as still very little is known about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. They are not concerned with accident theories or terrorist plots, but rather, properly remembering their loved one, Philip Wood (pictured, center). Philip has two sons, Chris and Nic (http://The Wood family seeks some kind of closure as still very little is known about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. They are not concerned with accident theories or terrorist plots, but rather, properly remembering their loved one, Philip Wood (pictured, center). Philip has two sons, Chris and Nic)

This article is a bit older, and I believe it predates the possibility of finding what may be debris from the plane.  I'm so sorry for the families of the flight.   ::MonkeyNoNo::  I think at this point there is no happy ending.  Perhaps at the time of the interview, Tom Wood may have thought the plane had been taken somewhere or it had a water landing or something, I don't know.  I'm not able to put myself in his place and I think it would be difficult to accept a loved one is gone in these circumstances. 

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarrant/Brother-of-North-Texas-man-on-missing-flight-maintains-faith-249213761.html
Brother of North Texas man on missing flight maintains faith
March 9, 2014

KELLER -- Tom Wood is a self-professed believer in miracles.

But keeping the faith in the fate of his 50 year old brother, Philip Wood - among the missing on Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 - is his greatest test.

“We're pretty calm and pretty strong, and y'know, we're hanging in there," Wood said.

After two days, authorities still can't answer whether Philip Wood is alive.

Did the flight crash? Was it a terrorist attack? Or, as Tom has heard through Internet conspiracies, hijacked?

“That would be a whole lot better than what we've been thinking, so I am crossing my fingers, hoping that maybe there's a happy ending to this," Tom Wood said.
 ::snipping3::
Tom said the family wants closure, whether the news is good or bad.

He isn't sure if he'll fly to East Asia, where the search for his brother and 238 other passengers continues. His family might.

“You know, the last thing you wanna do is get on a plane right now, after something like that," Wood said. “That's something I don't want to do, don't know about everybody else."

I was listening to the news on my car radio this morning and a Maylasian official denied debris from the flight was found, as was reported by the Vietnam.  I believe they thought it might be a door or possibly a window.  We're getting conflicting information along with rumors and etc.  ::MonkeyNoNo::


http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Investigators-chase-every-angle-in-missing-jet-5302622.php?cmpid=hpbn
Investigators chase 'every angle' in missing jet
March 10, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Rescue helicopters and ships searching for a Malaysia Airlines jet rushed Monday to investigate a yellow object that looked like a life raft. It turned out to be moss-covered trash floating in the ocean, once again dashing hopes after more than two days of fruitless search for the plane that disappeared en route to Beijing with 239 people on board.

With no confirmation that the Boeing 777 had crashed, hundreds of distraught relatives waited anxiously for any news. Thai police and Interpol questioned the proprietors of a travel agency in the resort town of Pattaya that sold one-way tickets to two men now known to have been traveling on flight MH370 using stolen passports.

There has been no indication that the two men had anything to do with the tragedy, but the use of stolen passports fueled speculation of foul play, terrorism or a hijacking gone wrong. Malaysia has shared their details with Chinese and American intelligence agencies.

Malaysia's police chief was quoted by local media as saying that one of the men had been identified.

Civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman declined to confirm this, but said they were of "non-Asian" appearance, adding that authorities were looking at the possibility the men were connected to a stolen passport syndicate.

Asked by a reporter what they looked like "roughly," he said: "Do you know of a footballer by the name of (Mario) Balotelli? He is an Italian. Do you know how he looks like?"

A reporter then asked, "Is he black?" and the aviation chief replied, "Yes."

The search operation has involved 34 aircraft and 40 ships from several countries covering a 50-nautical mile radius from the point the plane vanished from radar screens between Malaysia and Vietnam, he said.

Experts say possible causes of the apparent crash include an explosion, catastrophic engine failure, terrorist attack, extreme turbulence, pilot error or even suicide.
 ::snipping3::
The two stolen passports, one belonging to Austrian Christian Kozel and the other to Luigi Maraldi of Italy, were entered into Interpol's database after they were stolen in Thailand in 2012 and last year, the police body said.

Electronic booking records show that one-way tickets with those names were issued Thursday from a travel agency in the beach resort of Pattaya in eastern Thailand.

Thai police Col. Supachai Phuykaeokam said those reservations were placed with the agency by a second travel agency in Pattaya, which told police it had received the bookings from a China Southern Airlines office in Bangkok.

The owners of the second Pattaya travel agency refused to talk to reporters. Thai police and Interpol officers went in to question the owners.

A telephone operator on a China-based KLM hotline confirmed Sunday that passengers named Maraldi and Kozel had been booked on one-way tickets on the same KLM flight, flying from Beijing to Amsterdam on Saturday. Maraldi was to fly on to Copenhagen, Denmark, and Kozel to Frankfurt, Germany.

As holders of EU passports with onward flights to Europe, the passengers would not have needed visas for China.

Interpol said it and national investigators were working to determine the identities of those who used the stolen passports to board the flight.

Interpol has long sounded the alarm that growing international travel has underpinned a new market for identity theft: Bogus passports are mostly used by illegal immigrants, but also pretty much anyone looking to travel unnoticed such as drug runners or terrorists. More than 1 billion times last year, travelers boarded planes without their passports being checked against Interpol's database of 40 million stolen or lost travel documents, the police agency said.

Azharuddin also said the baggage of five passengers who had checked in to the flight but did not board the plane were removed before it departed, he said. Airport security was strict according to international standards, surveillance has been done and the airport has been audited, he said.

http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Air-force-chief-Malaysia-jet-may-have-turned-back-5301204.php
Vietnam says cannot find object from missing jet
Posted March 9, 2014, Updated March 10, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Vietnamese searchers on ships worked throughout the night but could not find a rectangle object spotted Sunday afternoon that was thought to be one of the doors of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet that went missing more than two days ago.

Doan Huu Gia, the chief of Vietnam's search and rescue coordination center, said Monday that four planes and seven ships from Vietnam were searching for the object but nothing had been found.
 ::snipping3::

It appears that there are no clues that would shed some light on this missing airliner and its 239 passengers.  UNBELIEVEABLE!!!  It must be a h--- on Earth for loved ones who are pleading for answers.

Janet

++++

Investigators chase 'every angle' in missing Boeing jet
Published: Mar 10, 2014 at 6:51 AM PDT
Last Updated: Mar 10, 2014 at 10:02 AM PDT

<snipped>

On Sunday afternoon, a Vietnamese plane spotted a rectangular object that was thought to be one of the missing plane's doors, but ships working through the night could not locate it. Then on Monday, a Singaporean search plane spotted a yellow object some 140 kilometers (87 miles) southwest of Tho Chu island, but it turned out to be some sea trash.

Malaysian maritime officials found some oil slicks in the South China Sea and sent a sample to a lab to see if it came from the plane. Tests showed that the oil was not from an aircraft.

As relatives of the 239 people on the flight grappled with fading hope, attention focused on how two passengers managed to board the aircraft using stolen passports.  Interpol confirmed it knew about the stolen passports but said no authorities checked its vast databases on stolen documents before the jet departed.

Warning that "only a handful of countries" routinely make such checks, Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble chided authorities for "waiting for a tragedy to put prudent security measures in place at borders and boarding gates."

<snipped>

http://www.komonews.com/news/national/Investigators-chase-every-angle-in-missing-Boeing-777-249276001.html

Officials Identify Plane Passenger Who Used Stolen Passport … ‘Identity of One of the Two Suspects has Been Confirmed, He is not a Malaysian’

Posted March 10, 2014 by Scared Monkeys

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2014/03/10/officials-identify-plane-passenger-who-used-stolen-passport-identity-of-one-of-the-two-suspects-has-been-confirmed-he-is-not-a-malaysian/#comments

Doing OK Tamikosmom I check in a few times a week  ::MonkeyCool::

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: China plays down terrorism theories
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370's disappearance has lit up Chinese social media with speculation that Uighur separatists are to blame. Chinese and Malaysian authorities have found no evidence to support the idea that terrorists are behind Malaysia Airlines flight MH370's disappearance. ::snipping3::


http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2014/0310/Malaysia-Airlines-flight-MH370-China-plays-down-terrorism-theories

http://www.statesman.com/news/business/at-austin-headquarters-freescale-officials-watch-w/nd9R2/
At Austin headquarters, Freescale officials watch, wait for word on missing employees
March 10, 2014

At Freescale Semiconductor Ltd.’s Austin headquarters, employees were keeping a close eye on news outlets Monday, waiting for any word on their 20 colleagues aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet.
The Freescale employees, among 239 people on flight MH370, were mostly engineers and other experts working to make the company’s chip facilities in Tianjin, China, and Kuala Lumpur more efficient, said Mitch Haws, vice president, global communications and investor relations.
“These were people with a lot of experience and technical background and they were very important people,” Haws said. “It’s definitely a loss for the company.”
Out of respect for their privacy, Freescale isn’t releasing any additional details about the employees, company spokeswoman Jacey Zuniga said Monday.
“Just like the rest of the world, we are watching the news and awaiting new developments,” Zuniga said.
Over the weekend, local teams organized transportation and accommodation for the employees’ families, and facilitated grief counseling and other assistance, Zuniga said.
None of Freescale’s most senior executives were on board the Boeing Co. 777-200ER airliner that vanished from radar screens about an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on Saturday.
 ::snipping3::
While the employees on the flight account for less than 1 percent of Freescale’s global workforce of close to 17,000, they were working toward the same goals and their loss will reverberate throughout Freescale, Haws said. The company, which employs 5,000 people in Austin, is a leading supplier of semiconductor chips for the automotive and digital network industries.
The employees aboard the Malaysia Airlines had been working to streamline facilities in Tianjin and Kuala Lumpur that Freescale uses for testing and packaging microchips used in automobiles, consumer products, telecommunications infrastructure and industrial equipment.
 ::snipping3::

I must need more coffee...When I first read the article headline I thought it meant this would be the last day Maylasian Airline passengers would be flying with stolen passports.  In other words, I thought it said they were going to begin checking passports against the Interpol lists for lost and stolen passports like the U.S. does.   Silly me.  They've had that option for a long time, they just don't.  Whether it's to obtain entry into another country (and leave current one) for asylum, for work, for possible illegal activity including terrorism, this very simple checking of passports needs to be implemented just for starters.  If the two young men that flew with stolen passports were not a part of a terror plot, it still highlights a glaring hole in security.   ::MonkeyNoNo::  I've read articles indicating it can be difficult to ascertain if the person presenting the passport is truly the person it belongs to. That is another problem that can eventually be overcome, but for me, just starting with scanning passports that are lost and stolen cuts down the numbers.  I've come into the U.S. from overseas and had to press my thumb on an electronic device to verify my identity.  Of course, there's probably some way that can be circumvented, and I think retina scans and such may be the future.  JMHO Now, back to more coffee...


http://abcnews.go.com/US/day-malaysia-airline-passengers-stolen-passports/story?id=22852454
The Last Day of Malaysia Airline Passengers With Stolen Passports
March 11, 2014

A man claiming to be the friend of two Iranians who used fake passports to board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight told ABC News that the men stayed at his home the night before the flight vanished.

Mohammad Mallaeibeasir told ABC News that he is an 18-year-old student living in Malaysia who went to high school with one of the men who is believed to have used a fake passport to board the missing flight. He said the other man was a friend of the friend's, and the pair stayed at Mallaeibeasir's the night before the flight took off.

Mallaeibeasir identified the men as Pouria Nour Mohammadi and Reza Devalar, both around age 18 or 19 and both from Iran. He said he went to high school with Pouria, but had not seen him for a couple of years.

They stayed with Mallaeibeasir and his roommate Friday night, and then Mallaeibeasir drove them to the airport, where they used stolen Italian and Austrian passports to board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on Saturday morning, he said.
 ::snipping3::
Mallaeibeasir said he did not know the men were using fake passports until the news stories broke and Pouria's mother called him and told him about it. Mallaeibeasir says he then called Malaysia Airlines and told them all of the information he knew.

Today Malaysian Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar identified one of the two men with stolen passports as Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad, 19, and said he was likely trying to enter Germany to seek asylum. His mother contacted authorities after he didn't arrive in Frankfurt.

Interpol later identified the other man as Delavar Syed Mohammad Reza, 29.

Law enforcement sources told ABC news today that the men's tickets were purchased by an Iranian man known as "Mr. Ali."

Mallaeibeasir said that when Pouria and Reza were staying at his house, he heard them briefly talking to an "Ali" on the phone.

"The last night when they were in my home they were talking on the phone for a long time. They were talking in Persian, in their room, and I heard them say 'OK Ali' like that in Persian. I didn't understand because it was like, five seconds. I went into the room to take water from my fridge and I came out and they said, 'Be quiet, we're talking.'"

Besides the hushed phone conversations, Mallaeibeasir said that the pair just hung out with him and his housemate and watched movies. Then Mallaeibeasir drove them to the airport.

"They stayed here only the last night before the flight. They were supposed to stay in Malaysia for three days but I think they stayed for one week," Mallaebeasir said. "They were with me because I had a car and I told them I will take you to the airport. They came to my house."

Mallaeibeasir and Pouria went to high school together in Tehran two years ago, before Mallaebeasir moved to Malaysia to study business information technology. He said he did not know Reza until the two arrived at his home for a quick night's stay.

Mallaeibeasir said he did not ask Pouria or Reza why they were in Malaysia. Pouria said he was heading to Germany or Copenhagen after Malaysia in order to visit his mother because they were having family problems, Mallaeibeasir said.

The two men traveled lightly, Mallaebeasier said. Pouria had a mountain climbing-type backpack and a laptop, while Reza carried a suitcase and a laptop, he said.

After he dropped them at the airport, Mallaebeasier called the men on their cell phones. Pouria answered but hung up quickly, and Mallaebeasier ended up talking to Reza for about three minutes, he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/10/travel/malaysia-airlines-stolen-passports/
Who travels with a stolen passport?
March 11, 2014

(CNN) -- How difficult is it to board a plane with a stolen passport?
Not as hard as you might think.
In any major international airport, it's not uncommon to have your passport checked four times or more between check-in and boarding the aircraft. But if passenger documents aren't checked against Interpol's database of stolen and lost travel documents, travelers using those documents can slip through layers of security.
Reports that two passengers on missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 were traveling on stolen Austrian and Italian passports have highlighted security concerns that have troubled Interpol for years, the international law enforcement agency said Sunday. The flight, carrying more than 200 passengers, disappeared from radar Saturday and hasn't been seen or heard from since.
Interpol identified the men using the stolen passports as Pouri Nourmohammadi, 18, and Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza, 29, both Iranians. Malaysian police believe Nourmohammadi was trying to emigrate to Germany using the stolen Austrian passport. The men entered Malaysia on February 28 using valid Iranian passports, Interpol said.
"Interpol is asking why only a handful of countries worldwide are taking care to make sure that persons possessing stolen passports are not boarding international flights," Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said in a statement.
What happened to Flight 370?
Before the departure of Flight 370, no country had checked the stolen passports against Interpol's list since they were added to the lost-documents database in 2012 and 2013, Interpol said.
Countries, but not airlines, have access to Interpol's data, and many governments don't routinely check passports against the database.
In 2013, passengers were able to board planes more than 1 billion times without having their travel documents checked against Interpol's data, the agency said. Airlines carried more than 3.1 billion passengers globally in 2013, according to estimates from the International Air Transport Association.

Are stolen passports related to plane's disappearance?
Interpol head Noble said Tuesday that the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 does not appear to be related to terrorism.
"The more information we get, the more we're inclined to conclude that it was not a terrorist incident," Noble said at a news conference in Lyon, France.
There's no evidence to suggest either of the men traveling on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight was connected to any terrorist organizations, according to Malaysian investigators.
On any given day, many people travel using stolen or fake passports for reasons that have nothing to do with terrorism, aviation security expert Richard Bloom told CNN.
They might be trying to immigrate illegally to another country, or they might be smuggling stolen goods, people, drugs or weapons or trying to import otherwise legal goods without paying taxes, said Bloom, director of terrorism, intelligence and security studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
 ::snipping3::
Noble said Sunday that the fact that any passenger was able to board an international flight using a stolen passport listed in Interpol's databases is a big concern.
"This is a situation we had hoped never to see," he said. "For years Interpol has asked why should countries wait for a tragedy to put prudent security measures in place at borders and boarding gates?"
Few countries look up stolen passports
Interpol does not charge countries for access to its databases, but some of the 190 Interpol member countries may not have the technical capacity or resources to access the network, according to Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director.
"It's just up to the will of the country to set it up and do it," Fuentes said.
Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database was created in 2002, following the September 11, 2001, attacks, to help countries secure their borders. Since then, it has expanded from a few thousand passports and searches to more than 40 million entries and more than 800 million searches per year.
About 60,000 of those 800 million searches yield hits against stolen or lost documents, according to Interpol.
The United States searches the database more than 250 million times annually, the United Kingdom more than 120 million times annually and the United Arab Emirates more than 50 million times annually, Interpol said. (Some 300,000 passports are lost or stolen each year in the United States, according to the U.S. State Department, which collects reports of stolen passports and sends them to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol.)
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection vets all travelers booked on flights to, from and heading through the United States through the Advanced Passenger Information System.
It conducts a thorough review of all relevant domestic and international criminal databases, including Interpol's, for any issues of concern. This review includes reports of stolen documents.
"If Malaysia Airlines and all airlines worldwide were able to check the passport details of prospective passengers against Interpol's database, then we would not have to speculate whether stolen passports were used by terrorists to board MH 370," Interpol's Noble said.
 ::snipping3::

https://twitter.com/MMoon_WREG3 (https://twitter.com/MMoon_WREG3)
March 11, 2014 Tweets

melissa moon ‏@MMoon_WREG3  3m
Missing Malaysia Airlines plane sparks conspiracy theories. Plane landed at mysterious location? http://nydn.us/1fS4FOt

 melissa moon ‏@MMoon_WREG3  11m
Getting stranger & stranger. Families: Cellphones of passengers from missing Malaysian plane still ring http://usat.ly/1iwgaJb

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/11/malaysia-airlines-370-passengers-cell-phones/6285325/
Families: Cellphones of missing passengers still ring
March 11, 2014

 ::snipping3::
A few family members said dialing the numbers resulted in ringing tones on the other end, even though the calls weren't picked up. Bian Liangwei, sister of one of the passengers, told the International Business Times that she reached her older brother's phone Monday afternoon. "If I could get through, the police could locate the position, and there is a chance he could still be alive," she said.

But industry experts say ringing phones don't necessarily mean that the calls are going through.

"The ringing is not actually ringing at the other phone yet," industry analyst Jeff Kagan said. "It's just telling you that the network is in the process of finding and connecting to it."

Locally placed calls may connect almost instantaneously, he said, but long-distance or international calls may "ring" several times before the phone is found or the system can't find it and disconnects the call.
 ::snipping3::
The ringing keeps callers from hanging up when they hear no sound, said Amy Storey, spokeswoman for CTIA, the Washington, D.C.-based trade group for wireless carriers. "The ringing sound has nothing to do with the actual 'ringing' of the called party's device," she said.

The ringing is "part of the process of wireless" communication, Kagan said. "In this particular case it's painful because it gives people false hope."

During a meeting with passengers' families, Malaysia Airlines' Hugh Dunleavy said the company had similar results — it tried calling mobile phones of crewmembers, which also rang.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/11/malaysia-airlines-investigation/6282557/
Reports: Missing jet flew hundreds of miles off course
March 11, 2014



KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Military radar data shows the Malaysia Airlines jet that disappeared last week flew hundreds of miles off course after civilian systems last recorded the plane's location, an official told Malaysian media.

The Malaysian military radar indicates Flight 370 flew at least as far as the Malacca Strait west of Malaysia, air force chief Gen. Rodzali Daud told local media.

"After that, the signal from the plane was lost," he told the newspaper. The primary focus of the search previously had been off the eastern coast of Malaysia and Vietnam based on where air controllers lost track of the Boeing 777.

Malaysian authorities have said the plane's electronic signaling transponder apparently stopped working at about the time civilian flight controllers lost contact with it, near the coast of Vietnam. Daud said Malaysian Air Force radar data shows the track of the plane then turning sharply and eventually flying over the island of Pulau Perak -- hundreds of miles off course.
 ::snipping3::

See diagram in article at link.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-03-11/interpol-shows-image-of-2-iranians-on-missing-jet
2 airlines to check passports on Interpol database
March 11, 2014

LYON, France (AP) — Interpol is allowing two airlines to check passenger passports against its vast database of lost and stolen travel documents — in a test project aimed to let private sector companies help authorities crack down on criminals who travel with fake documents, the police organization's leader said Tuesday.

It's not known whether stolen passports had to do with Saturday's disappearance of a Boeing 777 bound from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 239 people on board. But Interpol on Tuesday released an image of two Iranians who used valid Iranian passports to get to Malaysia, then boarded the flight with stolen European passports.

Up to now, only national authorities such as border police have been allowed to verify whether passengers' passports turn up in the database of some 40 million stolen or lost passports in the computer systems of the Lyon, France-based international police agency — not airlines or other private sector companies.

STORY: Biometric Privacy Trade-off Exposed in Missing Jet's Passports
"I have announced today that Qatar Airways and Air Arabia are two airlines that have committed themselves to making sure that all passengers boarding their planes will have their passport data screened against Interpol's database," Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble told reporters at its headquarters.

In essence, the two airlines will be able to query the database but not gain direct access to it, in a program called I-Checkit for private sector companies — which could one day include financial institutions or hotels too, officials said.

While the database has been available to authorities for more than a decade, only a handful of countries actively use it — primarily the United States, Britain and the United Arab Emirates. Noble said that more than 1 billion times last year, travelers boarded planes without their passports being checked against the database.

Air Arabia and Qatar were chosen to test the idea because they approached Interpol and expressed an interest, said Michael O'Connell, director of Interpol's operational police support directorate.

The Interpol chief said stolen passports have been a known problem since at least the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center: "We know that the terrorist mastermind in that bombing was carrying a stolen Iraqi passport to cross borders."

It takes less than a second for countries to query the database via Interpol software and an Internet connection, once a passport is scanned. Interpol says some of its 190 member countries have cited a lack of police resources, privacy concerns, or political hostilities for their failure to check passports against the global data.
 ::snipping3::

REPORT: Chinese satellite images may show missing plane
NewsRadio 850KOA-4 minutes ago
Crews may have discovered the wreckage of a missing Malaysian airliner. CNN reports satellite images out of China might show the crash site ...
Read more: http://www.850koa.com/articles/national-news-104668/report-chinese-satellite-images-may-show-12149744#ixzz2vmkYZnC9

 :smt102  We still don't know.  I'm so sorry for the family, friends and co-workers of the passengers & crew on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.


http://abcnews.go.com/International/malaysia-airliner-pinging-indication-crashed-indian-ocean/story?id=22894802
Malaysia Airliner Communications Shut Down Separately: US Officials Say
March 13, 2014

Two U.S. officials tell ABC News the U.S. believes that the shutdown of two communication systems happened separately on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. One source said this indicates the plane did not come out of the sky because of a catastrophic failure.

The data reporting system, they believe, was shut down at 1:07 a.m. The transponder -- which transmits location and altitude -- shut down at 1:21 a.m.

This indicates it may well have been a deliberate act, ABC News aviation consultant John Nance said.

U.S. investigators told ABC News that the two modes of communication were "systematically shut down."

That means the U.S. team "is convinced that there was manual intervention," a source said, which means it was likely not an accident or catastrophic malfunction that took the plane out of the sky.
 ::snipping3::

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/03/14/malaysia-airlines-idINDEEA2900B20140314
Search for Malaysian plane may extend to Indian Ocean - U.S.
March 14, 2014

(Reuters) - A new search area for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 may be opened in the Indian Ocean, the White House said, significantly broadening the potential location of the plane, which disappeared nearly a week ago with 239 people on board.

Expanding the search area to the Indian Ocean would be consistent with the theory that the Boeing 777 may have detoured to the west about an hour after take-off from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing.

"It's my understanding that based on some new information that's not necessarily conclusive - but new information - an additional search area may be opened in the Indian Ocean," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters in Washington.

Carney did not specify the nature of the new information and Malaysian officials were not immediately available to comment.
 ::snipping3::
Satellites picked up faint electronic pulses from the aircraft after it went missing on Saturday, but the signals gave no information about where the jet was heading and little else about its fate, two sources close to the investigation said on Thursday.

But the "pings" indicated its maintenance troubleshooting systems were switched on and ready to communicate with satellites, showing the aircraft was at least capable of communicating after losing touch with air traffic controllers.

The system transmits such pings about once an hour, according to the sources, who said five or six were heard. However, the pings alone are not proof that the plane was in the air or on the ground, the sources said.

Malaysian authorities have said the last civilian contact occurred as the Boeing (BA.N) 777-200ER flew north into the Gulf of Thailand. They said military radar sightings indicated it may have turned sharply to the west and crossed the Malay Peninsula toward the Andaman Sea.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.smh.com.au/world/malaysia-airlines-missing-plane-satellites-picked-up-pings-from-jet-sources-says-20140314-hviig.html
Malaysia Airlines missing plane: Satellites picked up 'pings' from jet, sources says
March 14, 2014

Washington: Communications satellites picked up faint electronic pulses from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 after it went missing on Saturday, but the signals gave no information about where the stray jet was heading and little else about its fate, two sources close to the investigation said on Thursday.

The "pings" indicated that the aircraft's maintenance troubleshooting systems were switched on and ready to communicate with satellites as needed. But no data links were opened because the companies involved had not subscribed to that level of service from the satellite operator, the sources said.

The system transmits such pings about once an hour, the sources said, but it remains unclear how many signals the plane sent after air traffic control lost track of it.
More...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/volunteers-all-over-the-world-look-for-missing-malaysian-jet/
Digital volunteers all over the world look for missing Malaysian jet
March 13, 2014

Hi Monkey's

Muffy and wonderful witty monkeys :)

Do you have any theories?
I guess it is premature, to guess or even speculate, just super-curious about theories.

If there was a poll I would be the one to pick Aliens  ::MonkeyEek::

Thank-you  ::MonkeyHeart::

Seahorse, I will give you an answer since you asked me directly in this post by name. If you want to believe aliens abducted the airplane with 239 souls aboard (including children), that is your right.  As for my self, I cannot make light of it.  My heart aches for the family, friends and co-workers of the missing.  I have veryclose family members and friends flying commercial, international flights, and the not knowing if something happened to them would break my heart. Look at the photos of the people  waiting for the arrival of Flight 370 that never arrived.  Perhaps you don't take flights like this or know someone personally that does, it may be difficult for you to have some empathy and understanding for others that have probably lost a loved one.  I hope the families, friends and coworkers get the answers they need.  As far as what may have happened, I don't know.  As I sit here, I wonder if I'm on the wrong forum.   ::MonkeyNoNo::



Seahorse, would you ask any of these people if they believe "aliens" are responsible for missing plane with their loved ones aboard?
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26498628
(http://i.imgur.com/agQ1ymO.jpg)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10684770/Oil-slick-spotted-in-sea-in-search-for-missing-Malaysian-plane.html
(http://i.imgur.com/8OjOOUf.jpg)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-fearing-the-worst-search-shifts-to-disaster-recovery-1.2565126
(http://i.imgur.com/CM1Xr4L.jpg)

http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Air-force-chief-Malaysia-jet-may-have-turned-back-5301204.php
(http://i.imgur.com/S13d35q.jpg)

Piracy theory gains more credence in mystery of missing Flight MH 370
Mar 14th 2014 10:01PM


http://www.aol.com/article/2014/03/14/missing-plane-piracy-theory-gains-more-credence/20850351/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D454115

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/pm-mh370-deliberately-piloted-off-course
MALAYSIA
PM: MH370 deliberately piloted off-course (VIDEO)
March 15, 2014

SEPANG, March 15 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak confirmed today that Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared off the coast of Kota Baru last Saturday had been deliberately diverted off-course towards the west of Peninsular Malaysia.

The prime minister would not, however, confirm reports claiming that the plane had been hijacked.

“Despite media reports that the plane was hijacked, I wish to be very clear that we are still investigating all possibilities as to what caused MH370 to deviate from its original flight path,” he told an an emergency press conference today at the Sama-Sama Hotel near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

While Najib did not confirm that MH370 was hijacked, he indicated that probe will now shift its attention to the people who were flying aboard the Beijing-bound plane.

“In view of this latest development the Malaysian authorities have refocused their investigation into the crew and passengers on board,” he said earlier in his statement.
 ::snipping3::


(http://i.imgur.com/H9bg074.jpg)

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/15/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/
Malaysia Airlines probe focusing on passengers, crew
March 15, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* NEW: Police search pilot's home

* "Evidence is consistent with someone acting deliberately from inside the plane," Malaysia PM says

* Search widens to two corridors, including the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan border area

* Investigators are no longer combing the South China Sea

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/font-color-red-missing-mh370-font-pm-s-statement-on-missing-airliner-1.514405
MISSING MH370: PM's statement on missing airliner
March 15, 2014

Below is the full text of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's full statement of the missing MAS MH370 flight.

Seven days ago Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared. We realise this is an excruciating time for the families of those on board. No words can describe the pain they must be going through. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them.
More...

Seahorse - I will give you the theory that makes the most sense to me - but it is JMO.

Talking to aviation experts and to former military and current pilots one theory makes sense - pilot suicide. The guy that was flying as captain was older and the airline (which is government owned) has been in financial trouble for a long time. IF he was afraid of losing his job and having a hard time getting a new one at his age, he would be worried about providing for his family. He was (or is) an avid aviation person both on and off the job. So if he wanted to die and still have his family get life insurance and no shame, he would set up an on the job "accident".  It would be pretty easy for him to do by lowering the pressure in the cabin and cockpit which would cause the other people to either pass out or pass away. Then he could fly off course until the plane runs out of fuel. There would then be no way to prove if it was hijacked, mechanical failure that killed all aboard (like the Payne plane did) or what happened. His family would be spared shame and get the money. It is one of the only theories that seems to fit all the information we have at this time. I may be (and hope I am) wrong.

That's a very interesting theory, TBM.  ^^^^ 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-pilot-suicide-a-taboo-topic-in-past-crash-probes/
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Pilot suicide a taboo topic in past crash probes
March 16, 2014

CANBERRA, Australia - As police investigate the two pilots of a Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 passenger jet that disappeared more than a week ago, a possibility they must consider is that one of them committed suicide by deliberately crashing the plane.

Mike Glynn, a committee member of the Australian and International Pilots Association, said he considers pilot suicide to be the most likely explanation for the disappearance, as was suspected in a SilkAir crash during a flight from Singapore to Jakarta in 1997 and an EgyptAir flight from Los Angeles to Cairo in 1999.

"A pilot rather than a hijacker is more likely to be able to switch off the communications equipment,'' Glynn said. "The last thing that I, as a pilot, want is suspicion to fall on the crew, but it's happened twice before.''

Glynn said a pilot may have sought to fly the plane into the Indian Ocean to reduce the chances of recovering data recorders, and to conceal the cause of the disaster.

While such incidents have happened before, the topic remains almost taboo, with investigators and officials reluctant to conclude that a pilot purposely crashed a plane in order to commit suicide even when the evidence appears compelling.

A dozen years ago, U.S. investigators filed a final report into the 1999 crash of EgyptAir Flight 990, which plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near the Massachusetts island of Nantucket, killing all 217 aboard. They concluded that when co-pilot Gameel El-Batouty found himself alone on the flight deck, he switched off the auto-pilot, pointed the plane downward, and calmly repeated the phrase "I rely on God" over and over, 11 times in total.

Yet while the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the co-pilot's actions caused the crash, they didn't use the word "suicide" in the main findings of their 160-page report, instead saying the reason for his actions "was not determined." Egyptian officials, meanwhile, rejected the notion of suicide altogether, insisting instead there was some mechanical reason for the crash.
There was also disagreement over the cause of the crash of SilkAir Flight 185, which plunged into a river in 1997 during a flight from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Singapore, killing all 104 passengers and crew. A U.S. investigation found that the Boeing 737 had been deliberately crashed, but an Indonesian investigation was inconclusive.

Mozambique officials have been investigating a crash that killed 33 people in November. They say preliminary investigations indicate that the pilot of the Mozambican Airline plane bound for Angola intentionally brought it down, and they're continuing to look into his possible motives.
 ::snipping3::
"Aircraft-assisted suicides are tragic, intentional events that are hard to predict and difficult to prevent," the FAA's report found, adding that such suicides "are most likely under-reported and under-recognized."

In at least one case, a major international airline allowed a pilot who had expressed suicidal thoughts to continue flying. He flew nearly three more years, without incident, before he resigned in 1982 with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression.

Malaysia's government said police on Saturday searched the homes of both the pilot and the co-pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet. It said police were examining an elaborate flight simulator taken from the home of 59-year-old pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah.

Police also are investigating engineers who may have had contact with the plane before it took off.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/16/flight-mh370-last-message-communications-disabled-malaysia
Flight MH370: last message to Malaysia sent 'after communications disabled'
Revelation suggests person who delivered 'All right, good night' message from missing plane knew system had been shut down
March 16, 2014

The person in control of missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 issued their last communication to air traffic control after the first set of aircraft communications was disabled, Malaysian authorities have confirmed, adding further weight to suspicion that the plane was hijacked.

The latest revelation suggests that the person who delivered the "All right, good night" message to Kuala Lumpur air traffic controllers just before the Boeing-777 disappeared from their radar at 1.22am and diverted from its scheduled flightpath to Beijing was also aware that the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (Acars) had been manually shut down.

Investigations still do not appear to know who was at the helm and what their intentions were when the aircraft disappeared from civilian radar more than a week ago.

Experts on aircraft maintenance have explained that the plane's communications system can only be disabled manually – a process that requires switching a number of cockpit controls in sequence until a computer screen necessitates a keyboard input.

Authorities have not yet disclosed whether the person who issued the last message to controllers was Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, or co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, or even an unknown third person. It is also unclear if such messages are recorded by air traffic control and are available for expert analysis to determine who the voice belongs to.

Malaysia Airlines could not be reached for comment and Malaysia's transport ministry declined to comment.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.wfaa.com/news/Missing-Malaysia-Passengers-Brother--250637491.html
Brother of missing Malaysia passenger: 'We need answers'
March 17, 2014

http://www.kvue.com/news/Passengers-crew-on-board-missing-Malaysia-plane--250770561.html
Passengers, crew on board missing Malaysia plane
March 18, 2014

There were 12 crew and 227 passengers on the Malaysia Airlines jet that disappeared about 40 minutes into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8. They were from far-flung parts of the world: 14 nationalities that included New Zealanders, Iranians, Americans and Indonesians. Two thirds of the passengers were from China. These are the stories of some of those on board.
More...
(List of some of the crew and passengers and a bit about their life story)

My guess from the beginning was that the plane was headed to Somalia.  jmoo

Some articles that caught my attention today--

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/9840870/Pilots-flight-simulator-focused-on-Indian-Ocean
Pilot's flight simulator focused on Indian Ocean
Last updated 18:43 18/03/2014

A flight simulator taken from the home of a missing Malaysia Airlines pilot held software for five practice runaways scattered around the Indian Ocean, a Malaysian news outlet says.

Berita Harian reported a source as telling it that one airport was for a United States military base, while all five runways were of the same length.

"Among the software we checked so far is the Male International Airport in Maldives, three airports in India and Sri Lanka, and one belonging to the US military base in Diego Garcia. All have a runway length of 1000 metres," the source told the Malay daily.

A Boeing 777-200 needs a runway of 1600m to land, according to Boeing's website.
 ::snipping3::

And this article--

http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/54067
Maldives police probe reported sighting of 'low flying jet'
Mar 18, 2014 - 09:44

Maldives police on Tuesday announced an investigation into reports that residents of the remote Maldives island of Kuda Huvadhoo in Dhaal Atoll have seen a "low flying jumbo jet" on the morning of the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

But the police did not reveal any details.   

Whilst the disappearance of the Boeing 777 jet, carrying 239 passengers has left the whole world in bewilderment, several residents of Kuda Huvadhoo told Haveeru on Tuesday that they saw a "low flying jumbo jet" at around 6:15am on March 8.

They said that it was a white aircraft, with red stripes across it – which is what the Malaysia Airlines flights typically look like.

Eyewitnesses from the Kuda Huvadhoo concurred that the aeroplane was travelling North to South-East, towards the Southern tip of the Maldives – Addu. They also noted the incredibly loud noise that the flight made when it flew over the island.

A local aviation expert told Haveeru that it is "likely" for MH370 to have flown over the Maldives. The possibility of any aircraft flying over the island at the reported time is extremely low, the expert added.
 ::snipping3::

Came across this Forum today and found it informative and interesting--discussion of MH Flight370.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-asian-australian-south-pacific-airlines/1558464-mh-370-kul-pek-missing-search-operations-ongoing-please-see-wiki-171.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10704769/Malaysian-Airlines-MH370-live.html



 ::MonkeyEek::

Here is an interesting theory I came across today:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2014/03/mh370-electrical-fire/

A Startlingly Simple Theory About the Missing Malaysia Airlines Jet

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/03/18/malaysian_airline_thailands_military_finally_turns_attention_to_radar_blips.html

Malaysian airline: Thailand’s military finally turns attention to radar blips
Published on Tue Mar 18 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA—Investigators trying to solve the mystery of a missing Malaysian jetliner received some belated help Tuesday from Thailand, whose military said it took 10 days to report radar blips that might have been the plane “because we did not pay attention to it.”
 ::snipping3::

Air force spokesman Air Vice Marshal Montol Suchookorn said the Thai military doesn't know whether the plane it detected was Flight 370.

Thailand's failure to quickly share possible information about the plane may not substantially change what Malaysian officials now know, but it raises questions about the degree to which some countries are sharing their defence data.

Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur at 12:40 a.m. Malaysian time March 8 and its transponder, which allows air traffic controllers to identify and track the airplane, ceased communicating at 1:20 a.m.

Montol said that at 1:28 a.m., Thai military radar “was able to detect a signal, which was not a normal signal, of a plane flying in the direction opposite from the MH370 plane,” back toward Kuala Lumpur. The plane later turned right, toward Butterworth, a Malaysian city along the Malacca strait. The radar signal was infrequent and did not include any data such as the flight number.

When asked why it took so long to release the information, Montol said, “Because we did not pay any attention to it. The Royal Thai Air Force only looks after any threats against our country.” He said the plane never entered Thai airspace and that Malaysia's initial request for information in the early days of the search was not specific.

“When they asked again and there was new information and assumptions from (Malaysian) Prime Minister Najib Razak, we took a look at our information again,” Montol said. “It didn't take long for us to figure out, although it did take some experts to find out about it.”
 ::snipping3::

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/03/18/malayisa-airlines-timeline-flight-370

94-minute mystery: Timeline of Malaysia Flight 370
updated2:20 PM EDT, Tue March 18, 2014

 ::snipping3::
All times local on Saturday March 8, 2014 (March 7, 11:41 a.m. ET -- switch to Eastern Daylight Savings Time had not happened):

12:41 a.m.: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 departs Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing.

1:07 a.m.: The onboard Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, sends out what turns out to be its last communication.

(Source: CEO of Malaysia Airlines, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, in Monday’s news conference, clarifying that ACARS did not necessarily shut down at that time.)

1:19 a.m.: Someone inside the cockpit, believed to be the co-pilot, makes the plane's last verbal communication with air traffic controllers, saying, "All right, good night." Those were the last words from Flight 370.

(Source: Yahya at Monday’s news conference, confirming that it was the co-pilot who spoke; he also reconfirmed the time.)

1:21 a.m.: The transponder -- which communicates the altitude, coordinates and aircraft call sign -- stops responding.

(Source: Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director of the Malaysian Dept. of Civil Aviation, at news conference on March 12.)

1:22 a.m.: Thai military radar was tracking the signal of Flight 370 when it disappeared at 1:22 a.m. Malaysian time (12:22 a.m. Thai time), a Royal Thai Air Force spokesman tells CNN.

1:28 a.m.: Flight 370 was transmitting the normal flight path and commercial data, but then the Thai radar station in the southern Surathani province saw an unknown aircraft appear flying in the opposite direction at this time, a Royal Thai Air Force spokesman tells CNN. That aircraft might have been Flight 370.

Approx. 1:30 a.m.: Air traffic controllers lose contact with the plane​.

(Source: Malaysia Airlines CEO Yahya on March 13.)

1:37 a.m.: An expected ACARS transmission does not happen.

(Source: CEO Yahya, Monday news conference.)

2:15 a.m.: Malaysian military radar last detects what’s believed to be the plane, over the small island of Pulau Perak in the Strait of Malacca, hundreds of miles off course.

(Source: Malaysia’s Air Force Chief Rodzali Daud in briefing on March 12.)

6:30 a.m. (local and Beijing time): Expected Time of Arrival of Flight 370 in Beijing.

7:24 a.m.: Malaysia Airlines announces via Facebook that the aircraft lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 2:40 am (that discrepancy in time is never explained, but later updates talk about the 1:30 a.m. loss-of-contact).

(Source: Malaysia Airlines Facebook page.)

8:11 a.m: More than seven hours after takeoff, a satellite makes the last electronic connection, known as a "handshake," with the plane.

(Source: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, news briefing on March 15.)

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304026304579448770319722970?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304026304579448770319722970.html

Data Was Deleted From Flight Simulator of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Pilot
Updated March 19, 2014 7:01 a.m. ET

Malaysian investigators have found that some data from a flight simulator taken from the home of the missing  Malaysia Airlines  3786.KU +2.13%     Flight 370's pilot was deleted.

"Some data has been deleted from the simulator. Forensic efforts are on to retrieve the data," Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia's acting transport minister told reporters on Wednesday.

The flight simulator was taken from pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah's home over the weekend as part of police investigation. All crew and ground staff who were involved with Flight 370 are currently being investigated, Mr. Hishammuddin said. He added that all crew and personnel are currently being treated as innocent. (Follow the latest developments in the search for Flight 370.)

The data log of the games on the simulator was cleared on Feb. 3 and experts are looking at what logs were deleted, Malaysian Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said at the same news conference. He declined to comment if the experts thought the erasing of the data was unusual.
 ::snipping3::
Investigators haven't found anything "of significance" about any of the passengers so far, the police official said.

He also said that reports of an aircraft matching the Boeing 777-200 being sighted in Maldives were investigated and found not to be true.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/03/19/expert-believes-missing-malaysian-airlines-flight-being-held-for-ransom/

 ::MonkeyConfused:: ::MonkeyConfused:: ::MonkeyConfused:: ::MonkeyConfused::

Anderson Cooper (CNN) just announced that Australian PM Tony Abbott will be holding a news conference momentarily.

Janet

+++++

Malaysia Airlines MH370: Tony Abbott says possible debris found in Indian Ocean
Updated 5 minutes ago

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced objects possibly related to the search for a missing Malaysian Airlines plane have been found in the southern Indian Ocean.

Mr Abbott says new satellite images show two possible objects in the ocean and an Australian Orion aircraft is en route to the area.

"New and credible information has come to light in relation to the search ... in the south Indian Ocean," Mr Abbott told Parliament during Question Time.

"The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has received information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search."

<snipped>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-20/abbott-says-possible-objects-found-mh370/5334314

Video at the link

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/missing-malaysian-airlines-flight-mh370-pm-tony-abbott-says-satellite-images-could-be-wreckage-of-crashed-plane-20140320-354ij.html

Missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370: PM Tony Abbott says satellite images could be wreckage of crashed plane
DateMarch 20, 2014 - 2:11PM

The Australian-led search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight has had an apparent breakthrough, with satellite images showing two objects in waters off Perth.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament on Thursday afternoon that an Australian P-3 Orion aircraft had been diverted to check out the objects and would be followed by other planes.

The first Orion was due to arrive on the scene about 2pm, he said.

Mr Abbott stressed it was not yet clear whether they were parts of the plane.
 ::snipping3::
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is co-ordinating the search, has called a news conference for 3.30pm.

No press conference yet.

Janet
8:50 PM PT

+++++


Objects may be from missing Malaysia Airlines jet: Tony Abbott
MARCH 20, 2014 2:06PM

TWO objects possibly related to the search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane have been spotted in the southern Indian Ocean, Tony Abbott says.

“The task of locating these objects will be extremely difficult ... and it may be they do not relate to the aircraft,” the Prime Minister told parliament.

Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 vanished on March 8 after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur carrying 239 passengers and crew, including six Australians.

Australian aircraft have been scouring the Indian Ocean for signs of wreckage.

The plane’s disappearance has turned into one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.

Mr Abbott said he has called Malaysian leader Najib Razak to relay the “new and credible information” about potential aircraft wreckage in the southern Indian Ocean.

He told parliament: “The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has received the information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search. Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified.

“A Royal Australian Air Force Orion has been diverted in an attempt to locate the objects. This Orion is expected to arrive in the area about this time.

“Three more aircraft will follow this Orion. They are tasked for more intensive follow up search.”

Sources familiar with the find described the wreckage sightings as ‘’very credible’’.

The source did not go into specifics, but said the initial sightings had detected debris consistent with ‘’what you’d normally find in such circumstances’’.

<snipped>

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/objects-may-be-from-missing-malaysia-airlines-jet-tony-abbott/story-e6frg95x-1226860205396

(http://images.smh.com.au/2014/03/18/5272347/MOR-MH370-search-map-620x349.jpg)

I think I heard that a U.S. ship is half an hour away from the site...waiting for confirmation.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/missing-malaysian-airlines-flight-mh370-pm-tony-abbott-says-satellite-images-could-be-wreckage-of-crashed-plane-20140320-354ij.html

Missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370: PM Tony Abbott says satellite images could be wreckage of crashed plane
  DateMarch 20, 2014 - 2:11PM

 ::snipping3::
“A Royal Australian Air Force Orion has been diverted in an attempt to locate the objects. This Orion is expected to arrive in the area about this time.

“Three more aircraft will follow this Orion. They are tasked for more intensive follow up search.”

Sources familiar with the find described the wreckage sightings as “very credible’’.

The source did not go into specifics, but said the initial sightings had detected debris consistent with “what you’d normally find in such circumstances’’.

AMSA is due to hold a press conference at 3.30pm AEDT.

In Sydney earlier today, AMSA said the search of the southern Indian Ocean was continuing.

A Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion, a US Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion were in the air today while five merchant ships passing through the search area were assisting after responding to a call from AMSA.
 ::snipping3::

Kudos to the the United States and Australia!!!

Somehow I believe that Australian Prime Minister will be announcing confirmation that the wreckage from the MH370 has been located.  There will still be many unanswered questions encompassing this tragedy but loved ones will be afforded a measure of closure.

Janet

+++++


YESTERDAY

Missing Malaysia Airlines plane: search for MH370 begins 3000km south-west of Perth
March 18, 2014

<snipped>

Mr Young, general manager of the authority's emergency response division, said it would likely take ''at least a few weeks to search the area thoroughly''.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government owed it to ''the people on this ill-fated flight and their families to do what we can to solve this tragic mystery''.

Mr Young said the area has been mapped out by the US National Transportation Safety Board based on the electronic ''pings'' sent by the plane on hourly intervals. ''The area where the aircraft might have entered the water was then corrected for the water movement … to provide a possible search area,'' Mr Young said.

It was also based on assumptions about the speed at which the plane was travelling and when it was likely to have run out of fuel. Currents could have moved wreckage and other material significantly.

Mr Young said the first Australian Orion took off from Pearce base at 2pm eastern daylight time and would reach the search area about 5.40pm. It would be able to search for only about two hours before having to return home.

Three more Australian Orions were set to join the search on Wednesday, as would an Orion provided by the Royal New Zealand Air Force and a US Navy P-8 Poseidon, a more advanced surveillance plane.

<snipped>

Neil James, executive director of the Australia Defence Association, said the search would also be racing against the clock.

''If they don't find the debris field soon, the chances are that a lot of the stuff will have sunk.''

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/missing--malaysia-airlines-plane-search-for-mh370-begins-3000km-southwest-of-perth-20140318-34zyn.html

CNN - 9:40 PM PT

- John Young - General Manager of the Authority's Emergency Response Division

- Objects POSSIBLY related to wreckage from Malaysia Airlines 777 Flight MH370

- NO CONFIRMATION

 ::MonkeyNoNo::

live streaming

http://www.mediaite.com/online/live-stream-australia-holds-presser-on-possible-flight-370-objects-found/

Australian PM Tony Abbott Says Satellite Images May Show 2 Objects of Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane Flight 370 (VIDEO)

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2014/03/19/australian-pm-tony-abbott-says-satellite-images-may-show-missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-flight-370/

I would agree that this news is most likely the most credible that we have heard so far. I really find it hard to believe that the PM would have gotten involved if it was not very credible that this was wreckage of the missing Malaysia airline.

Agree, Red, it's the most credible information regarding the location of the plane.  Sad if it is.  ::MonkeyTears::

http://www.news.com.au/world/possible-wreckage-spotted-in-search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-raaf-plane-on-its-way-to-identify-objects/story-fndir2ev-1226859680610

Possible wreckage spotted in search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, RAAF plane on its way to identify objects 
This story was published: 6 minutes ago March 20, 2014 3:49PM

TWO large objects identified by satellite in the Indian Ocean off Perth may be related to missing Flight MH370 and are “possible indications of debris”. 
 
Australian Maritime Safety Authority general manager John Young said the objects were “relatively indistinct on imagery” and about 24-metres long.

“Those who are experts indicate they are credible sightings,” he said.

“The indication to me is of objects that are of reasonable size and awash with water, bobbing up and down on the surface.”

A US Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft is in the relevant search area, which is about 2,500km southwest of Perth, and a RAAF Orion aircraft is expected to arrive later this afternoon. Additional aircraft are also expected to follow for a more intensive search.

“I would advise that AMSA is doing it’s level best to find anyone that may have survived,” Mr Young said.
 ::snipping3::

If Australia has been given the authority of the "southern vector’’ by the Malaysian authorities, maybe there will be better updates, reports, and coverage of the area.  The families have been waiting too long for credible news.  jmo

http://www.news.com.au/world/possible-wreckage-spotted-in-search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-raaf-plane-on-its-way-to-identify-objects/story-fndir2ev-1226859680610

Possible wreckage spotted in search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, RAAF plane on its way to identify objects 
This story was published: 8 minutes ago March 20, 2014 4:24PM

 ::snipping3::
Mr Young cautioned that the objects would be difficult to locate and may not even be related to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, which vanished en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 with 239 people on board.

“It’s probably the best lead we have right now but we have to get there, find them, see them, assess them, to know whether it’s really meaningful or not,’’ he said.

Reacting to the news, Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the potential breakthrough gave reason for hope of a resolution to the crisis, but stressed the need to verify the claim.

“We have been very consistent. We want to verify, we want to corroborate,’’ Mr Hussein said

Mr Young said further images were expected after commercial satellites were redirected to take high resolution images of the areas of interest. “These will be provided in due course,” he said.

He cautioned against any hasty expectations of an outcome of the search because of unfavourable weather conditions.

“We may get a sighting, we may not. We may get it tomorrow, we may not,’’ he said. “But we will continue to do this until we locate those objects or we are convinced that we cannot find them.’’

He added: “I would advise that AMSA is doing it’s level best to find anyone that may have survived.”
 ::snipping3::
Mr Abbott said he had spoken to his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak and informed him of the developments.

But the PM insisted the task of locating the objects will be very difficult and they might not turn out to be related to the missing plane.

“We must keep in mind the task of locating these objects will be extremely difficult and it may turn out that they are not related to the search for flight MH370,” he said.

Malaysian authorities have asked Australia to take responsibility for the “southern vector’’ of the operation to locate the Boeing 777.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.news.com.au/world/possible-wreckage-spotted-in-search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-raaf-plane-on-its-way-to-identify-objects/story-fndir2ev-1226859680610

(http://media.news.com.au/nnd//8dcc57117e272048b933bb3c4f313529/desktop/assets/01.jpg)

http://abcnews.go.com/International/search-crews-objects-plane-search/story?id=22979627

Radar Hits of 'Significant Size' Registered in Indian Ocean: Flight Crew
March 20, 2014

A flight crew scouring the southern Indian Ocean for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane tells ABC News that they're getting radar hits of "significant size," indicating something lurking below the water's surface.

ABC News' David Wright, on board the US Navy P-8 Poseidon, said the crew tells him the radar indicates "there is something down there."

It is still too early to tell if the radar hits are related to the missing plane, which was carrying 239 people when it disappeared on March 8.

The P-8 is among four aircraft and one merchant ship heading to a region off the coast of Australia after two objects that may be related to the plane were spotted by satellite, officials said Thursday.

Officials described the sighting as the best lead at this stage in the investigation. The updates have been deemed "credible enough to divert resources to this area," said John Young with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Emergency Response Division. The largest of the objects spotted on satellite is about 78 feet long, he said.
 ::snipping3::

Continuous live updates

http://www.smh.com.au/national/missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-debris-found-in-search-for-mh370-says-australian-prime-minister-tony-abbott-20140320-354xz.html

Missing Malaysia Airlines plane: Debris found in search for MH370, says Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
DateMarch 20, 2014 - 2:54PM

(http://images.smh.com.au/2014/03/20/5278907/MOR-newest-search-wide-20140320161227741384-620x349.jpg)
A map showing the chronology of search areas in the hunt for MH370. Photo: Andrew Meares

(http://images.smh.com.au/2014/03/20/5278759/art-johnyoung1-620x349.jpg)
Briefing the press: John Young. Photo: Andrew Mea

Continuous live updates at the link

http://www.smh.com.au/national/missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-debris-found-in-search-for-mh370-says-australian-prime-minister-tony-abbott-20140320-354xz.html

Missing Malaysia Airlines plane: Debris found in search for MH370, says Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
DateMarch 20, 2014 - 2:54PM

5:44pm Nicky Phillips: If the debris spotted off the coast of Perth is part of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 it is floating in the roughest part of the world, said an Australian oceanographer.

Chari Pattiaratchi, from the University of Western Australia, said the debris had been located close to the 'Roaring Forties', where the wind created giant swells and waves.

''You may have debris at the surface but the bulk of the aircraft would be at the bottom of the ocean,'' he said. ''It's very deep down there, about five kilometres,'' said Professor Pattiaratchi.

''Trying to get something out from five kilometres in the roughest part of the world is going to be extreme,'' he said.

The currents in the area move from west to east.

''So if it has been in the water for about 10 days it would have drifted about 300 to 400 kilometres to the east toward Perth," said Professor Pattiaratchi.

The debris would likely have been travelling about one nautical mile per hour, or one knot. ''If it keeps going it'll go to the south of Perth or south of Australia,'' he said.

The roaring forties are located forty degrees south, where there was almost no land to slow down the winds. These create strong, high waves and swell, he said.

The currents extend right through the water column because the area is so deep.

5:37pm Marissa Calligeros: The family of missing Queensland couple Bob and Cathy Lawton huddled around a television on Thursday afternoon fearing authorities would confirm the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 had been found.

News that satellite images had detected possible debris from the plane, all but dashed their hopes their loved ones would be found alive.

Mr Lawton’s brother David Lawton declined to comment when contacted by Fairfax Media, saying only that he was at home with his extended family, having just watched a televised press conference about the discovery of two objects bobbing in waters off the Australian coast.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26659951

20 March 2014 Last updated at 10:22 ET
Australia plane searchers investigate debris

 ::snipping3::
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/73694000/jpg/_73694267_digo_00718_01_14.jpg)
Australian authorities said one of the objects was 24m in size

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/73702000/jpg/_73702773_73702772.jpg)
The St Petersburg, a Norwegian merchant ship, was the first vessel to reach the area

Two Australian Orion aircraft searching the area on Thursday were joined later by aircraft from the US and New Zealand.

Amsa said the aircraft had covered an area of 23,000km² (14,000 square miles) but confirmed that they had found no debris. It said the search would resume on Friday.

The captain of the first Australian air force AP-3C Orion plane to return from the search area described the weather conditions as "extremely bad" with rough seas and high winds.

David Wright, an ABC News reporter who was on the P-8 Poseidon, said all the sophisticated plane had spotted was "a freighter and two pods of dolphins".

A Norwegian merchant ship, the St Petersburg, has also arrived in the area after responding to a shipping broadcast issued by Australia's rescue co-ordination centre.

It will be joined by an Australian naval vessel, HMAS Success, which is on its way to help with the search and Britain has also deployed HMS Echo, a coastal survey ship, to aid the operation.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.smh.com.au/national/missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-debris-found-in-search-for-mh370-says-australian-prime-minister-tony-abbott-20140320-354xz.html

Missing Malaysia Airlines plane: Debris found in search for MH370, says Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
DateMarch 20, 2014 - 2:54PM

12:42am: Just to recap the major developments from the search for the Boeing 777 operated by Malaysia Airlines as Flight MH370.
•Satellite images taken four days ago were analysed and confirmed, on Thursday, to show two pieces of debris that could be wreckage of the plane. One piece is approximately 24-metres long and the other 5-metres long.
•Two surveillance planes were sent to the region, which is roughly 2500km southwest of Perth, to locate the objects.
•The RAAF P-3 Orion and US Airforce P-8 Poseidon return to Perth without sighting the debris.
•Late on Thursday, Norwegian car carrier Höegh St Petersburg reaches area in southern Indian Ocean where possible debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane was spotted.
•Australian officials end search for possible objects from missing plane at midnight on Thursday.
•The search will resume at 5.30am Perth time
 ::snipping3::

http://www.news.com.au/world/search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-resumes-in-southern-indian-ocean/story-fndir2ev-1226860748694

Search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 resumes in southern Indian Ocean 
This story was published: 30 minutes ago March 21, 2014 2:15PM

THE search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 has been stepped up, with China sending three warships to join Australian, American, Norwegian and New Zealand efforts. 
 
Three Chinese warships are en route to the area where a satellite image showed two large objects floating about 2,300 kilometres southwest of Perth.

A fourth Chinese vessel, an icebreaker currently docked at Perth, may also join the search.

The satellite images — deemed the “best lead” in the mystery which has gripped the world for the past 14 days — have given fresh impetus to the search efforts.

“We will find it — I’m sure about that piece of it,” said Mike Yardley, an air commodore with New Zealand’s air force, which participated in yesterday’s search.

“The only reason we wouldn’t find it was that it has sunk,’’ he said of the large unidentified object spotted by the satellite.

“I’ve been on these missions before when it’s taken a few days to come across it.”

Four aircraft have been tasked by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to focus on the 23,000 square kilometre search area, which is about 2500 kilometres southwest of Perth.

The first search plane set off from Perth at 6.15am local time (9.15am AEDT). It was expected to take four hours to reach the search area.

A civil Gulfstream jet and a second RAAF P3 Orion was due to leave at approximately 11am (AEDT), and a third RAAF P3 Orion at 1pm (AEDT).

The United States Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft is due to head to the search area at approximately 4pm (AEDT).

Their efforts have been bolstered by the arrival last night of the Norwegian car carrier, Hoegh St. Petersburg.

Another merchant ship is en route, as is HMAS Success, a Royal Australian Navy ship, which should reach the search area on Saturday.
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Updates every 90 seconds

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10710250/Malaysian-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysian Airlines MH370: live
2:15AM GMT 21 Mar 2014

Latest 
03.45 China is sending three warships to join the search for possible pieces of the missing plane in the southern Indian Ocean.

The ships are en route to the area where a satellite image showed two large objects floating about 1,500 miles west of Australia, the National Maritime Search and Rescue Center has said.

They have given no indication as to when they might arrive at the remote site, but earlier Chinese news reports said the ships – the Kunlunshan, the Haikou and the Qiandaohu – had previously been searching near the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

A fourth Chinese vessel, the icebreaker Snow Dragon, is in the western Australian port of Perth following a trip to Antarctica and might join the search.

02.15 Searching for the debris identified in satellite pictures has resumed, faced with difficult conditions and the fact it has likely moved since the images were recorded on March 16.

The immediate task will obviously be to find the debris in the first instanceTh, with the hope that then leads them to data and cockpit voice recorders.
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02858/australia-search-m_2858929c.jpg)

Scientists have developed computer models to effectively play waves and winds backwards, allowing rescue workers to retrace the movements of debris to the site of a crash.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.news.com.au/world/search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-resumes-in-southern-indian-ocean/story-fndir2ev-1226860748694

Malaysian Airlines MH370: live
This story was published: 20 minutes ago March 21, 2014 3:07PM

9 minutes ago

CHINA SENDS SHIPS TO SEARCH AREA

China is sending three warships to join the search for possible pieces of a missing Malaysia Airlines plane in the southern Indian Ocean, the government says.

The ships are on their way to the area where a satellite image showed two large objects floating about 2300 kilometres west of Australia, the National Maritime Search and Rescue Centre said on Friday.

It gave no indication when they might arrive at the remote site, but earlier Chinese news reports said the ships - the Kunlunshan, the Haikou and the Qiandaohu - were searching near the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The centre said a fourth Chinese vessel, the icebreaker Snow Dragon, is in the western Australian port of Perth following a trip to Antarctica and might join the search.

"Since the plane lost contact, our hearts have been with the lives of the people from different countries on board the plane, including 154 Chinese and six Australians," Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

China thanked Australia for its help in the search in the southern Indian Ocean this week, the report said, where possible debris has been spotted by satellites.

Xi said full efforts should be made as long as there was a glimmer of hope, despite the difficulties searching the remote area.

Sarah Millar

http://time.com/33133/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-australia-missing-plane/

Latest Search for Missing Jet Comes Up Empty
6:42 AM ET

Australian and American authorities combing an area of the southern Indian Ocean that had offered promise of finding missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 found nothing for a second straight day. The search will resume on Saturday

A second day of searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane in a new area of the Indian Ocean has yielded nothing, an Australian official said Friday, dashing hopes of a quick find after the country spotted possible debris in satellite imagery and called it the “best lead” yet in the massive international hunt for a jet missing almost two weeks.

“The last report I have is that nothing of particular significance has been identified in the search today but the work will continue,” acting prime minister Warren Truss told reporters, the Associated Press reports.

His comments came a day after Australia touted “credible” evidence of what could be debris from the plane that vanished March 8 with 239 people aboard, pointing to two objects about 1,500 miles southwest of Australia, in the southern Indian Ocean. That prompted American and Australian search planes to comb the area, but after nothing was found Thursday or Friday, the search was expected to continue Saturday, with Chinese and Japanese aircraft set to arrive in the area.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/world/malasyia-airlines-flight-370-nothing-spotted-in-second-day-of-indian-ocean-search

Malasyia Airlines Flight 370: Nothing spotted in second day of Indian Ocean search
By:  PERTH, Australia
Posted: 10:07 AM, Mar 21, 2014

 ::snipping3::
On Friday, five planes, including three P-3 Orions, made the trip. While search conditions had improved from Thursday, with much better visibility, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said there were no sightings of plane debris.

Searchers relied mostly on trained spotters aboard the planes scanning the ocean rather than radar because the use of radar found nothing during the first day of the search on Thursday, Australian officials said.

Going forward, the search will focus more on visual sightings because civilian aircraft are being brought in to participate. The military planes will continue to use both radar and spotters.

"Noting that we got no radar detections yesterday, we have replanned the search to be visual. So aircraft flying relatively low, very highly skilled and trained observers looking out of the aircraft windows and looking to see objects," said John Young, manager of the maritime safety authority's emergency response division.

Two Chinese aircraft are expected to arrive in Perth on Saturday to join the search, and two Japanese aircraft will be arriving Sunday, Truss said. A small flotilla of ships coming to Australia from China was still several days away.

"We are doing all that we can, devoting all the resources we can and we will not give up until all of the options have been exhausted," said Truss, who is acting prime minister while Tony Abbott is in Papua New Guinea.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10714907/Revealed-the-final-54-minutes-of-communication-from-MH370.html

Revealed: the final 54 minutes of communication from MH370
By Jonathan Pearlman, Kuala Lumpur
5:00PM GMT 21 Mar 2014

The Telegraph has obtained the full communication record of MH370, including the crucial moments in the lead-up to the disappearance of the Boeing 777 and its 239 passengers. It reveals the messages relayed between the cockpit and air traffic controllers during the period when the plane is believed by investigators to have already been sabotaged.

As the search continues for possible wreckage of the aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean, the transcript marks a further piece of evidence in the baffling mystery of flight MH370. It shows that – according to numerous experts – the two-way banter between Fariq Abdul Hamid, the co-pilot, and air traffic controllers was “perfectly routine”.

Only two features stand out as potentially odd.

The first was a message delivered by the cockpit at 1.07am, saying that the plane was flying at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. This message was unnecessary as it repeated a call that had already been delivered six minutes earlier.

Steve Landells, a former British Airways pilot who flew Boeing 777s, told The Telegraph that this second message was not required but he did not regard it as suspicious.

“It could be as simple as the pilot forgetting or not being sure that he had told air traffic controllers he had reached the altitude,” he said. “He might be reconfirming he was at 350 [35,000 feet]. It is not unusual. I wouldn’t read anything into it.”

The other odd feature, which is one of the reasons for suspicions that the plane’s disappearance was deliberate, was that its loss of communications and sharp turn westward occurred during the handover from air traffic controllers in Kuala Lumpur to those in Ho Chi Minh City.

Two minutes after the final message, the transponder was disabled.

“If I was going to steal the aeroplane, that would be the point I would do it,” Stephen Buzdygan, a former British Airways pilot who flew Boeing 777s, told The Telegraph.

“There might be a bit of dead space between the air traffic controllers … It was the only time during the flight they would maybe not have been able to be seen from the ground.”

But the run of messages between MH370 and the ground involved routine calls between the cockpit and air traffic controllers and gives no hint of the drama that was to follow. It is believed Hamid, as co-pilot, was the sole communicator.
 ::snipping3::
The Telegraph has repeatedly asked Malaysia Airlines, Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Authority and the office of Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak to confirm the communications record; only the prime minister's office responded, saying it would not release this data.

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/se-asia/story/missing-mh370-carried-lithium-ion-batteries-cargo-not-seen-dangerous-201

Missing MH370 carried lithium ion batteries as cargo but not seen as 'dangerous'
Published on Mar 21, 2014  6:35 PM

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian authorities on Friday confirmed that the missing Malaysia Airline Flight MH370 was carrying some lithium ion batteries in its cargo hold but did not regard them as endangering safety because standard rules were observed in packing the batteries for transportation.

Lithium ion batteries - commonly used in laptops and mobile phones - are prone to overheating and have been known to burst into flames. But this is a relatively rare occurrence although it has prompted some instances of recall of such batteries.

In reply to a question during a press conference here on Friday, Malaysian officials said the cargo on board the missing plane was being investigated but authorities did not regard the lithium ion batteries as dangerous and standard rules were observed in packing the batteries for transportation.
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Live updates at the link

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10710250/Malaysian-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysian Airlines MH370: live
4:30PM GMT 21 Mar 2014

17.22 A woman leaves messages of support and hope for passengers of missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 in central Kuala Lumpur:

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02859/POTW-MH370_2859560c.jpg)

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-jet/missing-mh370-families-forced-hotel-ferrari-f1-team-n58821

First published March 21st 2014, 1:42 pm
12 hours ago
Missing MH370: Families Forced From Hotel By Ferrari F1 Team

LONDON - Grieving relatives of passengers on missing Flight 370 were forced to move out of their hotel Friday because it was booked by the Ferrari Formula One racing team competing in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told NBC News the booking at the Cyberview Hotel in Kuala Lumpur would have been made long before the Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared two weeks ago.

More than a dozen Chinese family members, who traveled to the Malaysian capital to get updates on the search for the Boeing 777, were transferred to another hotel in the city by the airline on Friday.
 ::snipping3::

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20140321-710315.html

March 21, 2014, 4:02 p.m. ET       
Malaysia Requests U.S. Consider Providing Undersea Surveillance Equipment In Search For Flight 370, Pentagon

Malaysia requested more U.S. assistance on Friday as the search for Flight 370 entered its third week.

In a phone call Friday morning with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein requested the U.S. consider providing some undersea surveillance equipment, according to a statement from Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby.

"Secretary Hagel assured Minister Hishammuddin that he would assess the availability and utility of military undersea technology for such a task and provide him an update in the very near future," Adm. Kirby said in the statement.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-official-china-satellite-spots-object/

CBS/AP/March 22, 2014, 11:27 AM
Last Updated Mar 22, 2014 11:27 AM EDT
Malaysia: Satellite finds large object in plane search

(http://cbsnews2.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2014/03/22/260a8e7d-8baa-4f81-92b1-4644ac17909b/thumbnail/620x350/48262d4ca2dee15c63e1863a52b61484/china-satellite-image-305470.jpg)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- A satellite image released by China on Saturday offered the latest sign that wreckage from a Malaysia Airlines plane lost for more than two weeks could be in a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean where planes and ships have been searching for three days.

The image, showing an object 72 feet by 43 feet, was taken around noon Tuesday. The image location was about 75 miles south of where an an Australian satellite viewed two objects two days earlier. The larger object was about as long as the one the Chinese satellite detected.

"The news that I just received is that the Chinese ambassador received a satellite image of a floating object in the southern corridor and they will be sending ships to verify," Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters Saturday.

CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports from Perth, Australia, where the country's search flights are headquartered, that the Chinese government also said a smaller object roughly 40 feet in length was also seen.
 ::snipping3::

http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/new-clues-in-mh370-search-5871347

New clues in MH370 search
Published: 6:37AM Sunday March 23, 2014 Source: AP/ ONE News

While possible clues about the fate of a Malaysia Airlines jet missing for more than two weeks keep coming from satellite images, it was as frustrating as ever Saturday to turn that into actual sightings.

China released a satellite image showing an object floating in a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean near where planes and ships have been crisscrossing since similar images from an Australian satellite emerged earlier in the week. China's image, showing an object that appeared to be 22 metres by 13 metres, was taken around noon Tuesday.
 ::snipping3::
Australian officials said the location was within the 36,000-square-kilometre area they searched on Saturday, but the object was not found. Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Andrea Hayward-Maher said she did not know whether the precise coordinates of the location had been searched, but added that coordinators will use the information to refine the search area.

The authority, which is overseeing the search in the region, said a civil aircraft reported seeing a number of small objects in the search area, including a wooden pallet, but the Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion diverted to the location found only clumps of seaweed. The agency said in a statement that searchers would keep trying to determine whether the objects are related to the lost plane.
 ::snipping3::

Updates--Saturday, March 22, 2014

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10710250/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-March-22-as-it-happened.html
Malaysia Airlines MH370: March 22 as it happened
8:32AM GMT 22 Mar 2014

19.25 Here is the full AMSA statement on the results of today's search and plans for tomorrow:

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority search operation for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has concluded for today. 

During Saturday’s search activities a civil aircraft tasked by AMSA reported sighting a number of small objects with the naked eye, including a wooden pallet, within a radius of five kilometres. 

A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion aircraft with specialist electro-optic observation equipment was diverted to the location, arriving after the first aircraft left but only reported sighting clumps of seaweed. 

The RNZAF Orion dropped a datum marker buoy to track the movement of the material. A merchant ship in the area has been tasked to relocate and seek to identify the material. 

The search area experienced good weather conditions on Saturday with visibility of around 10 kilometres and moderate seas. 

The Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, two chartered civil aircraft and two merchant ships supported Saturday’s search effort in a 36,000 square kilometre search area in the Australian Search and Rescue Region. 

Since AMSA assumed coordination of the search on Monday 17 March, 15 sorties have been flown and more than 150 hours of air time has been committed by the air crews to the task. 

Four military aircraft assisted in today’s search, as well as two ultra-long range jets. Ten State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers from Western Australia were tasked as air observers today, along with two AMSA mission coordinators on the civilian aircraft. AMSA runs a training program across the country to train SES volunteers in air observation for land and sea searches. 

The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Success has arrived in the search area. Two merchant ships are also in the search area. 

The search will resume tomorrow and further attempts will be made to establish whether the objects sighted are related to MH370. 

This evening China provided a satellite image to Australia possibly showing a 22.5 metre floating object in the southern Indian Ocean. AMSA has plotted the position and it falls within Saturday’s search area. The object was not sighted on Saturday. 

AMSA will take this information into account in tomorrow’s search plans.

18.08 AMSA has released this map showing the locations of both the initial search area and of the latest sighting:

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02860/map_2860345c.jpg)

Updates--Saturday, March 22, 2014

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10710250/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-March-22-as-it-happened.html
Malaysia Airlines MH370: March 22 as it happened
8:32AM GMT 22 Mar 2014

Latest

19.49 We're wrapping up our live coverage of today's developments in the search for MH370. We leave you with our latest report Malaysia Airlines MH370: Investigators focus probe on 'deliberate act' by pilots.

19.30 Dr John Blaxland, a senior fellow from Australian National University, has told Chinese state news agency Xinhua that if the measures of the latest object are correct, it could be a wing: 

Dr. Blaxland, from ANU's Strategic and Defense Studies Center, said if the measurements of 22 meters long and 13 meters wide are correct, they are more consistent with a wing of a Boeing 777 airliner.

Asked about whether the newly spotted object would be the one spotted in an earlier satellite image, Blaxland said they don't seem to be the same object. 

"It's similar shaped, but if the measurements (are correct), then this is slightly wider," he said. ... 

The object is said to be 120 km west to the object spotted by American satellite on March 16 which has formed the basis for the current search operation coordinated by Australia. 

Blaxland said if that is the case, then the two objects are " highly unlikely" to be the same object or the two wings of the same plane because the ocean current is from west to east. 

But in a later email reply to Xinhua, Blaxland said this picture suggests the new imagery is not to the west but in the south of the area currently being patrolled. 

"That changes things as it is quite possible that the currents would move, in a swirling pattern, to move the object further south in to the area. If that is the case, then this very well may be the first new evidence of the same object identified on March 16. If that is the case. Tomorrow's surveillance flights will most likely be redirected onto this area," he said.
----------------
Link to their "latest report Malaysia Airlines MH370: Investigators focus probe on 'deliberate act' by pilots."  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10716630/MH370-Investigators-focus-probe-on-deliberate-act-by-pilots.html

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/patience-of-relatives-of-missing-malaysian-flight-passengers-running-out/1/350752.html

Patience of relatives of missing Malaysian flight passengers running out
Reuters  Kuala Lumpur, March 23, 2014 | UPDATED 08:39 IST

At a sprawling hotel complex in Beijing, the relatives rise each morning and eat breakfast - at least those who can muster the appetite - before attending a briefing on the missing plane. Then follows another long day of watching the news and waiting, before an evening briefing that inevitably offers little more information.

Amid the many theories and scant and often dubious, contradictory and disavowed findings, the relatives' patience has at times worn thin.

Following a brief meeting Saturday with Malaysia Airlines and Malaysian government officials, impatience turned to anger as relatives erupted in shouts of "We want to know what the reality is," and "Give us back our loved ones."

"The family members are extremely indignant," read a statement issued by relatives following the meeting. "We believe we have been strung along, kept in the dark and lied to by the Malaysian government."

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein called on "all parties to be understanding during this extraordinary and difficult time," and said officials would "do everything in our power" to keep the relatives informed.

"I'm psychologically prepared for the worst and I know the chances of them coming back alive are extremely small," said Nan Jinyan, sister-in-law of missing passenger Yan Ling, a 29-year-old engineer who had worked for the last four years at a company that designs equipment for heart patients.

Like many of the relatives, Nan said that her helpless feelings were worsened by being almost entirely dependent on the media for news, and that she was deeply unhappy with what she called the vague and often contradictory information coming from Malaysia Airlines.

"If they can't offer something firm, they ought to just shut up," said Nan, who is representing the family as well as Yan's 23-year-old girlfriend.

Nan said Yan traveled frequently and had not talked about the Malaysia trip with his family, who come from the eastern province of Jiangsu.

"The last time he talked to us was about half a month before this happened. He travels quite frequently on business trips anyway, so we don't chat about his business trips on the phone," Nan said.

Volunteer psychologist Paul Yin, who has worked with some of the relatives, said not knowing the fate of their loved ones was preventing them from confronting their grief.

"When there is uncertainty for several days, people go from hope to despair, and back again, making it impossible to bring final healing," Yin said.
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

12 HRs ago  Update
France Sends Satellite Images in Search for Flight 370 to Malaysia

By Jake Maxwell Watts and Gaurav Raghuvanshi

Malaysia received satellite images from French authorities of possible objects that could be related to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and has passed them to Australian search teams.
 The images were received Sunday morning and were of possible objects in the southern corridor, Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport said in an emailed statement.
 The so-called southern corridor is one of two possible locations investigators believe the Boeing 777-200 jet could have passed through after it disappeared more than two weeks ago.
 As of Sunday afternoon, Australian search teams had not made any fresh sightings of floating objects in the Southern Indian Ocean that could have come from the plane, according to the statement.
 Some search flights from Malaysia’s Subang airport to the area were canceled on Sunday due to a tropical cyclone, the statement said but didn’t give details.
 A P8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and a C130 transport from India left Subang to join the search effort, it said.
 Two Japanese P3 Orions left for Perth from Subang airport. In addition, two Chinese Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft arrived in Perth to join the search from Monday morning, according to the statement.
 Meanwhile, a high-level delegation from Malaysia briefed families of Chinese passengers on Flight 370 for more than six hours in Beijing. More than 150 of 227 passengers on the missing plane are Chinese.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

8 HRs ago  Update
Australian Government Press Release:

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has released the following statement:

Media Enquiries: 1300 624 633

23rd March, 2014: 2330 (AEDT)

Search operation for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: Update 12

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) search operation for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has concluded for today.

There were no sightings of significance.

The search area experienced early sea fog particularly in the western areas, however conditions improved during the day.

A total of eight aircraft and HMAS Success supported today’s search effort in a cumulative 59,000 square kilometre search area across two search areas within the Australian Search and Rescue Region south-west of Perth.

The western boundary of the current search area is located 2500km from Perth.

Four civil ultra-long range jets chartered by AMSA and four military aircraft from Australian and the US
 were involved in today’s search together with the HMAS Success.

Twenty State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers from Western Australia were tasked as air observers today on board the civil aircraft. Each civil aircraft had five SES air observers on board, as well as an AeroRescue Aviation Mission Coordinator. Aerorescue is AMSA’s contracted provider of dedicated
 search and rescue services from locations across Australia.

The search will resume tomorrow. Chinese military Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft and Japanese P-3C aircraft will join the search on Monday.
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

6 HRs ago  Update
French Satellite Images Place Possible Debris West of Previous Sightings
By Jake Maxwell Watts and Chun Han Wong

Satellite images provided by French authorities of possible debris from a missing Malaysian jet placed the objects in the southern Indian Ocean roughly 600 kilometers west of those previously reported by Australia, the chief of Malaysia’s civil-aviation authority said Sunday.

Director General Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, however, told The Wall Street Journal that he wasn’t immediately aware of the size of the objects seen in satellite images provided by French authorities to Malaysia on Sunday morning.

Officials have not released any information about the French images, which is the third set of satellite photographs of possible debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that vanished early on March 8 while en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people aboard.

Malaysia’s transport ministry said in a statement Sunday that it had passed details of the French sighting to Australian authorities who are searching the southern Indian Ocean for signs of the missing Boeing 777 jet. It didn’t provide any further details on this reported sighting.

Both Malaysian and Australian officials have called recent satellite images “credible,” a cautious vote of confidence in a search that has to date turned up no conclusive evidence of the aircraft’s fate.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

1 HR ago  Update
Breaking: ‘Nothing of Note’ Yet Found

• Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss says “nothing of note” yet found in MH370 search

• Australia’s Warren Truss says 10 aircraft to search today, including Chinese for first time

• Australia’s Truss says weather expected to deteriorate

• Truss says search area of 68,000 sq kms to be searched Monday

• Australia’s Truss says southern search is international effort, but “Australia obviously has control of the search”.

• Truss says “first critical point” in whether to continue search will be a month operational capacity of aircraft black box

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11224831

Flight MH370: Pilot's last phone call
3:47 PM Sunday Mar 23, 2014

The captain of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 received a two-minute call shortly before take-off from a mystery woman using a mobile phone number obtained under a false identity.

It was one of the last calls made to or from the mobile of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah in the hours before his Boeing 777 left Kuala Lumpur 16 days ago.

Investigators are treating it as potentially significant because anyone buying a pay-as-you-go SIM card in Malaysia has to fill out a form giving their identity card or passport number.

Introduced as an anti-terrorism measure following 9/11, this ensures that every number is registered to a traceable person.

But in this case police traced the number to a shop selling SIM cards in Kuala Lumpur.

They found that it had been bought 'very recently' by someone who gave a woman's name - but was using a false identity.

The discovery raises fears of a possible link between Captain Zaharie, 53, and terror groups whose members routinely use untraceable SIM cards. Everyone else who spoke to the pilot on his phone in the hours before the flight took off has already been interviewed.

In a separate development, The Mail on Sunday has learned that investigators are now poised to question Captain Shah's estranged wife in detail.

They have waited two weeks out of respect, but will now begin formally interviewing Faizah Khan following pressure from FBI agents assisting the inquiry.
 ::snipping3::

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579456872074009460?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303949704579456872074009460.html

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: U.S., U.K. Deeply Involved in Sparking Indian Ocean Search
Intelligence Agencies Supplied Satellite Images, Analysis That Launched Effort
March 23, 2014 1:07 p.m. ET

(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-CB026_malpro_G_20140322145848.jpg)

The Telegraph --

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10716042/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-March-21-as-it-happened.html
Malaysia Airlines MH370: March 21 as it happened

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10710250/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-March-22-as-it-happened.html
Malaysia Airlines MH370: March 22 as it happened

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10717049/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html
Malaysia Airlines MH370: March 23 as it happened

Automatically update every 90 seconds--March 24, 2014

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
By Bonnie Malkin, Harriet Alexander
12:00AM GMT 24 Mar 2014

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

1 HR ago  Update
Chinese Military Aircraft to Join Indian Ocean Hunt

By Rob Taylor

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said 10 planes–including, for the first time, Chinese military aircraft–would resume Monday the Indian Ocean hunt for clues to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

The two Chinese military Ilyushin IL-76 planes would search an area where a large object was identified by a Chinese satellite Saturday.

“It is a very difficult task. Today we expect the weather to deteriorate,” Mr. Truss said. “The search area is very large today, around 68,000 square kilometers. That’s a lot of water to look for a tiny object.” The area is equal to about 26,000 square miles.

Mr. Truss said satellite images provided by French authorities of possible debris were outside the zone identified as the most likely area to search for the missing jet.

“Having said that, we’ve got to check out all the options. We still don’t know for certain that the aircraft is even in this area,” he said. “We are, I guess, clutching at whatever little piece of information comes along to try and find a place where we might be able to try and concentrate the efforts.”

The French satellite images placed the objects in the southern Indian Ocean roughly 370 miles west of the area where the search is now focused, according to Malaysia’s civil-aviation authority.

Asked whether there was a timeline on when the multinational search could be abandoned, Mr. Truss said the one-month operating life of the Boeing 777-200’s so-called black box flight data recording unit would be a natural point for reassessment.

The plane, carrying 239 people, went missing on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing.

Civil and military aircraft from Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., China and Japan are assisting in Monday’s search.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/malaysias-unwillingness-to-release-the-full-cargo-manifest-from-missing-flight-mh370-will-hamper-the-search-effort/story-fnizu68q-1226863022091

Malaysia’s unwillingness to release the full cargo manifest from missing Flight MH370 will hamper the search effort 
This story was published:  1 hour ago March 24, 2014 11:27AM

MALAYSIA’S continuing refusal to share the cargo manifest for Flight MH370 with an Australian-led search and rescue operation will hamper the effort to find the missing aircraft, an aviation expert says. 
 
It is part of mounting concerns about the way in which Malaysian authorities have handled the search for the missing aircraft as it enters its third week.

Strategic Aviation Solutions chairman Neil Hansford said it also suggests Malaysian authorities are not being fully transparent about what the Boeing 777-200ER, which disappeared on March 8 an hour into a journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, was carrying.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/03/23/could-the-search-for-the-missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-have-gone-much-faster/?tid=pm_pop

Could the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane have gone much faster?
By Simon Denyer and Jia Lynn Yang   
March 23 at 1:29 pm

 ::snipping3::
Compared to the first week, the progress since March 18 has been blazing (if investigators are indeed on the right track). You can see below how quickly searchers have begun narrowing down their target area, each day following where they think ocean currents are moving debris.

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/files/2014/03/Australia-latest-map.jpg)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live

Latest

04.10 Tom Phillips, our correspondent in Shanghai, has a bit more detail on the sighting:

That sighting seems to have been made by a Chinese IL-76 aircraft which took off from Perth earlier today. It is flying in an area around

2,500 km west of Perth, says Xinhua, which has a reporter on board. The plane is flying at a height of just over 1,000 ft.

China has sent two of these IL-76 planes to the search zone.

04.05 Breaking news from Chinese news agency Xinhua:

FLASH: CHINESE AIRBORNE MH370 SEARCHERS FIND SUSPICIOUS OBJECTS IN S. INDIAN OCEAN

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live

Latest

04.23 Xinhua says the "white and square" objects were spotted by searchers aboard a Chinese Ilyushin-76 plane.

"The crew has reported the coordinates - 95.1113 degrees east and 42.5453 south - to the Australian command centre as well as Chinese icebreaker Xuelong, which is en route to the sea area."

http://www.firstpost.com/world/malaysia-live-chinese-plane-spots-possible-debris-in-search-area-1424627.html

Malaysia Live: Chinese plane spots possible debris in search area
by Arun George 15 mins ago

9.50 am: China says Chinese plane spots object in area where satellite images indicated possible debris

An Associated Press news alert has said that a Chinese plane has spotted an object in the area where satellite images indicated possible debris from MH370. The search area was expanded after images from a French satellite, which showed possible debris nearly 850 kilometers (530 miles) north of the previous search zone.

China's state news agency says a Chinese plane crew has spotted a white, square-shaped object in an area identified by satellite imagery as containing possible debris from the missing Malaysian airliner.

Xinhua News agency says the crew aboard the IL-76 plane spotted the object in the southern Indian Ocean search area on Monday.

http://www.startribune.com/world/251749391.html

Chinese plane spots object in Indian Ocean as US moves black box locator in search of jet
 Article by: ROB GRIFFITH , Associated Press
 Updated: March 24, 2014 - 12:00 AM
 
PERTH, Australia — A Chinese plane crew spotted a white, square-shaped object in an area identified by satellite imagery as containing possible debris from the missing Malaysian airliner, China's media said Monday, while the United States prepared to move a specialized device that can locate black boxes into the region.

The crew aboard an IL-76 plane sighted the object in the southern Indian Ocean search area on Monday and reported the coordinates to the Australian command center, which is coordinating the multinational search, as well as the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon, which is en route to the area, Xinhua News Agency reported.

No further details were immediately given. Satellite images from Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in the area that may be linked to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on March 8 with 239 people aboard.

The U.S. Pacific command said it was sending a black box locator in case a debris field is located. The Towed Pinger Locator, which is pulled behind a vessel at slow speeds, has highly sensitive listening capability so that if the wreck site is located, it can hear the black box pinger down to a depth of about 20,000 feet (6,100 meters), Cmdr. Chris Budde, a U.S. Seventh Fleet operations officer, said in a statement.

"This movement is simply a prudent effort to preposition equipment and trained personnel closer to the search area so that if debris is found we will be able to respond as quickly as possible since the battery life of the black box's pinger is limited," Budde said.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
By Bonnie Malkin, Harriet Alexander
4:10AM GMT 24 Mar 2014

Latest
05.22 China has diverted its icebreaker ship, the Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, toward the location where the debris was spotted.

05.10 Australian search authorities have said they have been advised about objects spotted by Chinese aircraft hunting for any sign of a missing Malaysian airliner and will be trying to locate them in the remote southern Indian Ocean.

Official Chinese news agency Xinhua earlier reported the crew of a IL-76 aircraft spotted two "relatively big" floating objects and several smaller white ones dispersed over several kilometres.

"AMSA advised about reported objects sighted by Chinese aircraft. Reported objects in today's search area. Attempts will be made to relocate," the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said on its Twitter feed.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/new-objects-spotted-in-search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-says-tony-abbott/story-fnizu68q-1226863596129

New objects spotted in search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, says Tony Abbott

 41 minutes ago March 24, 2014 9:29PM

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says two “objects” have been located by a RAAF P3 Orion in the search for Flight MH370.

Mr Abbott told Parliament the first object was grey or green and circular and the second was orange and rectangular.

HMAS Success is in the vicinity, about 2500km south-west of Perth, and hopes to be there within hours to recover the objects.

Minister of Defence and Acting Minister of Transport Hishammuddin Hussein told a media conference tonight that the new objects had not yet been identified or linked to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

“Two orange objects, approximately one metre in length, and one white-coloured drum were sighted by search aircraft, but remain unidentified and have not been conclusively linked to MH370,” he said.

“HMAS Success detected two radar targets within the search area but could not locate the targets on further investigation of the area.

“Earlier today a Chinese search plane reportedly sighted objects within the Australian search area. These objects are not in the vicinity of those that were identified by Australian authorities last week.

“A few minutes ago the (Malaysian) Prime Minister received a call from the Prime Minister of Australia who informed him that an Australian search aircraft had located two objects in the Australian search area – one circular and one rectangular.

 ::snipping3::

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/24/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/
Malaysian Prime Minister to speak on search for Flight 370
March 24, 2014

(CNN) -- Malaysia's Prime Minister will make a live statement on missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 at 10 p.m. (10 a.m. ET), he said Monday on Twitter.
Prime Minister Najib Razak did not give any details of the statement.
Also, two relatives of passengers aboard the missing airliner tell CNN they have been asked to attend a meeting at a Beijing hotel where Malaysian authorities have been briefing families.
The developments happened the same day as Australian officials announced they had spotted two objects in the southern Indian Ocean that could be related to the flight, which has been missing since March 8 with 239 people aboard.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
10:17AM GMT 24 Mar 2014

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02861/malaysia-prime-min_2861356c.jpg)
Malaysian Prime Minister Najab Razak

Latest

14.09 Here is the full statement from Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on investigators' conclusion that MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean and that no one on board survived:

PM NAJIB RAZAK’S PRESS STATEMENT ON MH370

This evening I was briefed by representatives from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). They informed me that Inmarsat, the UK company that provided the satellite data which indicated the northern and southern corridors, has been performing further calculations on the data. Using a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort, they have been able to shed more light on MH370’s flight path.

Based on their new analysis, Inmarsat and the AAIB have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor, and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth.

This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

We will be holding a press conference tomorrow with further details. In the meantime, we wanted to inform you of this new development at the earliest opportunity. We share this information out of a commitment to openness and respect for the families, two principles which have guided this investigation.

Malaysia Airlines have already spoken to the families of the passengers and crew to inform them of this development. For them, the past few weeks have been heartbreaking; I know this news must be harder still. I urge the media to respect their privacy, and to allow them the space they need at this difficult time.

 ::MonkeyAngel::   ::MonkeyTears::

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
10:17AM GMT 24 Mar 2014

Latest
14.27 Our correspondent Jonathan Pearlman reports from Kuala Lumpur on the confirmation that MH370 has been lost in the southern Indian Ocean:

The search for MH370 is over - and hopes for survivors crushed - after the plane was confirmed to have crashed in the south Indian Ocean.

Following a seventeen-day global hunt to locate the vanished aircraft, Najib Razak, Malaysia’s prime minister, confirmed the worst fears of the families of the 239 passengers.

Mr Najib confirmed that the plane ended its baffling eight-hour flight in the deep, remote waters of the Indian Ocean, about 1500 miles from Perth.

The cause of the crash remains a mystery.

A 26-nation search has focussed on a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean after satellites from the United States, China and France all detected floating objects believed to be debris from the plane. In recent days, numerous objects have been spotted floating in the water.

Malaysian authorities were preparing to brief families of the passengers - most of whom were Chinese – in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.

14.22 The operation to retrieve the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines MH370, using the various physical and satellite sightings over the past week. Here's a graphic showing the locations of the detected objects:

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02861/Malaysia-Graphic_2861350c.jpg)

14.20 Beijing authorities are providing medical assistance to relatives at the Lido Hotel, where some have collapsed at the news that the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean:

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02861/malaysia-stretcher_2861370c.jpg)

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02861/malaysia-relative_2861371c.jpg)
Relatives react to the news that there are no survivors from MH370

14.18 Watch the press conference with Najib Razak, the Malaysian prime minister, as he announces that MH370 went down in the southern Indian Ocean:  ::snipping3::

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrOZwcwoqZ0 )

So many unanswered questions.

 ::MonkeyNoNo::

+++++

Malaysia PM says satellite data indicates missing jetliner went down in Indian Ocean
Published March 24, 2014

A new analysis of satellite data in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 indicates that the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean, Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak said Monday.

Razak said during a news conference that he was briefed by the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch about data calculations conducted by British satellite company Inmarsat.

“Based on their new analysis … MH370 flew along the southern corridor, and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean west of Perth,” Razak said. “This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, that flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.”

<snipped>

"Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived," the airline said in a text message to the families, according to The Telegraph.

In a statement posted on Malaysia Airlines' website, the company said it offers its "sincere thoughts, prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy."

Razak said authorities will be holding another press conference Tuesday with further details about the satellite data analysis.

<snipped>

Malaysian authorities have not ruled out any possible explanation for what happened to the jet, but have said the evidence so far suggests it was deliberately turned back across Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca, with its communications systems disabled. They are unsure what happened next.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/03/24/malaysia-pm-says-data-indicates-missing-jetliner-went-down-in-indian-ocean/

(http://a57.foxnews.com/www.foxnews.com/images/root_images/0/0/reax370_20140324_112214.jpg)

So very, very sad.   ::MonkeyTears:: 

It's heartbreaking news.  ::MonkeyTears::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

13 MINS AGO Update
Australia Suspends Search for Weather
By Rob Taylor

CANBERRA, Australia–Australian authorities suspended the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 due to poor weather on Tuesday, damping hopes that objects spotted earlier by air crews would support the conclusion that the plane was lost in the southern Indian Ocean.

The 24-hour suspension followed the assessment by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, or AMSA, that continuing to search in gale winds and 4-meter sea swells was too dangerous.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
By Hannah Strange, Arron Merat, and Bonnie Malkin
1:30AM GMT 25 Mar 2014

Latest
02.08 Tony Abbott, the Australian prime minister, has made some comments about the news that the plane has been declared lost with all onboard. Speaking in Canberra, he said it has been a "desperately difficult time" for thousands of people, particularly in China and Malaysia. He said Australia would welcome the families of any of the victims that want to come to Australia as the search for the wreckage continues.

01.40 Here is the striking and sombre front page of the New Straits Times from today.

01.00 Tom Phillips, our correspondent in China reports:

 CCTV is reporting live from the Lido hotel in Beijing this morning. That is where many furious and distraught Chinese relatives of Flight 370's missing passengers recieved the news last night that authorities believed nobody could possibly have survived. 

The CCTV reporter says families there are now already gathering to watch a live feed of this morning's scheduled press conference in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysia's Prime Minister. 

Some people are demanding the Malaysian ambassador comes to their hotel while others are already vowing to take "action" and receiving legal advice, CCTV says. 

00.20 Warren Truss, Australia's deputy PM, has said that the Malaysian government will take over the investigation in the southern Indian Ocean for lost flight MH370, according to a report by Australian Associated Press. Mr Truss said confirmation by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that the plane had crashed killing all on board moved the investigation into a new phase, with Malaysia taking control under the Chicago Convention on international civil aviation.

 “The announcement by the Prime Minster that Malaysia believes that the aircraft is lost and that there will be no survivors does move the search to a new phase,” he said. 

“It moves it to a stage where we are now investigating an accident, a loss of an aircraft and some new decisions will have to be taken now about the direction of future operations. 

“Malaysia needs to take control under the Chicago convention of those investigations. 

Mr Truss said the HMAS Success had been in the area of ocean where sightings potentially related to MH370 had been made but officers had not recovered a single piece that might be associated with the aircraft. 

He said the Malaysian government's announcement was based purely on the satellite imagery and calculations available “so it’s really a long, long way away before much can be done by way of physical examination”. 

"It’s still important for us to try and find as much of the aircraft as possible. 

“The ideal would obviously be to locate as much of the wreckage as possible. 

“That will require sophisticated equipment, some of which we do not have in Australia. 

“It is also a priority to recover the flight box recorder on the aircraft. 

“Again, we don’t believe we will have the technology to be able to work at those depths and to be able to recover the equipment, so we’ll need assistance from countries like the US to actually be able to undertake that kind of an operation.”

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
47 MINs ago Update
Australian Prime Minister Says Search to Resume As Soon As Possible

Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Tuesday that a search of the southern Indian Ocean for possible debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 would resume “as soon as possible” after poor weather grounded aircrews earlier Tuesday.

Australia’s Defense Minister David Johnston said flying conditions had been declared unsafe, with a cold front bringing strong winds and ocean swells moving through the region over the next 12 hours. The Australian military vessel, HMAS Success, is traveling south to avoid the rough conditions.

“Our condolences to the people of all of the countries who have lost friends , relatives, loved ones in the MH370 tragedy,” Mr. Abbott told reporters, promising to make welcome the families of people on the plane if they chose to go to Australia to await the recovery of any debris from the plane.

“This has been a desperately difficult time for thousands and thousands of people right across the globe, particularly in China, but also in Malaysia,” the prime minister said. “I understand that the loved ones of those on that plane may well wish to come to Australia in coming days and weeks. They will find a welcoming country that is more than willing to embrace them in this difficult time.”

Australia’s Defence Minister David Johnston said it wasn’t yet clear where any wreckage from Flight 370 would be processed by investigators. He expected that the recovery vessels would first return to Fremantle port to refuel, before Australian authorities made a decision on how to proceed in cooperation with Malaysia and international air safety authorities.

 ::MonkeyAngel::

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/family-of-texas-man-aboard-flight-370-comes-to-grips-with-loss/
Family of Texas man aboard Flight 370 comes to grips with loss
March 24, 2014

KELLER, Texas - The family of a North Texas man who was aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is coming to grips with Malaysia's announcement that the missing plane crashed in the southern Indian Ocean with no hope of survivors.

Philip Wood was one of three Americans on board the flight, which disappeared March 8 while en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. The other two U.S. citizens have been identified as Nicole Meng, 4, and 2-year-old Yan Zhang.
Wood, an IBM executive, had been living in Beijing and was planning to relocate to the Malaysian capital with his girlfriend, Sarah Bajc. He had two sons, one a recent graduate of Texas A&M University and the other a sophomore there.
Bajc said in an email that she was disturbed that no confirmed wreckage has been found, but that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's announcement was allowing her to begin to grieve after an agonizing, 17-day wait.

"I need closure to be certain but cannot keep on with public efforts against all odds. I STILL feel his presence, so perhaps it was his soul all along," she wrote. "It looks like the first phase of our mission has ended. Now Philip's family and I will need some time for private grief."
In Texas, Wood's younger brother told CBS station KTVT that the family is accepting the sad news and relying on their Christian faith to help them through their grief.
 ::snipping3::

He said the family will not travel overseas and is instead planning a local memorial service for Philip Wood.
After Flight 370 disappeared, the family set up a Facebook page titled "Finding Philip Wood," which has been flooded with messages of support.
In a post Monday, the family said: "Our collective hearts are hurting now. Please lift all the loved ones of MH370 with your good thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your continued support and for being our inspiration."

Wood's family told CBS Dallas that if there is anything good to came out of this tragedy, it's the kindness of people -- even strangers -- during such a tough time.

The family says they hope the plane's black box is recovered so that they can learn more about what happened during the flight's final minutes.

Uh, oh... update and tweet

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
1:30AM GMT 25 Mar 2014

Latest
02.44 Malcolm Moore, our correspondent in Beijing, reports that a big group of relatives has just streamed out of the hotel, carrying placards and wearing t-shirts saying "Save MH370" and they are heading for the Malaysian embassy by bus

MalcolmMoore malcolmmoore
The relatives are on their way to Malaysian embassy, with about 50-60 police waiting MH370 http://t.co/1CsNOK8vkT
About eight minutes ago via iOS

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
By Hannah Strange, Arron Merat, and Bonnie Malkin
1:30AM GMT 25 Mar 2014

Latest
03.30 Here is more from Malcolm on the protest by families of the passengers:

MalcolmMoore malcolmmoore
3-4 public buses, with police on board, are ferrying relatives to the Malaysia Embassy MH370
About 49 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone

March 25, 2014 Tweets (Beijing)

https://twitter.com/janisctv

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 4m 
Protest by families of #MH370 passengers with placards demanding truth, justice, information. pic.twitter.com/mZ7bAE2jEt

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bji1hzBCIAEWakk.jpg)


Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 5m 
Police yelling now. #MH370 protest coming.

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 6m 
Police pushing us & others down closed street. This appears organized/sanctioned. #MH370 families getting near Malaysia embassy on foot.

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 17m 
PLA guards out too at Malaysia embassy in Beijing waiting for #MH370 families to protest lack of info about flight. pic.twitter.com/W1AlGGjByI

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BjiyW1gCIAAtyI5.jpg)

March 25, 2014 Tweets (Beijing)

https://twitter.com/janisctv

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 1m 
#MH370 families now beyond barricade and lines of guards. Media not allowed. Protestors carrying placards & chanting. Rare sight in China.

March 25, 2014 Tweets (Beijing)

https://twitter.com/janisctv

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 3m 
#MH370 families chanting for Malaysian diplomats to come out and face them. More police heading to area cordoned off for protest.

March 25, 2014

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live

Latest
04.20 Defence minister David Johnston is speaking in Perth thanking crews and teams involved in the search.

"This is an amazing example of international cooperation especially between militaries," he says.

But he has reiterated that there has been no physical confirmation that the items spotted in the sea relate to the missing plane.

"Until we recover and positively identify a piece of debris, everything is speculation."

March 25, 2014 Tweets (Beijing)

https://twitter.com/janisctv

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 1m 
Some #MH370 relatives now in media throng. Police pulling some cameramen away. Now a stretcher with woman being wheeled past.

Retweeted by Janis Mackey Frayer
China Xinhua News ‏@XHNews  · 3m 
China demands Malaysia to provide satellite data about MH370   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8vvJ1JF_FI&feature=youtube_gdata …

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 2m 
“@STForeignDesk: Increasing number of apparent leads but definitive evidence of debris is still missing: Malaysia Airlines #MH370”
 View conversation     

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 5m 
As #MH370 families protest in Beijing, Malaysia Airlines says the recovery process of plane's wreckage "may be even more complex”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live

Latest
04.35 Malaysian authorities are now giving a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, defending the way in which they broke news that the flight was now considered to be lost to the families of passengers. The Malaysia Airlines group chief executive said text messages were used "as a last resort".

He goes on to detail how 900 relatives are being supported by the airline, including financial assistance.

"We don't know why, we don't know how this terrbile tragedy happened, but the Malaysia Airlines family are all praying for the passengers and crew of MH370."

04.26 Air Marshal Mark Binskin, vice chief of the defence force, says he hopes the weather will improve in the coming days.

"This is a highly complex search, it will develop in the coming days."

March 25, 2014 Tweets (Beijing)

https://twitter.com/janisctv

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 1m 
Protestors near Malaysia embassy in Beijing wearing t-shirts that say, "Pray for MH370". #MH370

Retweeted by Janis Mackey Frayer
China Xinhua News ‏@XHNews  · 5m 
Malaysia Airlines says ready to offer additional payment for relatives as MH370 search continues

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 5m 
Australia will only grant visas to families of #MH370 passengers when the evidence is recovered: Malaysia Airlines

Janis Mackey Frayer ‏@janisctv  · 8m 
A lot of media but far more police. Everyone pushed back as some #MH370 relatives wade into throng near Malaysia embassy in Beijing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/world/asia/malaysia-flight-370.html?_r=0

Malaysia Releases Details of Last Contact With Missing Plane
MARCH 25, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Malaysian authorities released new details on Tuesday of the last satellite communications by Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, even as furious family members and friends of the plane’s passengers broke through police lines in Beijing and marched to the Malaysian Embassy.
 ::snipping3::

http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2014/03/25/how-investigators-used-the-doppler-effect-to-trace-flight-370/

Mar 25, 2014  Southeast Asia
How Investigators Used the Doppler Effect to Trace Flight 370

Teachers point to the difference in how a locomotive engine sounds when it’s coming closer and when it’s moving away to explain “Doppler Effect.”

Now, that principle expounded by Austrian physicist Christian Doppler – that frequency rises when the source is moving closer and falls when it’s moving away – has been used for the first time to determine where Malaysia Airlines3786.KU -2.13% Flight 370 went.

All modern aircraft are able to communicate with ground stations via satellite. If the ground station doesn’t hear from an aircraft for an hour, it transmits a “log on/log off” message, sometimes referred to as a “ping,” using the plane’s unique identifier.  If the aircraft receives the identifier, it returns a short message indicating that it is still logged on.  This process is described as a “handshake” and takes place automatically.

As the position of the satellite is known, the time that it takes the signal to be sent and received via the satellite to the ground station can be used to establish the distance of the aircraft from the satellite.

Such information was used to generate two arcs of possible positions from which investigators established that the missing Malaysia Airlines plane flew along either a northern corridor from Thailand and into Central Asia, or on a southern corridor that stretches from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean.

From the ground station log, it was found that after a key communication equipment onboard Flight 370 stopped sending messages less than an hour after it departed Kuala Lumpur, six complete satellite handshakes took place, Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia’s acting transport minister said Tuesday.

In the last few days, satellite firm Inmarsat used the Doppler effect to analyze the difference between the frequency that the ground station expected to receive and what was actually measured. The technique is called “burst frequency offset” that changes depending on the location of the aircraft on an arc of possible positions, its direction of travel, and its speed.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11226334

Flight MH370: Pilot in wrong state of mind to fly - friend
By Lincoln Tan
Updated 8:35 AM Wednesday Mar 26, 2014

The captain of Flight 370 was in no state of mind to fly the day it disappeared and could have taken the Boeing 777 for a "last joyride" before crashing into the Indian Ocean, a fellow pilot says.

Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's world was crumbling, said the long-time associate. He had been facing serious family problems, including separation from his wife and relationship problems with another woman he was seeing.

The man, who spoke to the Herald on condition of anonymity, said Captain Zaharie was "terribly upset" when his wife told him she was leaving and believed he may have decided to take the Malaysia Airlines plane to a part of the world he had never flown in.
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

14 MINS AGO Update
Breaking

*Australia Maritime Safety Authority Says Search for Missing Plane to Resume Wednesday
*Australia Maritime Safety Authority Says Weather Conditions Have Improved in Search Area
*Australia Navy Vessel En Route to Area Where Objects of Interest Spotted Monday
*12 Aircraft to Join Malaysia Airlines Search Wednesday – Maritime Authority

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304679404579461900800102412?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304679404579461900800102412.html

Malaysia Flight 370 Sent Final 'Partial Ping' That Could Aid Investigation
Updated March 25, 2014 7:42 p.m. ET

Investigators revealed that eight minutes after the last complete transmission from  Malaysia Airlines  3786.KU -2.13%     Flight 370, there was a "partial ping" from the missing aircraft that could help investigators unravel what happened to the missing jet before it stopped flying.

The final partial transmission from the missing  Boeing Co.  BA +0.49%     777-200ER, which disappeared from civilian radar on March 8, "originates with the aircraft for reasons not understood," said Chris McLaughlin, senior vice president of  Inmarsat  ISAT.LN +0.07%     PLC, which operates the satellite.
 
The company is investigating the partial ping—or digital handshake between the jet and the satellite—as "a failed login" to its satellite network or as "potential attempt by the system [aboard the aircraft] to reset itself," Mr. McLaughlin said.

The partial ping could have several possible explanations, he added, but that human interaction with the satellite communications system had been ruled out.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.statesman.com/news/business/freescale-mum-on-new-malaysia-airlines-reports/nfKdz/
Freescale mum on new Malaysia Airlines reports
March 24, 2014

Officials at Austin-based Freescale Semiconductor Ltd. had no public response Monday to new reports that it appears the missing Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 20 Freescale employees likely crashed into the Indian Ocean, killing all aboard.
Freescale previously confirmed that the 20 employees — 12 from Malaysia and eight from China — were among 239 people on flight MH370.
 ::snipping3::
Earlier this month, Mitch Haws, Freescale’s vice president, global communications and investor relations, said the employees came from a range of disciplines and were part of a broad push by CEO Gregg Lowe to make Freescale more efficient and cost-effective.
While the employees on the flight account for less than 1 percent of Freescale’s global workforce of close to 17,000, they were working toward the same goals, and their loss will reverberate throughout Freescale, Haws said.
“These were people with a lot of experience and technical background and they were very important people, ” Haws said. “It’s definitely a loss for the company.”
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

2 HRs ago  Update
Australia Maritime Safety Authority: 11 Aircraft to Search for Missing Jetliner Thursday
By David Winning

SYDNEY—A search party comprising 11 aircraft and five ships readied to hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Thursday, as bad weather closed in on an area of the southern Indian Ocean where a possible debris field was spotted by a satellite.

The satellite images, provided by a division of Airbus Group, were taken Sunday and appear to show 122 objects in an area of 400 square kilometers (160 square miles) in a part of the ocean where a multinational operation is under way to find evidence of the jet more than two weeks after it vanished from radar.

The Australia Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the search, said positions in the satellite images were within the area scoured on Wednesday, around 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) southwest of the western Australian city of Perth.

In a statement, AMSA said military aircraft from the U.S., Japan and Australia would join five civil aircraft to take part in the hunt for the missing Boeing 777-200 plane on Thursday.

“Weather in the search area is expected to deteriorate later today,” AMSA said.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

1 HR ago  Update
Royal Australian Air Force Struggles to Find Objects From Malaysia Flight 370
By Daniel Stacey

SOUTHERN INDIAN OCEAN — The Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion, led by Captain Michael MacSween, burst through the cloud bank into the Malaysia Airlines search area on Thursday to be confronted by a wild, squalling, leaden expanse of sea covered by frothy waves disappearing into milky fog.

In the crowded cockpit, an elite anti-submarine squadron with decades of experience spotting objects in the sea showed how even seasoned professionals are struggling to find debris in the hunt for Malaysia Flight 370–defying hope generated by new satellite imagery.

Images taken from a Thai satellite and revealed on Thursday showed 300 objects in floating in the ocean near the MH370 search area, according to the country’s space technology agency. On Wednesday other images provided by a division of Airbus Group appeared to show 122 objects in one of the search areas.
 ::snipping3::
Hope faded after almost two hours as the radar blips stopped and the sea continued to boil. Minutes later, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority called the search off for the day due to bad weather.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/world/asia/missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-370.html

F.B.I. Finds Few Clues on Malaysia Air Pilot’s Flight Simulator
MARCH 27, 2014

WASHINGTON — The flight simulator and hard drives that the pilots of Flight 370 had at their homes appear to be a dead end, yielding few clues that shed any light on whether they deliberately diverted the missing jet, according to two people briefed on the investigation.
 ::snipping3::

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/27/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/

Flight 370 search area shifts after 'credible lead' 
March 28, 2014 -- Updated 0229 GMT (1029 HKT)

(CNN) -- Search teams shifted to a different part of the Indian Ocean Friday in their hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane after "a new credible lead," authorities said.

An analysis of radar data led investigators to move the search to an area 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) to the northeast, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said, calling the new information "the most credible lead to where debris may be located."

"It indicated that the aircraft was traveling faster than previously estimated, resulting in increased fuel usage and reducing the possible distance the aircraft traveled south into the Indian Ocean," the authority said in a statement.

The renewed search for Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean comes a day after Japan and Thailand both said they'd sent new satellite images to Malaysia showing separate debris fields that could be related to the plane, which vanished March 8 with 239 people aboard.

Analysts said the search area shift could be a sign that investigators are closing in on the missing plane's whereabouts.

"With this development, perhaps they're able to hone in on the more accurate altitude," said Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

That, experts said, could bring investigators closer to determining what happened aboard the plane, what caused it to veer off course and where it ended up.
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

16 MINs ago  Update
*Australian Maritime Safety Authority Says Four Planes Already in New Search Area

Australian Maritime Safety Authority Says Four Planes Already in New Search Area
Australian Authority Says U.S. Black Box Detector Has Arrived in Perth
Australian Authority Says Vessel to Tow Black Box Locator to Arrive in Perth in Coming Days
Australian Authority Says New Data Is Best Estimate of Area Where Flight 370 Crashed Into Ocean
Australian Authority Says Assumption Is Malaysian Plane Was Traveling at Constant Speed
Australian Authority Cautions Against Using Term ‘Debris Field; in Regard to Any Satellite Images
Australian Authority Says Search Area Has Moved Out of ‘Roaring 40s’ Turbulent Sea Area
Australian Authority Says Searchers Likely to Encounter Better Weather in New Search Area
Australian Authority Says It Is Normal In Search Operations to Adjust Search Area

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-shifts-to-new-area-west-of-perth/story-fnizu68q-1226867105992

Search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 shifts to new area west of Perth 
This story was published: 21 minutes ago March 28, 2014 3:29PM

(http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2014/03/28/1226867/704482-0bd199fa-b62a-11e3-8ffb-bdc84c71056c.jpg)
Latest development ... The new search zone for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Source: Supplied

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/27/missing-malaysia-plane/6946817/

New radar analysis prompts shift in search zone
1:03 a.m. EDT March 28, 2014

(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/11f38e3fc7c5177c629c0f82324fea6699870899/c=303-38-3099-2140&r=x383&c=540x380/local/-/media/USATODAY/GenericImages/2014/03/28//1395982809000-EPA-AUSTRALIA-MALAYSIA-MISSING-PLANE-001.jpg)
A map is displayed at the Australian Maritime Services Authority showing the new search area in the Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in Canberra, Australia, Friday.(Photo: Alan Porritt, epa)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10718181/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-March-29-as-it-happened.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: March 29 as it happened

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

1 HR ago Twitter
Jon Ostrower@jonostrower

The P-3 that is hunting for #MH370, like the P-8, started as an airliner. L-188 flew the same month as 707 in 1957. http://t.co/zhtglhhvWB

3 HRs ago  Update
*Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Ten Aircraft to Join Flight 370 Search Sunday

*Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Ships in Search Area May Reach 10 on Sunday

*Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Light Showers, Low Clouds Likely in Search Area

*Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Search to Continue Despite Poorer Weather

4 HRs ago Twitter
Jon Ostrower@jonostrower

You know you've entered a strange place with #MH370 coverage when each day is played out like an alternate ending to Clue.

6 HRs ago Twitter
Jon Ostrower@jonostrower

From the front page of Saturday's WSJ: Mistrust Between U.S., Malaysia Strains Probe http://t.co/ar3qPxhYEg #MH370

11 HRs ago  World
Ships Head to New Search Area for Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane

Will Hunt for Objects Seen by Aircraft That May be Flight 370 Debris

More ships are on their way to join a Chinese vessel hunting for objects spotted by aircraft that may be debris from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Open

11 HRs ago Twitter
Jason Ng@ByJasonNg

UPDATE: Australia says ships retrieved some objects, but none confirmed as #MH370 debris

11 HRs ago  Update
*Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Aircraft Continue to Report Sighting Objects in Search Area

*Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Ships Retrieve Some Objects, None Confirmed as Missing-Plane Debris

*Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Search Set to Resume Again Sunday Morning

14 HRs ago  Update
*Australia Maritime Authority: Three Ships Have Now Arrived in MH370 Search Zone

14 HRs ago  Update
*Australia Maritime Authority: Six More Ships to Join MH370 Search Operation Sunday

14 HRs ago  Update
Malaysia Home Minister: No Evidence So Far Implicating Crew Member or Passenger

CHERAS, Malaysia—Investigators have found no evidence that a member of the crew or a passenger was responsible for the disappearance of Flight 370 three weeks ago, Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Saturday.

Still, investigators have not ruled out any possible cause and continue to investigate whether the disappearance was the result of hijacking, sabotage or terrorism or whether someone on the plane faced psychological or personal problems, he said.

“We cannot zero in on any faults by passengers or crew members, so we are focusing into getting more value-added information in order to strengthen our investigative findings,” he said during an event at the Malaysian Police Academy in Cheras, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur.

Police have conducted more than 100 interviews, he said, adding that he would not reveal any details of the findings until the probe is completed.

The home minister also said that the FBI had informed the Malaysian government that it “did not find anything suspicious” on the flight simulator or home computer of Capt. Zaharie Ahmed Shah, the pilot of the missing plane.

After investigators discovered that some files had been deleted from the devices, the FBI took the simulator and computer system to the U.S. for a more thorough analysis.

—Richard C. Paddock and Celine Fernandez

March 30, 2014 --Tweets -- Australian time

https://twitter.com/AMSA_News

AMSA News ‏@AMSA_News  · 19m 
#MH370 search operations are now underway, more info here. http://bit.ly/1lv4U4O  Today's charts now available here. http://bit.ly/1gMlZTZ

AMSA News ‏@AMSA_News  · 4h 
Apologies, previous statement on #MH370 should read "1,850 kilometres WEST of Perth." not east.

AMSA News ‏@AMSA_News  · 4h 
Search operations for #MH370 are expected to resume at 0900(AEDT). Weather forecast to be worse today. More info here http://bit.ly/1ldp7cw

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

2 HRs ago  Twitter
Newley Purnell@newley

Malaysia is examining airport security & people on #MH370, @jmwatts_ & @ByJasonNg report: http://t.co/OyUi0E6bTX http://t.co/tvkneuXr1u

3 HRs ago  Update
Search for Missing Airplane Continues

By David Winning and Robb M. Stewart

SYDNEY—Aircraft and ships hunting for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 faced old problems in a new area of the southern Indian Ocean—from poor weather to floating garbage. What they didn’t get was a breakthrough in a mystery entering its fourth week.

Multiple sightings of objects floating in the ocean by Chinese, Australian and New Zealand aircraft raised hopes that authorities had made the right call on Friday to shift the search around 700 miles northeast of a previous zone because of new calculations of radar data. But items fished out of the water turned out to be unrelated to the Boeing 777-200 plane, which disappeared on March 8.

Australian authorities are continuing to add aircraft and ships to the search operation, counting a Malaysian Air Force C-130 Hercules plane for the first time among nine aircraft that scoured the sea around 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles) west of the Western Australian capital of Perth on Sunday. An Australian vessel equipped with devices that can find black-box flight recorders beneath thousands of meters of water is readying to leave Perth on Monday, although it will be some days before it reaches the search zone.

Malaysian investigators believe Flight 370 crashed in the southern Indian Ocean when it ran out of fuel on March 8, thousands of kilometers from the nearest airport. All of the 239 passengers and crew are assumed dead.

Authorities are under pressure to make a breakthrough after several false leads, and amid rising anger among families of passengers on board Flight 370. Dozens of Chinese family members, fed up with the amount of information they are getting from officials in Beijing about the fate of the missing plane, flew to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday in the hope of getting satisfactory answers from Malaysian authorities.

Separately, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott put a former chief of the defense force in charge of a new body that would act as a bridgehead for families of passengers seeking to travel to Australia if plane debris is found. The Joint Agency Coordination Centre aims to offer visa services, counseling and other help to families.

The size of the new search area in the southern Indian Ocean is around 319,000 square kilometers (123,167 square miles), roughly four times as large as the area searched on Thursday, just before Malaysian officials used radar data to conclude they had been looking for the plane in the wrong place.

Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at the University of New South Wales, said the new search area is a “garbage patch” that contains much more flotsam than in the swath of the southern Indian Ocean previously searched. “The chances of a piece of spotted debris being from the plane is quite low,” he said.

Underscoring the challenges for searchers, a New Zealand P-3K2 Orion aircraft sighted 70 pieces of debris during a single sortie on Saturday. However, Air Vice-Marshal Kevin Short, of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, said most weren’t of interest to the search.

The search has become a race to detect signals from Flight 370’s black-box flight recorders before the batteries in their underwater locator beacon run out. Authorities calculate that they have seven days, or thereabouts, to find the black boxes. That could mark a turning point in the search effort, they say, which would become immensely more difficult.

An Australian vessel carrying specialist equipment provided by the U.S. Navy that can find black boxes deep below the surface of the ocean is set to leave Perth on Monday. Water depths in the search zone range from 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) to 4,000 meters.</p><p>Bill Fry, a safety adviser and Boeing 737 captain at Express Freighters Australia, said that if search teams can find the black boxes, then it is very likely that they will find most of the missing plane nearby. Heavy components such as the undercarriage and engines aren’t likely to drift far, whereas more-buoyant components may be carried further away from the impact site due to ocean currents, he said.

The ADV Ocean Shield, owned by the Australian Navy, has been fitted with a black-box locator, a device that is able to detect pings from the flight recorder. The vessel has also been loaded with a remote-controlled vehicle called Bluefin-21 that can scour the ocean depths for the missing plane.

Both devices have a limited search ability. The Towed Pinger Locator-25, or TPL-25, supplied by the U.S. Navy, is able to detect sounds only within a one-mile radius. The locator has to be towed at three nautical miles an hour, or knots, to work effectively, meaning it is restricted to searching about 150 square miles of ocean a day.

Bluefin-21 uses sonar technology to search across a preprogrammed area of water, but is only capable of mapping about 40 square miles of ocean floor a day with a high degree of accuracy.

“The search area remains vast and this equipment can only be effectively employed when there is a high probability that the final location of Flight 370 is better known,” said Commodore Peter Leavy, Australian commander of Joint Taskforce 658, which is coordinating the military response to find the missing plane.

That means investigators may have to draw early conclusions on what fate befell Flight 370 from objects plucked from the water by the multinational flotilla of ships, if they can be definitively identified as plane debris.

According to Mr. Fry, finding the plane’s engines would show whether Flight 370 was under power at the point of impact with the water. Compression marks on the fuselage would indicate the plane’s angle of entry into the water and the speed at which it was traveling, which would help investigators determine if the aircraft was flown into the water or had crashed. The wings would be examined for evidence of the forces experienced on impact, known as “G loading.”

“It may get to a point where enough debris is recovered to enable clear assessments to be drawn,” he said. “Without a doubt, the most useful items to recover are the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder.”

–Josh Chin and Lilian Lin in China and Rebecca Howard in Wellington, New Zealand contributed to this article.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304157204579472212721310876

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Searchers Scour New Stretch of Ocean
March 30, 2014 10:28 p.m. ET

SYDNEY—Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whose country is leading the search for  Malaysia Airlines  3786.KU 0.00%     Flight 370, said Monday the multinational operation would continue indefinitely as it enters a fourth week without a breakthrough.
 ::snipping3::
"We'll keep searching for some time to come. The intensity of our search and the magnitude of our operations is increasing, not decreasing," Mr. Abbott said on Monday, adding that the search was "well short" of the point at which it could be called off if nothing of substance was found. "If this mystery is solvable, we'll solve it. But I don't want to underestimate just how difficult it is."
 ::snipping3::

The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

http://www.smh.com.au/national/mh370-search-captain-mark-matthews-paints-pessimistic-assessment-of-black-box-search-20140330-35rrs.html

MH370 search: Captain Mark Matthews' paints pessimistic assessment of black box search
Date  March 30, 2014 - 7:59PM

(http://images.smh.com.au/2014/03/26/5296038/ping-Locator-729px-620x349.jpg)
Graphic: Jamie Brown
Highlighting the enormity of the task, Captain Matthews revealed that the ''towed pinger locator'' can detect emissions from the black box only if it is within about 1.6 kilometres of its beacon. And it must be towed at a snail-like 5km/h to be effective.


(http://images.smh.com.au/2014/03/30/5308602/art-820032412-620x349.jpg)
Loaded with a ''pinger'' locator and an underwater drone: Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield. Photo: Amanda Hoh

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20140330_ap_a4ac3960c425492e931fb8e22d64c512.html?c=r

Seabed of jet hunt zone mostly flat with 1 trench
Posted: Sunday, March 30, 2014, 7:28 PM

(http://media.philly.com/images/033014_missing_airplane_sea_floor_600.jpg)
This undated graphic provided by Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) Dr. Robin Beaman, James Cook University, shows the North-westerly view of the search area for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 at Broken Ridge, south-eastern Indian Ocean, which shows the Diamantina Escarpment dropping from about 800 meters to over 5000 meters in depth. Two miles under the sea where satellites and planes are looking for debris from the missing Malaysian jet, the ocean floor is cold, dark, covered in a squishy muck of dead plankton and - in a potential break for the search - mostly flat. The troubling exception is a steep, rocky drop ending in a deep trench. The sea floor in this swath of the Indian Ocean is dominated by a substantial underwater plateau known as Broken Ridge, where the geography would probably not hinder efforts to find the main body of the jet that disappeared with 239 people on board three weeks ago, according to seabed experts who have studied the area. (AP Photo/Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) Dr Robin Beaman, James Cook University)

March 31, 2014 Tweets--from Australia, Australian Maritime Safety Authority

https://twitter.com/AMSA_News

AMSA News ‏@AMSA_News  · 1h 
Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield will conduct sea trials in Cockburn Sound this afternoon to test search equipment loaded yesterday.

The Telegraph, UK

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10733757/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
31 Mar 2014

Latest 
07.22 Today's search area for missing MH370:

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02867/malaysia-search-ar_2867484c.jpg)

The Telegraph, UK

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10733757/Malaysia-Airlines-MH370-live.html

Malaysia Airlines MH370: live
31 Mar 2014

Latest 
16.50 Jonathan Pearlman reports:

Malaysia Airlines has reviewed security procedures following the disappearance of MH370 and will now insist that an extra crew member steps inside the cockpit if one of a plane's two pilots takes a lavatory break.

As the multinational search for the Boeing 777 in the Indian Ocean failed to produce evidence of debris, the airline confirmed it had introduced stricter measures for pilots in the week after its plane went missing on March 8.

The rules, which follow measures to tighten security at Malaysian airports, reportedly require crew members to enter the cockpit whenever a pilot is alone and to stand guard at the cockpit door when it is opened during service of food.

A spokeswoman told The Telegraph the airline had "increased security and enhanced monitoring procedures on-board all our aircraft" but said the details could not be released.

15.38 Jonathan Pearlman reports from KL:

Malaysian authorities would not confirm today the wording of the final send-off from the cockpit of MH370 but insisted it was not “sinister”. 

The government initially indicated that the co-pilot’s send-off was “all right, good night”, but the wording in a transcript given to Chinese families was “good night Malaysian 370”. 

Asked about the discrepancy, Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia’s acting transport minister, said the crash investigators had requested that the transcript not be released. “If it can be revealed, it will be revealed,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to show anything sinister.” 

I spoke to an official source who said the send-off was “a red herring”. The source said there was nothing strange about the send-off but investigators still believe the disabling of the communications and plane’s strange route were done deliberately.

March 31, 2014 Tweets--from Australia, Australian Maritime Safety Authority

https://twitter.com/AMSA_News

AMSA News ‏@AMSA_News  · 3h 
ADV Ocean Shield has departed for #MH370 search area - transit expected to take several days.

AMSA News ‏@AMSA_News  · 5h 
#MH370 search operations have concluded for today. All aircraft returning, nothing significant to report. Search will resume tomorrow.

AMSA News ‏@AMSA_News  · 8h 
Malaysian Guided Missile Frigate, KD Lekiu has arrived at HMAS Stirling to receive briefings on #MH370 search operations west of Perth.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

4 HRs ago  Update
Malaysia to Seek Further Aid for Plane Search at Gathering in Hawaii

By Jason Ng and Jake Maxwell Watts

Malaysia’s defense minister plans to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and other allies in Hawaii this week and seek more assets to use in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

A multinational team is currently scouring a remote section of the Indian Ocean for the plane that disappeared March 8 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Authorities have only a few days before the battery that powers the jet’s voice and data recorders’ beacon runs out, which will make finding them underwater far more complicated.

“I shall be discussing with the United States, and our other friends and allies, how best we can acquire the assets needed for possible deep-sea search and recovery,” Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Monday at a news briefing.

Defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will meet at U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii beginning Tuesday. Mr. Hishammuddin said he will raise the subject of Flight 370 during the three-day meeting.

“I will also use this opportunity to discuss the possibility of deploying more specific military assets, in the event that we need to embark on a more complex phase of the operation,” Mr. Hishammuddin said.

Search efforts have so far yielded little. Mr. Hishammuddin said all debris retrieved from the ocean by an Australian-led operation turned out to be unrelated to Flight 370. Ten aircraft and 11 ships were deployed in the search area Monday. The ADV Ocean Shield, fitted with a towed pinger locator to detect the recorders as well as an underwater vehicle, is scheduled to arrive on the scene Thursday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak plans to visit Perth, Australia, on Wednesday to thank the country for carrying out the search operations

 :2thinky:

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-jet/officials-release-new-last-words-missing-malaysia-flight-n67871
Officials Release New Last Words for Missing Malaysia Flight
March 31, 2014


Officials have revised the account of the last words that came from the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 — the latest about-face in the ever-shifting investigation into the jet's disappearance.

The Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation said Monday that the last communication with the air traffic controller was "Good night, Malaysian three seven zero."

Weeks earlier, officials reported the last words were: "Alright, good night."

 ::snipping3::


Authorities also said they are still conducting a forensic investigation to determine who was talking — even though the airline's chief executive said two weeks ago that it appeared the co-pilot was the speaker.

Since the flight vanished March 8 en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpu with 239 people on board, the investigation into what happened has been beset by false leads and conflicting information.

“This investigation is an example of what not to do,” James Hall, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board told NBC News last week. “Everything they do, they change.”

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/31/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/?sr=google_news&google_editors_picks=true
MH370: Hopes dashed as orange objects turn out to be fishing equipment
March 31, 2014

 ::snipping3::
New details on handoff
On Monday, Malaysia's Transport Ministry said the final voice transmission from the cockpit of Flight 370 was "Good night Malaysian three seven zero."
That's a departure from earlier language in which Malaysian authorities said the final transmission was "All right, goodnight."
The new language is routine and is not a sign of anything untoward occurring aboard the flight, said CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo.
But she said it does raise questions about how Malaysian officials have handled the investigation.
"Well, it speaks to credibility issues, unfortunately," she said.

 ::snipping3::

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cook-judge-throws-out-malaysia-plane-suit-filed-by-chicago-firm-20140331,0,6665514.story

Cook judge throws out Malaysia plane suit filed by Chicago firm
11:22 a.m. CDT, March 31, 2014

A Cook County judge has thrown out the first court action filed in connection with the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet, calling the filing improper and threatening to impose sanctions against a Chicago-based law firm that has been accused of questionable tactics in the wake of aviation disasters.

Without solid evidence of a crash or wreckage of the jet, Ribbeck Law Chartered said in a petition filed last week that the Beijing-bound Flight 370 had experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure before plunging into the southern Indian Ocean, killing all 239 passengers and crew on board.

The petition named Malaysia Airlines and Chicago-based Boeing as defendants and sought to preserve evidence in the case and to identify anyone involved in the plane's manufacture and upkeep.

But in dismissing the action, Judge Kathy Flanagan, who oversees all airline-related suits filed in Cook County Circuit Court, said in a four-page ruling filed late Friday that the law allows such filings only when the identity of potential defendants is unknown.
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

50 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australia Air Chief Marshal: Search Begins From Very Uncertain Starting Point

*Australia Air Chief Marshal: Must Pursue All Leads

*Australia Air Chief Marshal: Search Area Is Based on Best Available Information

*Australia Air Chief Marshal: Not Certain What Speed, Altitude Flight 370 Was Flying At

51 MINs ago Twitter
Patrick McDowell@pmcdowellsea

Australia says no real precision on where #MH370 entered water; search could drag on long time. See WSJ stream: http://t.co/t5lTZQDEzc

54 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australian Air Chief Marshal: Can’t Be Precise on Where Aircraft Entered the Water

55 MINs ago Twitter
Jason Ng@ByJasonNg

IATA says #MH370 crisis highlights need to improve aircraft in-flight tracking http://t.co/plcf3WysFS

56 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australian Air Chief Marshal Says Refining Search Area Is an Inexact Science

58 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australian Air Chief Marshal Says Flight 370 Search Could Drag On for a Long Time

*Australian Air Chief Marshal: If Searchers Can’t Find Wreckage on Surface, Will Need to Review Next Move

1 HR ago Twitter
Patrick McDowell@pmcdowellsea
Poor coordination has lost days and the #MH370 black box is running out of juice: http://t.co/B2iVokgXHP

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304157204579474343742646418?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304157204579474343742646418.html

IATA Asks Governments to Use Passenger Data for Security Screenings
April 1, 2014 12:08 a.m. ET

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—The global airline-industry group on Tuesday said that the continuing search for  Malaysia Airlines  3786.KU 0.00%     Flight 370 highlights the need to improve aircraft tracking in-flight, and asked governments to use advance passenger data provided by airlines more effectively.

"It is important to remember that airlines aren't border guards or policemen. The checking of passports is the well-established responsibility of governments," said Tony Tyler, director general of the Montreal-based International Air Transport Association, at a conference in the Malaysian capital.

By international convention, airlines provide passenger information to the governments of the arrival and departure destinations before the aircraft leaves. Governments need to revisit their data-review processes, including checking names against Interpol's stolen- and lost-passports database, Mr. Tyler said.

Authorities said that two Iranian nationals aboard Flight 370 had used stolen passports, though subsequent investigation didn't reveal any links with terrorist organizations.
 ::snipping3::

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304886904579471272412709930?mod=WSJAsia_hpp_LEFTTopStories&mg=reno64-wsj

Poor Coordination Led to Flawed Search for Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Updated March 31, 2014 8:59 p.m. ET

Lapses in coordination among countries and companies trying to find  Malaysia Airlines  3786.KU 0.00%     Flight 370 led to three days of searches in an area hundreds of miles from where investigators now believe the plane is likely to have gone down, people familiar with the matter said.

The search area shifted abruptly on Friday after authorities more fully merged two investigative strands by international teams of experts that had largely been working separately to estimate where in the southern Indian Ocean naval forces should be looking for wreckage.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/flight-mh370-search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-could-take-weeks-says-angus-houston/story-fnizu68q-1226870418218

Flight MH370: search for missing Malaysia Airlines plane could take weeks, says Angus Houston
This story was published: 42 minutes ago April 01, 2014 4:21PM

FORMER Defence chief Angus Houston says the search operation to find the missing Malaysia Airlines plane could take weeks and is the most challenging he has ever seen. 
 
The retired Air Chief, who is co-ordinating the search for the plane, told a media conference in Perth this afternoon the search area was the size of Ireland.

“I have to say in my experience, and I have a lot of experience in search and rescue over the years, this search and recovery operation is probably the most challenging one I have ever seen,” he said.

The retired Air Chief Marshal warned the effort to find debris from MH370 could drag on for a long time.

“We have the best experts in the world helping the Australian Maritime Agency to find where the best area to search is,” he said.

“At this stage it’s very important to pursue the leads, the evidence that has been presented to us. I think they give us a starting point.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said the team was working from “a very uncertain starting point”.

“I just wanted to reinforce that because it will take time. It’s not something that will necessarily be resolved in the next two weeks, for example.

“We will continue pursuing the search with much vigour.”

Air Chief Marshal Houston said the operation was “very complex, very demanding”.

“We don’t have hard information like we might normally have,” he said.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.kansas.com/2014/03/31/3377118/australian-pm-vows-search-for.html

Australia to deploy flying air traffic controller
Published Monday, March 31, 2014, at 1:31 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, April 1, 2014, at 12:18 a.m.

PERTH, Australia — Australia is deploying a modified Boeing 737 to act as a flying air traffic controller over the Indian Ocean to prevent a mid-air collision among the large number of aircraft searching for the Malaysia Airlines jetliner that went missing over three weeks ago.

According to an Australian government briefing note read out to The Associated Press by an official, the air force is sending an E-7A Wedgetail equipped with advanced radar to start monitoring the search zone Tuesday.
 ::snipping3::

Thank you for keeping this thread updated, grace-land. 


My heart goes out to the passengers, the crew and their families, friends and co-workers. 

I hope those searching can continue to stay safe in their endeavors. 

You're welcome, MuffyBee!

Adding my prayers to your warm sentiments above.   ::MonkeyAngel::

Full transcript at the link

http://abcnews.go.com/International/real-final-words-flight-370-cockpit-revealed/story?id=23138345

The Real Final Words From Flight 370 Cockpit Revealed
April 1, 2014

Authorities today clarified the final recorded words spoken by the pilots of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, as the search for the missing plane stretches into a fourth week.

Malaysia’s transport ministry released a transcript today of voice transmission from the plane’s cockpit, with the final words, “Good night Malaysian three-seven-zero.” The government had previously said the final words were “All right, good night.”

Full Transcript: Flight 370 Communications

There’s no explanation for the discrepancy, and authorities are still trying to determine whether the voice belongs to the pilot or co-pilot. Aviation experts say this signoff is routine and provides no new clues in the mystery of flight 370.
In a statement released with the communications transcript, Malaysia acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein stressed that the transcript doesn't indicate anything abnormal, and investigators still believe the flight's movements are "consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane."
 ::snipping3::

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Malaysia-Airlines-Flight-370-High-Tech-Search-Tools-253424751.html

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: High-Tech Search Tools
Updated: Tue 2:21 PM, Apr 01, 2014

(http://media.graytvinc.com/images/500*350/Malaysia+370+Map+02.jpg)
Map showing planned search area on April 1, 2014 for Malaysia Airlines flight 370. Source: Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)

http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/sub-joins-mh370-hunt-ahead-of-malaysian-pm-visit-to-perth/article/379218

Sub joins MH370 hunt ahead of Malaysian PM visit to Perth
1 hour ago in World

 ::snipping3::
Despite extensive scouring of remote Indian Ocean waters by planes and ships southwest of Perth where Malaysia believes the plane went down, nothing has been found so far that would indicate a crash site.

"No significant developments to report," the Australian Maritime Safety Authority tweeted after 10 planes returned from flying sorties on Tuesday evening in a now familiar update on drawing a blank.

But in a boost to the search effort, Britain's Royal Navy said submarine HMS Tireless has arrived in the area and "with her advanced underwater search capability will be able to contribute to the attempts to locate the missing plane".

While planes, ships and helicopters have all been deployed, it is the first submarine to be drafted in.

Britain's HMS Echo is also due in the search zone shortly to assist Australia's Ocean Shield naval vessel, which is fitted with a US-supplied "black box" detector and is expected to arrive on Friday.
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

9 MINs ago  Update
Breaking

*Malaysia Police Chief: Flight 370 Investigation Classified as Criminal ‎Investigation

*Malaysia Police Chief Says Will Interview More People for Flight 370 Probe

*Malaysia Police Chief: Recorded More than 170 Statements for Probe

*Malaysia Police Chief: May Affect Prosecution Later if Investigation Findings ‎Revealed Now

*Malaysia Police Chief: ‘We May Not Even Know Real Cause’ ‎after Investigation

*Malaysia Police Chief: Investigation into Pilot’s Flight Simulator Still Inconclusive

*Malaysia Police Chief: Awaiting Experts’ Reports on Flight 370 Pilot Simulator

‎*Malaysia Police Chief Says Investigation of Flight 370 Ongoing

Steaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

7 MINs ago Twitter
Jon Ostrower@jonostrower

DEVELOPING: Malaysia Police Chief: Flight 370 Investigation Classified as Criminal Investigation http://t.co/ln5iKxDRFb #MH370

18 MINs ago Update
U.K. Submarine Joins Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

By David Winning

SYDNEY—A U.K. submarine has joined the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean, boosting the Australian-led operation’s ability to scour the seabed for the plane’s black box flight recorders whose batteries are running low.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence said it had deployed the submarine, HMS Tireless, to assist with the multinational search for Flight 370, even though a lengthy hunt for floating plane debris in an area of sea the size of Arizona has yet to find anything.

“With her advanced underwater search capability, HMS Tireless will be able to contribute to the attempts to locate the missing plane,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The U.K. has also dispatched another military vessel–HMS Echo–to the search zone, which was moved closer to Australia on Wednesday. The search area—some 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) northwest of the Western Australian capital of Perth—overlaps part of the area scoured by military aircraft and ships previously.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

1 HR ago Twitter
Jason Ng@ByJasonNg

Malaysia frets over China’s pressure to find missing Flight #MH370 http://t.co/AaiFsUdh6b

2 HRs ago Update
Press Statement by Malaysia Ministry of Transport, April 2

Support for relatives of those on board MH370

The Malaysian Government appreciates the importance of providing the relatives of those on board MH370 with accurate, up-to-date and verified information. Malaysia has also strived to ensure that Governments whose nationals were on board MH370 are fully briefed.

China had more nationals on board MH370 than any other country. Malaysia recognises its duty to provide the Government of China with verified information, which it can then use to brief the Chinese relatives of those on board MH370. Since MH370 went missing, Malaysia has been in constant communication with the Chinese authorities, at numerous levels of government, to ensure an accurate and timely flow of information. Since 8 March, Malaysia has provided the following members of the Chinese Government with full and thorough briefings:

H.E. Zhang Yesui, the Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy of the Government of China.

H.E. Huang Huikang, the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia.

Officials from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID).

Members of the Chinese air force who have particular expertise in radar.

Malaysia also sent a delegation to Beijing led by Deputy Foreign Minister Dato’ Hamzah Zainudin, who met with his Chinese counterparts Vice Foreign Ministers Zhang Yesui and Liu Jian Chow.

Today’s briefing for the Chinese relatives

A special briefing session was held today for the Chinese relatives of those on board MH370. The briefing took place from 10:00 to 13:00 at the Hotel Bangi in Putrajaya.

The briefing session was moderated by Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to China.

Datuk Azharuddin, Director-General of the Department of Civil Aviation, gave the opening statement, which reads as follows:

I understand you have many questions about what happened to your loved ones and to flight MH370. We are here today to give you as much information as possible, to help you understand why and how the international investigation team have reached its conclusions about MH370’s movements.

The investigation into MH370 has been unprecedented. With so few clues to go on, investigators from around the world have been forced to use new methods to try and understand what happened.

The information we have been working from is the best we have. We have followed the evidence as it has led us from the South China Sea to the Straits of Malacca; from the Andaman Sea to the Northern and Southern corridors; and finally to the Indian Ocean.

Throughout the process, I want to assure you that we have done everything in our power to locate MH370. We have spared no effort and expense. We have worked hard, and co-operated with everyone who could help – including the people who are here today.

We will now begin the technical briefing.

The technical briefing was provided by the Department of Civil Aviation and Chinese technical experts.

Also present at the briefing, to help answer questions from the relatives, were:

H.E. Huang Huikang, the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia;

the Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, General Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Rodzali Bin Daud;

the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Royal Malaysia Police, Dato’ Huzir bin Mohamed;

Deputy Secretary General III of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dato’ Ibrahim Abdullah.

The briefing session was telecast live to relatives of those on board MH370, who are currently in Beijing.

Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s trip to the US-ASEAN Defence Forum

The Defence Minister and Acting Transport Minister, Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, is currently attending the US-ASEAN Defence Forum in Hawaii.

This morning, the Minister had a telephone call with the British Secretary of State for Defence, Phillip Hammond. During the call, Defence Secretary Hammond confirmed that Britain will send HMS Tireless, a Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine with sonar capabilities, to help in the multinational search operation for MH370.

Prime Minister’s trip to Perth

Prime Minister Najib Razak is due to land at Perth International Airport at approximately 23:00 local time on Wednesday 2 April.

The Prime Minister is due to visit Pearce Air Force base on Thursday morning to meet with personnel involved in the multinational search operation for MH370. The Prime Minister will also be briefed on the latest developments regarding the search.

The Prime Minister is due to hold a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot later on Thursday morning.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-criminal-probe-clears-some-on-plane/

April 2, 2014, 9:25 AM
Who was cleared in Malaysia plane criminal probe?

Malaysia's police chief said Wednesday that the criminal investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is now focused on the pilots and the cabin crew, CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports from outside Perth, Australia.

The police chief also said that all 227 passengers have been cleared of any involvement, but he admitted that what happened onboard the plane may never be known.

Suspicion has fallen on pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, and investigators have now begun interviewing the families of the flight crew.

Jacquie Gonzales' husband, Patrick Gomez, was the chief steward on Flight 370.

She told CBS News that Malaysian police went to her home Tuesday and asked about Patrick's bank accounts, insurance and even his hobbies.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/7192627

Malaysia jet probe turns to food, cargo
5:38 PM, April 2, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia investigators said Wednesday they may never find out why a Malaysia Airlines jetliner vanished without a trace more than three weeks ago as search planes and ships scoured the Indian Ocean for wreckage.

"Investigations may go on and on and on. We have to clear every little thing," Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar said.

"At the end of the investigations, we may not even know the real cause. We may not even know the reason for this incident," he said.

Khalid also said investigators are checking on the provider of the food delivered to the plane before takeoff to eliminate the possibility that it had been poisoned, and are looking into the cargo loaded onto the jet.
 ::snipping3::
 

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/04/02/Search-area-for-Malaysia-Airlines-Flight-370-crash-site-continues-to-be-refined/9141396456426/

Search area for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crash site continues to be refined
 April 2, 2014 at 1:12 PM

(http://cdn.ph.upi.com/sv/em/i/UPI-9141396456426/2014/1/13964565276620/Search-area-for-Malaysia-Airlines-Flight-370-crash-site-continues-to-be-refined.jpg)
The April 2, 2014 search area for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. (Australian Maritime Safety Authority)

April 2 (UPI) -- On Wednesday, 10 aircraft and nine ships searched a 237,000 square kilometer area west northwest of Perth for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Wednesday's search concluded with "no sightings reported of any objects related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370."

The Australian Joint Agency Coordination Center reported that the search area continues to be refined.

"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia."
 ::snipping3::

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

1 HR ago  U.S.
*Eight Planes, Nine Ships to Join Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Search on Thursday

*Eight Planes, Nine Ships to Join Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Search on Thursday, Australia Search Authority Says *Authority: Weather Condition Is Fair in Search Area on Thursday *Maritime Safety Authority Sets Search Area of About 86,100 Square Miles, More Than 1,000 Miles Northwest of Perth *Australian Authorities Continue to Refine Search Area Based on Technical [...]

*Eight Planes, Nine Ships to Join Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Search on Thursday, Australia Search Authority Says

*Authority: Weather Condition Is Fair in Search Area on Thursday

*Maritime Safety Authority Sets Search Area of About 86,100 Square Miles, More Than 1,000 Miles Northwest of Perth

*Australian Authorities Continue to Refine Search Area Based on Technical Analysis of Satellites, Aircraft Performance

https://twitter.com/AMSA_News

AMSA News ‏@AMSA_News  · 1h 
Today's search area charts are now available on the #MH370 media kit page. http://bit.ly/1qYcbe8

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/

Joint Agency Coordination Centre

Media

Media enquiries can be made via email to JACCmedia@infrastructure.gov.au, telephone 0478 308 049.

Please be aware the Joint Agency will not be providing media engagement for individual agencies.

Media releases
◾Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
3 April, 2014—am
::snipping3::

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr004.aspx

Media Release
 3 April 2014—am

Up to eight planes and nine ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has determined a search area of about 223,000 square kilometres, 1680 kilometres west north-west of Perth.

Eight military planes will assist in the search. One of these planes will be tasked to drop self locating datum marker buoys within the search area. The first aircraft departed for the search area at 6am WST.

Nine ships have been tasked to search.

The weather forecast for today's search is fair, with visibility approximately 10 kilometres, however the southern area may experience some isolated showers.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

35 MINs ago  Update
Breaking

*Malaysian Prime Minister Says Refined Area of Search Has Provided New Hope

40 MINs ago  Update
Breaking

*Australia’s Prime Minister Says We Know More Each Day About Search

41 MINs ago  Update
Breaking

*Australia Prime Minister Says Flight 370 Search Is the Most Difficult Ever Undertaken

*Australia Prime Minister Says Constantly Revising Search Area

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

15 MINs ago  Update
Press Statement: Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak

PM NAJIB RAZAK’S PRESS CONFERENCE REMARKS IN PERTH ON MH370

I would like to start by thanking the men and women who are giving their all to find MH370.

Over the past three weeks, hundreds of people have journeyed thousands of kilometres to help. They have searched through stormy seas and freezing fog. They have sailed through storms to find the plane. We owe them each a debt of gratitude.

This has been a remarkable effort, bringing together nations from around the world. When MH370 went missing, dozens of countries answered the call for help. Their commitment will not be forgotten.

In a time of great tragedy – for the countries with citizens on board, and the families whose loved ones are missing – this co-operation has given us all heart. Differences have been set aside, as 26 nations have united behind a common cause. The disappearance of MH370 is without precedent; so too is the search.

This morning I met with sailors and aircrew at Pearce Air Force Base. I also spoke to the commanders of the seven nations who are here to search for MH370. They told me of the difficulties of a search like this; of distance, and weather, and of maintaining morale over a long period.

As we speak, 10 aircraft and 9 ships are searching the Indian Ocean for any sign of the missing plane. The search area is vast, and the conditions are not easy. But the new refined search area has given us new hope. And I believe the courage of the crews is more than equal to the task. Once again, I thank them all for what they are doing.

I would also like to thank Prime Minister Abbott for hosting us here in Perth; for agreeing to lead the search operations in the southern Indian Ocean; and for accepting our invitation for Australia to participate as an Accredited Representative in the investigation. We will continue to work closely with the Australian government to draw up a comprehensive agreement on the search.

At this difficult time, Australia has proven an invaluable friend. The Australian authorities, like so many others, have offered their assistance without hesitation or delay. I would like to sincerely thank Australia for all they have done, and are doing, to find the plane.

We are also grateful to all those who have brought their expertise to bear on what Prime Minister Abbott rightly called ‘one of the great mysteries of our time’.

The disappearance of MH370 has tested our collective resolve. Faced with so little evidence, and such a Herculean task, investigators from Malaysia, the US, the UK, China, Australia and France have worked without pause to reveal the aircraft’s movements. Their collective efforts have led us here.

We are here today, but our thoughts are thousands of kilometres away. In the cities and countries around the world, where families of those on board wait desperately for news. And in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, where MH370 awaits.

I know that until we find the plane, many families cannot start to grieve. I cannot imagine what they must be going through. But I can promise them that we will not give up.

Thank you.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

4 HRs ago Twitter
Jon Ostrower@jonostrower

RT @R_Wall: #MH370 lacked the ejectable flight data recorders that wreckage-searching P-3s feature http://t.co/s640DVMoxa

4 HRs ago Update
Breaking

Twitter

*Australian Authorities: No Objects Found Thursday in Hunt for Missing Plane

*Australian Authorities: 10 Aircraft, 9 Ships Involved in Thursday’s Search

Streaming coverage

4 HRs ago World

Time, Batteries Running Out on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ‘Black Box’
Malaysian, Australian Leaders Seek to Inject New Momentum Into Search

Malaysian and Australian leaders sought to inject new momentum into the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 as chances dim for finding the flight recorders before their locator beacons run out of power.

(http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-CE962_0403ma_G_20140403022910.jpg)
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak at Pearce air base in Perth Thursday
 European Pressphoto Agency

As the chances dim for finding Malaysia Airlines Flight 370′s “black box” flight recorders before the batteries in their locator beacons run out, Malaysian and Australian leaders sought to inject new momentum into a search of the southern Indian Ocean that has yet to find plane wreckage.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak met aircrews involved in the multinational search for Flight 370 at Pearce air base, near Perth, on Thursday. The visit is Mr. Najib’s first to Australia since the focus of the search swung abruptly to the southern Indian Ocean on March 20, based on satellite images of possible plane debris. So far, nothing related to the missing plane has been found.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr005.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search efforts honoured by the Malaysian Prime Minister
Media Release
 3 April 2014—pm

The hundreds of men and women involved in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 were today recognised for their efforts by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

They spoke to personnel at RAAF Base Pearce, the hub of the aerial search, where they honoured the efforts of the eight nations involved.

“It was a very heart-warming experience to be introduced to the leaders of the various countries—from China, from the United States, from New Zealand, from Japan, from the Republic of Korea, from New Zealand and of course from both Australia and Malaysia,” Prime Minister Najib said.

“I know it is a daunting task to go out there in very inclement weather, in very challenging circumstances. Malaysia is indeed grateful for your courage and for your commitment.”

Prime Minister Najib also announced that Australia had accepted its invitation to participate as an accredited representative in the investigation and would continue to work closely together to draw up a comprehensive agreement on the search.

The search area is being continually adjusted and today it moved north.

At the end of the day, ten aircraft and 9 ships were involved in search activities.

Three aircraft searched in the southern search area of 248,000 square kilometres, 1700km west north west of Perth.

The Royal Navy hydrographic ship HMS Echo also operated in the northern area searching for sonic transmissions from the flight data recorder. One alert was experienced but discounted. False alerts may be experienced from biological sources such as whales or interference from shipping noise.

There have been no sightings of any objects reported today (as at 1930 AEDT).

Weather in the search area was fair, with visibility approximately 10 kilometres.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

http://www.thewire.com/global/2014/04/searchers-looking-for-malaysian-air-flight-370-are-running-out-of-ideas/360080/

4 Hrs Ago / Malaysian Air Flight 370 Crash
Searchers Looking for Malaysian Air Flight 370 Are Running Out of Ideas

 ::snipping3::
Meanwhile, Australia has again altered its search route after days of fruitlessly scanning the ocean for possible plane debris:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BkQSdTqCQAA0zla.png)

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/03/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/

Flight 370: Ships approach search area amid hope of new leads 
April 3, 2014 -- Updated 1940 GMT (0340 HKT)

Perth, Australia (CNN) -- Two ships central to the hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 are due to arrive in the search area in the coming hours amid hope that a new clue to the plane's whereabouts may be imminent.

A British Royal Navy survey ship, HMS Echo, will be conducting a specific search on Friday, a spokesperson for the Australian Defence Force told CNN.

The Ocean Shield, an Australian naval vessel equipped with special U.S. technology designed to detect the pings from the flight recorders, is also due to arrive in the search area overnight Thursday.

The spokesperson, who is not authorized to speak to the media, told CNN there would be a "big" operations news conference on Friday by retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the head of the Australia's new Joint Agency Coordination Centre, who has been tasked with overseeing the search effort.

It's not yet clear what the news conference will cover, but any progress will likely be welcomed by the despairing relatives of the 239 people aboard the plane, which vanished nearly four weeks ago.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr006.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and Recovery Continues for Malaysian Flight MH370
Media Release
 4 April 2014—am

Up to 10 military planes, four civil jets and nine ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has determined a search area of about 217,000 square kilometres, 1700 kilometres north west of Perth.

Today's search area will focus on three areas within the same vicinity.

The first aircraft will depart for the search area at 6am Western Standard Time (WST).

A total of 26 State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers from Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria will work as air observers on three of the civil aircraft. The other civil aircraft will operate as a communications relay.

The weather forecast for today's search is fair, with visibility approximately 10 kilometres and a cloud base between 1000 and 2000 feet.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

9 MINs ago Update
Underwater Search Begins, Despite Aerial Blank

SYDNEY—Australia began an underwater search of the southern Indian Ocean for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 using military hardware from U.S. and U.K. Navies, despite repeated air sorties that have so far failed to find any wreckage from the missing plane.

Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who is coordinating the multinational search off the coast of Australia, said the Australian defense vessel Ocean Shield and HMS Echo would cover a 240 kilometer area of ocean where authorities think the plane is most likely to have gone down. Ocean Shield is equipped with a U.S. device designed to detect signals from the aircraft’s black box flight recorders deep below the ocean surface. HMS Echo is a U.K. military survey vessel able to profile ocean depths.

The former Australian defense chief said investigators were reaching the end of their analysis of radar data and satellite communications from the plane.

“I think we have probably got to the end of the process of analysis. My expectation is we’re into a situation where the data we’ve got is the data we’ve got, and we’ll proceed on the basis of that,” he said.

— Rachel Parnett

20 MINs ago Twitter
Newley Purnell@newley

RT @digitalhen: By the end of the weekend all hope of finding #MH370 might be lost. http://t.co/Ueithowk1w http://t.co/xUXoyafVfw

28 MINs ago Twitter
WSJ Asia@WSJAsia

RT @digitalhen: By the end of the weekend all hope of finding #MH370 might be lost. http://t.co/W04c7pwv4m http://t.co/8nhsPLAxHo

54 MINs ago Update
Breaking: Latest on the Search

Australian Air Chief Marshal Houston Says Australian Navy Has Commenced Underwater Search for Flight 370

Houston Says Search Area Will Be Adjusted on a Semi-Regular Basis

Houston Says Underwater Search Targets Area Where Wreckage Most Probable

Houston Says Have Reached End of Data Analysis

Houston Says Using Black Box Locator, U.K. Survey Vessel for Underwater Search

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-jet/subsurface-search-black-box-under-way-n71526

First published April 3rd 2014, 10:57 pm
Subsurface Search for Black Box Under Way

Almost two dozen planes and ships trawled 135,000 square miles of ocean Friday trying to find the black box of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

The Australian navy ship Ocean Shield was towing a U.S.-supplied "pinger locator" that can scan beneath the surface for whatever faint signals the jet's battery-powered data recorder might still be sending almost a month after it disappeared with 239 people on board.

Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Center said one possible alert was picked up, but it was soon "discounted."

"False alerts may be experienced from biological sources such as whales or interference from shipping noise," it said.

Eight other ships, 10 military planes and four civil jets were taking part in Friday's search, which covers essentially the same area that was searched Thursday, Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston told reporters Friday. It's about 1,050 miles north of the western Australian port of Perth.
 ::snipping3::

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/03/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/

Flight 370: Search resumes with high-tech help, hopes for breakthrough
By Jethro Mullen, Elizabeth Joseph and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
April 4, 2014 -- Updated 0349 GMT (1149 HKT)

 ::snipping3::
The Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo and the Australian naval supply ship Ocean Shield have begun an underwater search for wreckage as time is running out for the batteries powering the beacons on the plane's flight recorders.

The two ships are using advanced equipment to search a single 240-kilometer track, said retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the head of the joint coordination center.

The Ocean Shield is equipped with the TPL-25, a giant underwater microphone that will listen for the pings from the flight data recorders and the Bluefin-21, an underwater robot that can scour the ocean bed, looking for signs of wreckage.

But until searchers can find a confirmed piece of debris from the plane, which would give them a clearer idea of where the main wreckage might be located, there is no certainty the sophisticated listening technology is being directed in the right area.

"Really the best we can do right now is put these assets in the best location -- the best guess we have -- and kind of let them go," U.S. Navy Cmdr. William Marks told CNN. "Until we get conclusive evidence of debris, it is just a guess."

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr007.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Pinger locator equipment commences operation
Media Release
 4 April 2014

The Royal Australian Navy and Royal Navy have today commenced a sub-surface search for emissions from the black-box pinger from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Using the Towed Pinger Locator (TPL) from the United States Navy on Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield and a similar capability on HMS Echo, the two ships will search a single 240 kilometre track, converging on each other.

This will be the first time that a sub-surface search will have been conducted in the search, in an attempt to detect the signal from the black-box of MH370.

The Commander of Joint Task Force 658, Commodore Peter Leavy, said the two ships and their towed-pinger equipment would be operating at significantly reduced speed to search at depths of three thousand metres or more.

“There has not been any change in the search,” Commodore Leavy said.

“No hard evidence has been found to date so we have made the decision to search a sub-surface area on which the analysis has predicted MH370 is likely to have flown.

“While the preference for search operations is to use physical evidence and then drift modelling to determine a smaller sub-surface search area, the search track is considered to be the best estimate possible for an area likely to contain the crashed aircraft.

“The equipment on Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield and HMS Echo can only operate effectively at reduced speed, around three knots.

“The search using sub-surface equipment needs to be methodical and carefully executed in order to effectively detect the faint signal of the pinger.”

Functionality tests were carried out on the TPL, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and transducer pole to prove its effectiveness during transit to the search area. All the acoustic sensors, GPS positioning, tracking and frequency systems and positioning of the equipment completed a functionality test.

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr008.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search update
Media Release
 4 April 2014—pm

Today there have been some sightings of objects reported by ships in the search area but none were associated with MH370 (as at 1900 AEDT).

The Royal Australian Navy, using the Towed Pinger Locator from the United States Navy on Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield, and the Royal Navy, with a similar capability on HMS Echo, today began the underwater search for emissions from the black-box pinger from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

A total of 14 aircraft and 11 ships were involved in today's search activities.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority determined a search area of about 217,000 square kilometres, 1700 kilometres North West of Perth.

Weather in the search area was good, with visibility greater than 10 kilometres.

 ::MonkeyTears::

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1465174/go-home-mental-health-experts-urge-families-missing-chinese-passngers

'Go home', mental health experts urge families of missing Chinese passngers on flight MH370
PUBLISHED : Friday, 04 April, 2014, 11:49pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 05 April, 2014, 1:32am
Teddy Ng in Kuala Lumpur

(http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/2014/04/04/3671e7cf7b5e74f9cafd6bd68b8bb2c7.jpg?itok=SkvvdB8i)
Relatives of Chinese passengers pray in Beijing yesterday. Photo: AP

Relatives of Chinese passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight should return home to start the recovery process, mental health experts say.

Such a prolonged period disconnected from friends and family was having an adverse effect on their well-being and keeping them locked in the early stages of the grieving process, the experts said.

Families of many of the 239 people on board the flight were taken to hotels in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur when news broke on March 8 that it had vanished.

As the days passed and leads dried up, many - particularly some of the Chinese - became frustrated and vented their anger towards officials and journalists.

Public sympathy has started to wane, leading the Chinese government to distance itself from their comments and accusations.

Paul Yin, a psychologist volunteering at the Lido Hotel in Beijing, said grouping families together had helped in co-ordinating the operation but it was time for them to go home, where he hoped the authorities would ensure they were properly cared for.

Sean Lee, a counsellor who has provided help for some 10 Malaysian families in Kuala Lumpur, said their response had been more muted.

When Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the flight had "ended" over the Indian Ocean, he said, the Malaysian reaction had "not been as strong as expected".

That was a sign they had overcome the disbelief characteristic of the initial stages of trauma, he added, and pointed to the Malaysians' strong religious beliefs as a possible reason.

"Religion helps people to face a situation where they feel powerless to change anything. They will leave everything to God," he said.

"[For the Chinese], demanding the truth is something they believe they can do for their family members."
 ::snipping3::

Search on Saturday, April 5, 2014

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr009.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
5 April 2014—am

Up to 10 military planes, three civil jets and 11 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Today ADV Ocean Shield and HMS Echo continue underwater search operations.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has determined a search area of about 217,000 square kilometres, 1700 kilometres north west of Perth.

Today's search area will focus on three areas within the same vicinity.

The weather forecast for today's search is fair, with possible showers in the search area.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

So sad

http://www.dailyastorian.com/news/nation_world/china-s-tomb-day-with-no-body-how-to-mourn/article_51a94506-811c-5256-983d-eb7d6775f9b8.html

China's tomb day: With no body, how to mourn?
Posted: Friday, April 4, 2014 1:26 am |  Updated: 5:05 am, Fri Apr 4, 2014.   

ZIWEI VILLAGE, China (AP) — The Li family wonders how to spend Saturday's annual Tomb-Sweeping Day. The three Li brothers usually visit their mother's grave in their rugged village in northeast China, but absent this year is the youngest brother — a passenger aboard the missing Malaysian airliner.
 
Should they add 34-year-old Li Zhixin to those they should mourn? If so, how would they do that without a grave? And what if he is still alive?
 
Their state of limbo reflects one of the emotional struggles for the families of Chinese passengers aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The culture places a strong emphasis on recovering the body of a dead person before closure can properly begin.
  ::snipping3::
On Tomb-Sweeping Day, families typically visit the ancestral burial plot to clean the graves and present offerings of fruit and burn paper money. Some set off firecrackers for good luck and to drive off evil spirits. Such traditions are strong in rural areas, though they are falling by the wayside as people migrate to the cities.

The Chinese believe the body to be the carrier of one's soul, said Han Gaonian, a folklorist at Lanzhou-based Northwest Normal University. "If you have the body, then the soul has a place to be," he said.

Those presumed dead and whose bodies cannot be returned usually get a grave with their clothes buried, Han said.

But there is no ritual of mourning for those whose fates are unknown.

"People still hope they may return alive," Han said, referring to the passengers on Flight 370. "And in some rural areas, families may hold some ritual of calling back the soul of the missing, alive or dead."
 ::snipping3::
The father and eldest son, Li Jingxin, traveled to Beijing the day after the plane went missing. But they were frustrated by the lack of information provided by airline officials, and the father returned home a few days later.

"Pigs cherish their piglets, dogs cherish their puppies, and we humans cherish our children," he said. "There has not been a day that I do not miss my child."

Video at the link

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/05/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/

MH370: Scanners scour ocean depths for pings; no hard clues on flight simulator
By Pam Brown and Ben Brumfield, CNN
April 5, 2014 -- Updated 0503 GMT (1303 HKT)

(CNN) -- Four weeks to the day since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing, the trawling for clues goes on.

The search for physical evidence continues Saturday -- both on the surface of the southern Indian Ocean and deep below it.

The search for digital clues on the hard drives of a flight simulator in the home of one of the pilots turned up nothing conclusive. There was no "we got it" information, a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation told CNN late Friday.

There were some "curious" things, given the situation, the official said. The captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, had programmed several alternate routes into the simulator, but it appeared he had done so to come up with safe plans of action in case of emergencies aboard the plane, the official said.

The searches appear to be what an experienced and professional pilot would do, the official said.
 ::snipping3::
Up to 10 military planes and three civilian aircraft -- in addition to 11 ships -- will be looking Saturday for any sign of Flight 370, according to the Australian government.

The search area will be just under 84,000 square miles (217,000 square kilometers), which is slightly less than the area searched Friday, and will focus some 1,050 miles northwest of Perth. This is about 50 miles further from the western Australian city than was the case a day earlier.
 ::snipping3::

Search area for Saturday, April 5, 2014, at the link

https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/asset.amsa.gov.au/MH370+Day+19/Charts/2014_04_05_cumulative_search_handout.pdf

INCIDENT 2014/1475
SEARCH FOR MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT MH370
AREA SEARCHED

Legend
Saturday 05 April 2014 (planned)
Tuesday 18 March - Friday 04 April 2014

Australia Time

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr010.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Media Reporting on Chinese Ship Detection of Electronic Pulse Signals
Last Updated: 6 April, 2014

The Chief Coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston (Ret'd), said reports that the Chinese ship, Haixun 01, had detected electronic pulse signals in the Indian Ocean related to MH370 could not be verified at this point in time.

“I have been advised that a series of sounds have been detected by a Chinese ship in the search area. The characteristics reported are consistent with the aircraft black box. A number of white objects were also sighted on the surface about 90 kilometres from the detection area. However, there is no confirmation at this stage that the signals and the objects are related to the missing aircraft,“ Air Chief Marshal Houston (Ret'd) said.

“Advice tonight from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is that they cannot verify any connection to the missing aircraft.

“The RCC in Australia has spoken to the RCC in China and asked for any further information that may be relevant.

“The deployment of RAAF assets to the area where the Chinese ship detected the sounds is being considered.

“I will provide further updates if, and when, more information becomes available.”

I think that something was mentioned on the radio that they heard it again and managed to record it.  Waiting for confirmation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26902127

5 April 2014 Last updated at 11:50 ET
Malaysia missing plane search China ship 'picks up signal'

A Chinese ship searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane in the southern Indian Ocean has picked up a pulse signal, Chinese media say.

They say the signal has a frequency of 37.5kHz - the same as those emitted by the flight recorders.

However there is no evidence so far that it is linked to MH370.

Dozens of ships and planes have joined the search, with the operation moving into its most intensive phase before batteries on the data recorders fade.

On Saturday the Haixun 01 - one of two Chinese ships in the area - picked up the signal at about 25 degrees south latitude and 101 degrees east longitude, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.

"It is yet to be established whether it is related to the missing jet," it cautioned.

China's Liberation Daily reported that three people on board had heard the signals, which were not recorded as they came suddenly.
 ::snipping3::

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303532704579482802317898332?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303532704579482802317898332.html

Chinese Ship Hears Unidentified Ping in Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Updated April 5, 2014 12:19 p.m. ET

PERTH, Australia—A Chinese vessel searching for signs of missing  Malaysia Airlines  3786.KU 0.00%     Flight 370 detected an unidentified pulse signal on Saturday in the southern Indian Ocean, according to China's state-controlled news agency.

Australian Defence Minister David Johnston said he was optimistic about the report. But he and other Australian and Chinese officials cautioned that there was no proof the signal is related to the jetliner, which authorities believe crashed into the ocean on March 8 with 239 people on board.

Earlier reports of potential signs of the plane, such as debris spotted floating in the ocean, have turned out to be false.

A Chinese vessel equipped with a so-called black-box detector on Saturday picked up a pulse signal in the designated search area of the southern Indian Ocean, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Xinhua said China's Haixun 01 patrol ship "discovered a pulse signal" with a frequency of 37.5 kilohertz at around 25 degrees south latitude and 101 degrees east longitude.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/04/05/malaysia-flight-search-navy/7342255/

Australia: Signal 'consistent' with aircraft black box
Laura Petrecca, USA TODAY 2:05 p.m. EDT April 5, 2014

A potential new clue to the whereabouts of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 emerged Saturday, with a Chinese patrol ship detecting a pulse signal coming from the search area, according to reports from China's official news agency, Xinhua.

A "black box detector" deployed by Chinese ship Haixun 01 "detected a pulse signal" in southern Indian Ocean waters, Xinhua said late Saturday local time. The signal was picked up around 25 degrees south latitude and 101 degrees east longitude.

Also on Saturday, Xinhua reported a Chinese air force plane spotted a number of white floating objects in the search area, which is northwest of the Australian city of Perth.

The Australian government agency coordinating the search said that those reports, as well as any connection between the pings and the missing plane, could not be immediately verified.

"I have been advised that a series of sounds have been detected by a Chinese ship in the search area. The characteristics reported are consistent with the aircraft black box," said Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the chief coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, in an e-mailed statement. "A number of white objects were also sighted on the surface about 90 kilometers (56 miles) from the detection area. However, there is no confirmation at this stage that the signals and the objects are related to the missing aircraft."
 ::snipping3::

Australia Time--Sunday, April 6, 2014

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr011.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
6 April 2014—am

Up to 10 military planes, 2 civil planes and 13 ships will assist in Sunday's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has three separate search areas planned for today about 2,000 kilometres north west of Perth, which total approximately 216,000 square kilometres.

Weather in the search area is expected to be good with a cloud base of 2,500 feet and visibility greater than 10 kilometres.

Reports overnight that the Chinese ship, Haixun 01, has detected electronic pulse signals in the Indian Ocean related to MH370 cannot be verified at this point in time.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

http://news.malaysia.msn.com/tmi/pinger-maker-sceptical-that-pulse-signal-in-indian-ocean-from-mh370-says-cnn
Pinger maker sceptical that pulse signal in Indian Ocean from MH370, says CNN
April 5, 2014

Anish Patel, president of Dukane Seacom, which manufactured the batteries in the two black boxes on the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER, told the international broadcaster that his level of scepticism was high, after hearing reports that a Chinese patrol ship has detected a single pulse signal in the Indian Ocean.
“My degree of scepticism is high&hellip; have to get some corroboration. I’d like to see some additional assets put on site quickly&hellip; maybe some sonar buoys in water in that location,” Patel said.

“(I’d) also would like to understand why not two signals. There should be a second beacon from either the flight data recorder or the voice recorder&hellip; so if the recorders are adjacent or near each other or in reasonable proximity&hellip; one (1.6km) or two miles (3.2km), they should have detected possibly two signals.”

AFP reports today the Australian authorities leading the multinational search for the jet had also advised a high degree of caution over the Chinese announcement, stressing that no link to MH370 had been confirmed.

"I have been advised that a series of sounds have been detected by a Chinese ship in the search area," Angus Houston, the chief coordinator of Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre, said in a statement.

"However, there is no confirmation at this stage that the signals and the objects are related to the missing aircraft," the retired air chief marshal said.

"The characteristics reported are consistent with the aircraft black box," he said, adding that a number of white objects were sited about 90km away.

Patel told CNN: “Let’s get some additional assets in the water in the area so we can corroborate before we get everyone’s hopes up, before we disappoint these families one more time. We need to corroborate.”

A detector deployed by the Haixun 01 patrol ship picked up the signal around 25 degrees south latitude and 101 degrees east longitude.

Patel said the signal number was right. “But it is the right number&hellip; hearing 37.5kHz&hellip; fantastic.”

Xinhua also reported that a Chinese air force plane had spotted a number of white floating objects in the search area.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/reports-chinese-ship-finds-pulse-signal-in-southern-indian-ocean-consistent-with-frequency-of-flight-mh370s-black-box/story-fnizu68q-1226875724698

Reports: Chinese ship finds ‘pulse signal’ in southern Indian Ocean, consistent with frequency of flight MH370’s black box
This story was published:  1 hour ago April 06, 2014 10:57AM

(http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2014/04/06/1226875/779420-6101ae68-bccb-11e3-9d8b-69e091fb4522.jpg)
MH370? ... A Chinese vessel has picked up a pulse signal at 25 degrees South, 101 degrees East. Source: Supplied

 ::snipping3::
According to the Royal Australian Navy’s mission commander on the Ocean Shield, James Lybrand, it would be expected that if a boat passed over the black box, the sound would quickly fade as the ship moved away.

It would then be required to turn back over the search area and “localise” the frequency emissions, which could take hours.

Commander Lybrand said yesterday there was “negligible” chance any pings at 37.5kHz was from biological sources, such as whales, and would almost certainly be from one of the two black boxes.
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
50 MINs ago Update

Chinese Patrol Ship Detected Pulse in Indian Ocean Friday, Saturday
By James T. Areddy

A Chinese patrol ship in the southern Indian Ocean searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 two days in a row detected pulses consistent with a commercial airliner’s black box, according to the official China Central Television.

The report late Saturday from the Chinese state broadcaster said there is no confirmation that the pulses are from the missing plane and said other factors could explain the signals detected by the Chinese ship.

Speaking late Saturday from aboard the Haixun 01, which has a black-box detector to search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a CCTV reporter said that in addition to a pulse detected by experts aboard the ship that afternoon, signals on the same frequency also were detected a day earlier by the vessel.

In a brief Saturday evening, China’s official Xinhua news agency also reported the pulse detected Saturday. It said the Haixun’s black-box detector picked up the signal in a corridor of the southern Indian Ocean that is being scoured for signs of the plane that went missing March 8.

Both CCTV and Xinhua have reporters aboard the Haixun. Xinhua, which limited its report to three sentences and had downplayed the report on its main news page by Sunday morning, didn’t mention the Friday finding.

Officials quoted by state-run media in China, as well as in Australia and Malaysia, said they couldn’t confirm the origin of such a pulse.

The pulse on Saturday afternoon lasted around 1.5 minutes and on Friday continued for about 15 minutes, the CCTV report said. The television report said the pulse on Friday was at  a time when the area had ship traffic.

The pulses were emitted at the same frequency, 37.5 kilohertz, that is consistent with signals from a jetliner’s black box, according to the media reports, though they also said other factors could explain a pulse at that frequency.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-search-to-soon-become-even-more-difficult/

April 5, 2014, 9:13 PM
Report: Ship detects "pulse" signal in search for jet
Last Updated Apr 5, 2014 9:13 PM EDT

PERTH, Australia -- A Chinese ship involved in the hunt for the missing Malaysian jetliner reported hearing a "pulse signal" Saturday in Indian Ocean waters with the same frequency emitted by the plane's data recorders.

China's official Xinhua News Agency said a black box detector deployed by the ship, Haixun 01, picked up a signal at 37.5 kilohertz (cycles per second). However, Xinhua said it had not yet been determined whether the signal was related to the missing plane, citing the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center.

Malaysia's civil aviation chief, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, confirmed that the frequency emitted by Flight 370's black boxes was 37.5 kilohertz.

Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, chief coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Center - the Australian government agency coordinating the search - said Saturday the Haixun's report of electronic pulse signals could not be verified at this time. U.S. officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA were not able to confirm the report, either.

Houston also said the report of a number of white objects on the water's surface about 90 kilometers from the signal detection area could not be confirmed to be related to the missing plane.

The deployment of Royal Australian Air Force assets to the area where the Chinese ship detected the sounds is being considered, Houston said.
 ::snipping3::
(http://cbsnews2.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2014/04/05/867754fe-42cb-419e-9625-95f0d89cfe0c/thumbnail/620x350/6ea8a7f380af68ee0cb736c7731ecd0d/detail-map-malaysia370-blackbox.jpg)
CBS News

(http://cbsnews2.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/2014/03/11/933a9e4c-66e1-4345-b8a4-7155d124882c/c72a7f14a8a944bb8b1807f69781b1a9/malaysia-airlines-plane-facts-final.jpg)
CBS

Part of me feels like maybe the searchers are on track and this is the missing plane from Flight 370.  Maybe there will be answers to the questions so many have waited for. Yet another part of me is afraid to get my hopes up.  I can't imagine how it's been for those connected to the missing plane and those aboard.   ::MonkeyNoNo:: 

Agree, MuffyBee.  And the officials who are coordinating this challenging search should be announcing new developments--not reporters nor news media.  jmo

Australia Maritime Safety Authority

At the link:  images and charts of search areas (planned, by date)

http://amsa.gov.au/media/incidents/mh370-search.asp

MH370 Search - Media kit

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

23 MINs ago Update

Breaking

*Malaysia Govt Source: Technical Committee of Flight 370 Investigation Discussing China Report on Signal from Plane Black Box

*Malaysia Govt Source: Likely to Let Australia Verify Information Before Commentin

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

27 MINs ago Update

Breaking: Australia’s JACC press conference on Chinese pulse signal detection

*Australia’s JACC: China Authorities Say Second Pulse Signal Detected

*Australia’s JACC: Second Pulse Signal Within 2 Kilometers of First

*Australia’s JACC: Australian Aircraft, Ships Headed for Pulse Detection Area

*Australia’s JACC: ADF Vessel Ocean Shield, HMS Echo Heading for Pulse Detection Location

*Australia’s JACC: Spoke to Chinese Authorities on Sunday Morning

*Australia’s JACC: First Detection by Chinese Vessel Was 36 Hours Ago

*Australia’s JACC: Corrected Satellite Data Makes Southern Part of Search Zone a Priority

*Australia’s JACC: ADF Ocean Shield Has Detected a Signal in Another Location

*Australia’s JACC: Ocean Shield Made Detection Within 90 Minutes Ago

*Australia’s JACC: Ocean Shield Will Investigate Its Detection

*Australia’s JACC: Ocean Shield About 300 Nautical Miles Away From Chinese Vessel

Press conference information--Former Defence Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Houston--Perth, Australia

http://www.news.com.au/world/second-signal-heard-during-search-for-black-box-from-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370/story-fndir2ev-1226875948524

Second signal heard during search for black box from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 
This story was published: one hour ago April 06, 2014 2:20PM

A SECOND signal that could be from the black box of missing flight MH370 has been detected 2km from the initial detection area. 
 
Chinese ship the Haixun 01 detected the signal late yesterday hours after it picked up an initial pulse signal.

Former Defence Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Houston — who is heading the Joint Agency Coordination Centre — described the signal as “an important and encouraging lead” but urged caution until anything could be confirmed.

He said Australian vessel the Ocean Shield is also investigating an “acoustic noise” about 300 nautical miles from the signals picked up by the Chinese vessel.

But authorities remain unable to confirm that the signals picked up are from the black box flight recorder of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which has been missing for a month.

HMS Echo and Australian vessel the Ocean Shield have been diverted to the area to assist in the search.

HMS Echo is expected to reach the area relatively quickly, but Ocean Shield is examining another “acoustic event” and will travel to the area once that had been fully investigated.

It will take over a day for it to reach the area.

The water where the Chinese vessel is operating is about 4500m deep.

“Any recovery operation is going to be very challenging and extremely demanding,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said.

However, he said it first had to be established that anything was down there and that search authorities were a long way from being able to do that.

He said the fact there had been two detections in that location “provides some promise that requires a full investigation of the location.”

The first signal was detected on Friday night while the second signal was picked up yesterday afternoon.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said that in the vast southern Indian Ocean, the two detections were very close together and had to be “investigated fully”.

He said the signals were picked up in the southern zone which search authorities felt was the most likely area to find the aircraft.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said a “correction” of satellite data picked up from MH370 in its final moments had firmed the search area in the southern area.

He said this put the “area of highest probability” in the southern part of the existing search area, close to where the Chinese vessel is operating.

About midday AEST today Ocean Shield picked up a “detection” which it was now investigating, authorities said.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said search authorities were “running out of time” to pick up signals from the black box recorder, with the 30-day battery life due to expire tomorrow.

He said the signal detected by the Ocean Shield was about 300 nautical miles from the signals picked up by the Chinese vessel.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-malaysia-airlines-search-ping-20140405,0,5012897.story#axzz2y51kqUsV

Second ship picks up 'ping' in Malaysia Airlines jet search
April 5, 2014, 10:04 p.m.

BEIJING -- Searchers looking for the data recorders from missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370 said Sunday that they were investigating underwater “acoustic events” in two distinct areas of the Indian Ocean – one picked up by an Australian vessel and two others recorded by a Chinese patrol ship.

The Australian military vessel Ocean Shield, towing a sophisticated pinger locator lent by the U.S. Navy, reported Sunday morning that it had picked up a signal, said Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who is coordinating search efforts from Perth, Australia.

That report comes on the heels of a Saturday night report from the Chinese ship Haixun 01 that it had detected pulse signals both Friday and Saturday at 37.5 mHz, the same frequency used by an airplane flight data recorder.

PHOTOS: Search for missing Malaysia Airlines jet

Houston called the Haixun 01 findings  “the most promising lead” and said airplanes as well as the British ship Echo were in route to the area where Haixun 01 was operating to investigate further.  Commodore Peter Leavy, the task force commander in Perth, said it would take at least 14 hours for the Echo to arrive at that location.

Ocean Shield was farther away, about 300 nautical miles, and would not deploy to the vicinity of Haixun 01 until it had finished investigating the noise it had picked up, Houston said. Leavy said that  if Ocean Shield was sent to area the Haixun 01 is in, it would take more than a day to reach the site.

At a news conference from Perth, Houston said investigators had made a “correction” to their calculations – based on satellite data – as to where the Boeing 777 had most likely entered the Indian Ocean after disappearing March 8 with 239 people aboard.

As a result of the correction, searchers were going to focus Sunday on the southern portion of the designated search area, rather than the northern portion. The Haixun 01 is operating in the southern part of the zone, he said. Water in the vicinity is extremely deep – nearly 3 miles, he said.

“Any recovery operation is going to be quite challenging … if there is anything down there,” Houston said, and investigators are “a long way from making that conclusion.”

Houston cautioned that all of the pulses detected so far were brief and unverified.  These are “fleeting, fleeting acoustic events,” he said, rather than a continuous transmission.

“We need HMS Echo and Ocean Shield to come to [Haixun 01’s] location,” he said. “But the fact that we’ve had two detections, two acoustic events in that location provides some promise that requires a full investigation.”

The Chinese findings were publicized Saturday night through Chinese state-run media and appeared to catch Houston’s team off-guard. Asked Sunday about whether there were coordination efforts with the Chinese fleet participating in the search, Houston sought to play down any conflicts.

“On a search like this, with journalists traveling on ships and airplanes, information will come out that has to be responded to,” Houston said.  “I accept the reality of that.”
 ::snipping3::

(Bolded by me)
Agreed.  Except some of the "officials" themselves have made announcements that were later changed.   ::MonkeyNoNo:: For example:  The last words that came from the cockpit was revised and initially it was announced the words were those of the copilot, and the latter is also being looked into. It depends on which "officials" do the announcing, if you know what I mean...   The reporters and media have made the situation so much worse, imo. 




http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-jet/officials-release-new-last-words-missing-malaysia-flight-n67871
Officials Release New Last Words for Missing Malaysia Flight

Officials have revised the account of the last words that came from the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 — the latest about-face in the ever-shifting investigation into the jet's disappearance.

The Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation said Monday that the last communication with the air traffic controller was "Good night, Malaysian three seven zero."

Weeks earlier, officials reported the last words were: "Alright, good night."

The cause of the discrepancy was unclear.

Authorities also said they are still conducting a forensic investigation to determine who was talking — even though the airline's chief executive said two weeks ago that it appeared the co-pilot was the speaker.
 ::snipping3::

This looks like what we've been hoping for, grace-land;  an official verification and not from media nor reporters and sad to say but necessary, not from Malaysia officials, whom I no longer trust.  JMHO 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26912064
Malaysia flight MH370: Search ships to verify signals
April 6, 2014


Ships carrying sophisticated deep-sea sound equipment are heading to an area where a Chinese vessel searching for the missing Malaysian plane has twice detected a pulse signal.

An Australian naval vessel is first investigating a possible third signal elsewhere in the massive search zone.

None have been confirmed as coming from the flight recorders of MH370.

Meanwhile families of the missing passengers have attended a prayer service in Kuala Lumpur.
 ::snipping3::
Australian co-ordinators said on Sunday that new analysis of satellite data meant efforts would now focus on the southern part of the search zone, near where China's vessel is located.

'Some promise'
Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said China's Haixan 01 had redetected a signal for about 90 seconds on Saturday, within hours of it being heard earlier.
He said the latest discovery was about 2km (1.2 miles) away from the original pulse, and that China had also reported spotting white objects on the surface of the water about 90km away.

"The fact that we have two detections - two acoustic events - in that location provides some promise," he said.

However he said these signals were "fleeting encounters" that could not be verified until the arrival of British naval ship HMS Echo and Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield.

Both vessels have technology able to detect underwater signals emitted by "black box" data recorders.

HMS Echo is sailing to the latest area and is expected to arrive within hours. The depth of the water in this zone is said to be about 4.5km (2.8 miles).
Ocean Shield - described by officials as the best equipped vessel taking part in the search - will head there once it has investigated a third acoustic detection about 300 nautical miles away (560km).

It is not expected to reach the southern area for over a day.

As crews began day 30 of the search on Sunday, Air Chief Marshal Houston told reporters investigators were "running out of time" in the search for the flight's "black box".

The battery-powered signal from recorder can begin to fade after 30 days.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26908884

6 April 2014 Last updated at 07:23 ET
MH370: Plane search signal 'important lead'

Australian co-ordinators in the search for the missing Malaysian plane say a Chinese ship has detected a pulse signal for a second time, within hours of it being heard earlier on Saturday.

Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston called the discovery in the southern Indian Ocean an "important and encouraging lead".

He warned that the data were still unverified.

British naval ship HMS Echo is sailing to the area to investigate further.

It is expected to arrive in the early hours of Monday.
::snipping3::

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74065000/gif/_74065445_malaysian_airliner_search_624_06.04_signal.gif)

MuffyBee, it looks like we're getting closer to verification.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

48 MINs ago Twitter
Josée Rose@jcr616

British ship HMS Echo arrives in area where pings heard during #MH370 search - @BBCNews http://t.co/Nr5NwMqBGP

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr012.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
7 April 2014—am

Up to nine military planes, three civil planes and 14 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The search area is expected to be approximately 234,000 square kilometres.

Good weather is expected throughout the day with showers in the afternoon although this is not expected to affect the search.

ADV Ocean Shield is continuing investigations in its own area.

HMS Echo is en route to assist the Chinese vessel Haixun 01, which detected pulse signals in the Indian Ocean.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

Australia Maritime Safety Authority

At the link:  images and charts of search areas (planned; by date--including latest chart for search on Monday, April 7, 2014)

http://www.amsa.gov.au/media/incidents/mh370-search.asp

MH370 Search - Media kit

I think the press conference is at 12 midnight eastern time.

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

59 MINs ago  Update

Australia Search Authority to Hold Press Conference at 0400 GMT

Information from the news conference...

http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Possible-signals-from-lost-jet-s-black-boxes-heard-5380132.php

Possible signals from lost jet's black boxes heard
April 6, 2014 | Updated: April 6, 2014 11:56pm

PERTH, Australia (AP) — U.S. Navy equipment has picked up signals consistent with the pings from aircraft black boxes, an Australian search official said Monday, describing the discovery as "a most promising lead" in the nearly month-long hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

Angus Houston, the head of a joint agency coordinating the search in the southern Indian Ocean, called it "very encouraging" but said it may take days to confirm whether signals picked up by the ship Ocean Shield are indeed from the flight recorders on Flight 370.

The Australian navy ship Ocean Shield, using a U.S. Navy towed pinger locator, detected the sounds on two occasions over a period totaling more than two and a half hours.

"Clearly this is a most promising lead, and probably in the search so far, it's the probably the best information that we have had," Houston said at a news conference.

"This would be consistent with transmissions from both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder," he said.

He said the position of the noise needs to be further refined, and then an underwater autonomous vehicle can be sent in to investigate.

"It could take some days before the information is available to establish whether these detections can be confirmed as being from MH370. In very deep oceanic water, nothing happens fast."
 ::snipping3::
Houston said the Ocean Shield detected two separate signal detections in the northern part of the defined search area, with the first detected for approximately two hours and 20 minutes, and the second for 13 minutes on the ship's return trip over the same area.

He said the depth in the area is approximately 4,500 meters (14,800 feet), and he cautioned that it was too early to say the transmissions were coming from the black boxes on the missing passenger jet.

"I would want more confirmation before we say this is it," he said. "Without wreckage, we can't say it's definitely here. We've got to go down and have a look and hopefully we'll find it somewhere in the area that we narrowed to."

Video at the link

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mh37o-angus-houston-confirms-signal-detected-by-ocean-shield-are-consistent-with-black-box/story-fni0fiyv-1226876424791

MH37O: Angus Houston confirms signal detected by Ocean Shield are consistent with black box 
April 07, 2014 3:06PM

IN A major development in the search for MH370, Angus Houston has confirmed the Ocean Shield has detected signals consistent with aircraft black boxes, describing the lead as the most promising yet. 
 
Air Chief Marshal Houston called the development significant, saying “this is the most promising lead, probably in the search so far, it’s probably the best information we’ve had”.

The search coordinator told reporters more signals have been detected by a towed pinger locator deployed by the Australian vessel Ocean Shield.

“Today, I can report some very encouraging information which has unfolded over the last 24 hours,” he told reporters in Perth.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said the signals are “consistent with those emitted by aircraft black boxes.”

“Two separate signal detections have occurred within the northern part of the defined search area.” The first was held for more than two hours, the second for about 13 minutes.

“On this occasion, two distinct pinger returns were audible.”

He said both would be consistent with transmissions from the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder.

Air Chief Marshal Houston described the find as “the most promising lead” yet.

“We haven’t found the aircraft yet,” he stressed, arguing further confirmation is needed.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said the position of the signals would need to be fixed before an autonomous underwater vehicle ‘Blue Fin 21’ could be deployed to locate wreckage.

“The area in which the signals have been received has a depth of approximately 4,500 metres,” he warned, adding it is also the “limit of capability of the autonomous underwater vehicle.”

He further argued it could take time to establish with certainty if the detections are from MH370.

“You’re right, the life of the batteries must be getting somewhere close to the end of life,” he admitted, when asked about the black box.

“We’re already one day past the advertised shelf life. We hope that it keeps going for a little bit longer,” he said.
 ::snipping3::

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304640104579487052848857172?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304640104579487052848857172.html

Pings Add New Hope to Search Efforts for Missing Flight 370
April 7, 2014 7:38 a.m. ET

(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-CG270_0407AU_G_20140407073447.jpg)
The towed pinger locator (TPL-25) is towed behind the Ocean Shield in the southern Indian Ocean in this picture released by the Australian navy on April 5. Reuters

PERTH, Australia—Around 9 a.m. on April 4, the MV Ocean Shield dropped its underwater black box detector where experts thought  Malaysia Airlines  3786.KU +2.44%     Flight 370 had gone into the sea—a thin strip of ocean off the remote northwestern coast of Australia.

Less than 48 hours later, against the odds, the ship had picked up a continual stream of high-frequency pings. Each pulse arrived a second apart, like a human heartbeat.
 ::snipping3::
(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/AI-CH799_AUSSHI_NS_20140407090307.jpg)

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

5 HRs ago  Update
Malaysia Not Declaring Airplane Lost Yet

By Jason Ng, Gaurav Raghuvanshi and Richard C. Paddock

As ships search for the flight recorders from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Monday that his country isn’t ready to declare the plane lost.

Mr. Hishammuddin, who is also acting minister of transport, told a news conference that Malaysia will consult with all investigating agencies and foreign governments on when to declare the Boeing 777-200 lost with no survivors so relatives can start accessing the bank accounts of the missing passengers and crew and begin to submit insurance claims.

Malaysian officials have insisted that they don’t view the plane as lost, though on March 24, Prime Minister Najib Razak said the flight “ended” in the Indian Ocean. A multinational team is now searching there for the plane and its data recorders. Mr. Najib stopped short of saying the aircraft crashed, though he noted there were no nearby places to land.

“It’s a very fine line that we are walking,” Mr. Hishammuddin said. “It really depends very much on how we move forward on deciding the timeline and how families cope with it.”

Malaysia Airlines was criticized by relatives of Chinese passengers when it told families just before Mr. Najib’s March statement that they had to “assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived.”

Mr. Hishammuddin said discussions with the families of the passengers and crew aboard the Beijing-bound flight have resulted in “many requests, some [of them] conflicting.”

Some families don’t wish to discuss insurance claims and some have pressed for more details before making their next move, Mr. Hishammuddin said. “I have always said to the families, miracles do happen.”

The Australian navy over the weekend picked up extended signals from deep underwater that may have come from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370’s two “black box” flight recorders. Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who is leading the multinational search, said the lead appeared to be the best so far.

“The new development over the last hours has been the most promising lead that we have,” Mr. Hishammuddin said, adding that Malaysia is “cautiously hopeful there will be a positive development in the next few days if not hours.”

Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya told The Wall Street Journal that the company is in discussion with authorities and others on the final status of Flight 370.

 ::MonkeyShocked::

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/04/07/malaysia-airlines-searchers-say-more-pings-consistent-with-black-boxes-heard/
Malaysian authorities hope for survivors after new lead on missing jet's black box
April 7, 2014

The Malaysian defense minister said Monday that searchers have not ruled out the possibility of survivors among the 239 people missing after a Malaysia Airlines jet mysteriously vanished after taking off from Kuala Lumpur 30 days ago.

There is new hope of finding the plane after Angus Houston, a retired Australian Air Force Chief Marshal coordinating the search mission, said a ship had detected separate pulse signals that were "consistent with transmissions from both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder," or so-called black boxes.

A multinational operation to find the Boeing 777 after its baffling disappearance continues in the southern Indian Ocean, but after weeks of false leads and millions of dollars in equipment and personnel, the families of those on board the plane may have a reason to believe their loved ones could be alive. 

"I have always said to the families: 'miracles do happen,'" Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters at a briefing in Kuala Lampur Monday. "We continue to hope and pray for survivors," he added, according to a report in the UK newspaper, The Telegraph.

The new pulse signals suggest search teams are now “very close” to pinpointing the black box’s location. But Hishammuddin cautioned that there are still “many steps to be taken” to check if the signals are linked to Flight MH370.

Malaysian officials said Monday they were "cautiously hopeful" for decisive developments in the search for the plane, hours after the Australian search coordinator Houston reported the new lead on the black boxes in an area of the Indian Ocean nearly 3 miles deep, hundreds of miles off the western coast of Australia.

Houston told reporters in Perth, Australia, Monday that the latest detection of signals was "very encouraging" and "the best information we have.

"We've got a visual indication on a screen and we've also got an audible signal," Houston said, "and the audible signal sounds to me just like an emergency locator beacon."

However, he also stressed that the new findings did not constitute discovery of the plane, which disappeared early on the morning of March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

"We have not found the plane," said Houston, who added that it may take days to confirm whether signals picked up by the Australian ship Ocean Shield are indeed from the flight recorders. Houston said the position of the noise needs to be further refined and an underwater autonomous vehicle can be sent in to investigate.

"In very deep oceanic water," Houston said, "nothing happens fast."

Hishammuddin said searchers are “hoping for a positive development in the next few days, if not hours.”

There is little time left to find the devices, which have beacons that emit "pings" so they can be more easily found. However, the beacons' batteries last only about a month. Tuesday marks exactly one month since the plane disappeared.

"Right now our main focus is on this new lead. This is something that is very positive. I really do hope that we find something concrete out of this," Hishammuddin said.

Chen Zesheng, 63, whose cousin was on the plane, said his family was treating the latest developments with caution.

"We are sort of getting used to this kind of new finding now," he told The Telegraph.

"They have to find the wreckage of the plane otherwise they say this and they say that but none of it has actually been confirmed."
 ::snipping3::

 :2thinky: :2thinky: :2thinky: :2thinky:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/04/07/conflicting-reports-of-potential-mh370-pings-shows-chinas-confused-status-in-investigation/
Conflicting reports of potential Flight 370 pings shows China’s confused status in investigation
April 7, 2014

As the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 enters its second month, an all-too-rare glimmer of good news has been found: On Sunday, an Australian navy vessel reported signals “consistent” with those emitted by an airplane’s black box in the South Indian Ocean.
These aren't the only signals, or "pings," that have been heard. At first glance, the news out of Australia appears to back up reports from China, where state media reported over the weekend that a Chinese vessel had also found audio pulses.
But there's a problem. The two sets of signals are 300 nautical miles apart. Experts say it is unlikely they could be coming from the same origin. What's more, Australian investigators told reporters that they did not hear about China's possible signal until it was published by Xinhua News Agency on Friday. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that same day that Australia had to ask China for more information after Xinhua's report came out.
The situation appears to expose one of the practical problems of conducting a search as vast and complicated as the one for Flight 370: China's intense interest but confused status in the investigation.
More...

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr013.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
8 April 2014—am

Up to eleven military planes, three civil planes and 14 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

AMSA has directed the search of one large search area today of approximately 77,580 square kilometres, 2268 kilometres north west of Perth.

The first flight is expected to depart at 6:00am WST.

Good weather is expected for searching throughout the day.

The underwater search continues today, with ADV Ocean Shield at the northern end of the defined search area, and Chinese ship Haixun 01 and HMS Echo at the southern end.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/07/world/malaysia-alrlines-plane-questions/

More pings raise more questions about missing plane 
April 7, 2014 -- Updated 2221 GMT (0621 HKT)

 ::snipping3::
On Monday, U.S. Navy Commander William Marks told CNN from the search operation that the inability of the Ocean Shield's pinger locator to find the signals again more than a day since the last reception caused initial optimism to become "more and more cautious."

What next?

The Ocean Shield and its towed pinger locator continue to search the area where it detected the signals to try to hear them again. If they do, searchers would send out a Bluefin-21 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle with a more accurate sonar and possibly a camera for mapping and studying the the ocean floor, Leavy said.

"At the moment that's not deployed," he told reporters. "The focus is on trying to reacquire the acoustic signal that they had" by the end of Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the website MarineTraffic.com indicated Monday that three ships were searching a spot further to the south where the Haixun 01, a Chinese patrol boat, reportedly detected pulse signals on Saturday.

Another Chinese vessel and the HMS Echo of Britain's Royal Navy joined the Haixun 01 in the area, according to the website, which has been reliable in reporting the movements of search vessels.

Officials had said they would send additional resources to help the Haixun 01 try to find the source of pulse signals it detected on the same 37.5 kHz frequency used by airplane recorders.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/04/07/malaysia-plane-search/7406823/

Searchers to launch sub in hunt for black boxes
9:51 p.m. EDT April 7, 2014

Search crews pursuing underwater electronic pings that could be from the missing Malaysian jetliner's black boxes plan to launch an underwater vessel into the Indian Ocean, officials said.

Warren Truss, Australia's acting prime minister, said the crew on board the Australian ship Ocean Shield will launch the underwater vehicle, the Bluefin 21 autonomous sub, Tuesday. The sub can create a sonar map of the area to chart any debris on the sea floor.
 ::snipping3::

From CNN

News conference from Australia in 40 minutes

11:00 PM ET

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
30 MINs ago Update
Australian Air Chief Marshal Says No Further Contacts With Any Black Box Signal

Australia’s Defense Minister Says Search Still a ‘Herculean’ Task
Australia’s Defense Minister Says Several Days of Intense Action Ahead
Australia Minister Says Intense Action Taking Place While Black Box Locators Still Believed Active
Australian Air Chief Marshal Says No Further Contacts With Any Black Box Signal
Australian Air Chief Marshal Houston Says Won’t Deploy Submersible Without Another Signal
Air Chief Marshal Says Advice From Experts Is Signal Frequency Was Credible
Air Chief Marshal Says Current Search Area Still Too Large for a Submersible
Australia’s Defense Minister Says Surface Search For Debris Still Valuable
Australia’s Defense Minister Says Signals Are the ‘Most Positive Lead We’ve Had’
Australia’s Defense Minister Says Inmarsat Calculations Have Never Been Done Before

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/04/08/with-growing-optimism-search-for-flight-370-continues/

11:23 am HKT
Apr 8, 2014
China Real Time
With Growing Optimism, Search for Flight 370 Continues

(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/WO-AR949A_MALSE_G_20140407171504.jpg)

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

3 HRs ago  World
Decisions Loom for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Searchers
Next Phase of Search Would Require Deployment of Submersible Drone

With almost three days passing since possible "black box" signals have been picked up, searchers for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 face a decision over moving the search to a new phase with the deployment of an unmanned submersible to crawl the ocean floor.

(http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-CG770_0408ma_G_20140408074749.jpg)
In this photo taken on April 1 provided by the U.S. Navy, the Bluefin 21, Artemis autonomous underwater vehicle is hoisted back on board the Australian Defense Vessel Ocean Shield after successful buoyancy testing in the Indian Ocean.
 Associated Press

The ADV Ocean Shield continued to search for signals of Flight 370′s black boxes on Tuesday but failed to find any new leads. It is now almost three days since the ship’s crew last picked up a ping early Sunday.

The likelihood grows with each passing hour that the batteries on the flight’s locator beacons have drained. The towed pinger locator, essentially an underwater microphone, will become useless at that point, and will require the search to enter a new phase with the deployment of the unmanned Bluefin-21 submersible to crawl the ocean floor.

The Ocean Shield cannot use its submersible drone and its black box detecting equipment at the same time, according to the head of the search, Chief Air Marshal Angus Houston. So choosing to deploy the Bluefin-21 would mark a definitive switch in the search: effectively signaling an end to hopes that further location pings from the black boxes can be picked up.

Switching to the submersible won’t be done lightly—if the site the Ocean Shield has found is the wrong one, deploying the slow-moving underwater drone too early could sacrifice chances to find the black boxes with the towed pinger locator at a different site during the last remaining hours that their batteries remain active.

At the moment, other ships and submersibles have been ordered to stay away from the Ocean Shield while it conducts its searches. Even the slightest noise from another craft can confuse the black box detector it’s towing behind it, creating a false signal.

But once the pinger locator’s 6,000-meter cable is finally reeled in, a swarm of support vessels and submersible search devices are likely to enter the area.

If the search site can be narrowed through the triangulation of the collected underwater pings, then the Ocean Shield’s 17-foot yellow drone may be all that is needed to finally discover the wreckage of Flight 370.

The Bluefin-21 can be programmed to conduct a specific search mission of around 20 hours, using side-scan sonar to scroll back and forth looking for unique features on the ocean floor. Once hauled back on board, its data is downloaded and analyzed.

If operators on board the Ocean Shield discover an anomaly on the seabed, then the Bluefin-21 will have its sonar scanning equipment stripped off and replaced with a high-grade underwater camera. The submersible can only accommodate one of the two systems at a time.

After another 20 hour mission, 3-4 hours of download time, and further analysis of camera imagery, the fate of the plane may be known when four experts from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau aboard the boat, and 11 onsite crew from Phoenix International Holdings Inc., the company under contract to the U.S. Navy to provide the Bluefin-21 and towed pinger locator, scrutinize camera images to identify wreckage from the missing plane.

But evidence from Bluefin-21 showing a crash site could also take far longer to obtain that two 20 hour missions, depending on the size of the search area and many other factors.

A U.S. Navy memo from Tuesday said that picking up more signals from the locator beacons could help improve the estimated position of the black boxes from within two miles to within “a couple of hundred yards,” limiting the number of sorties the Bluefin-21 may need to be sent out on.

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr014.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
9 April 2014—am

Up to 11 military aircraft, four civil aircraft and 14 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Today AMSA has planned a search area of about 75,423 square kilometres.

The centre of the search area is approximately 2261 kilometres north west of Perth.

A weak front is moving in from the south east, expected to bring scattered showers.

The underwater search continues today, with ADV Ocean Shield at the northern end of the defined search area, and Chinese ship Haixun 01 and HMS Echo at the southern end.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

Press conference from Australia--NOW on CNN!

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

20 MINs ago Twitter 
Jason Ng@ByJasonNg

Australia says four signals found, but won't deploy submersible just yet #MH370 LIVE UPDATE: http://t.co/Xf1g1K46EB

23 MINs ago Twitter
Jason Ng@ByJasonNg

#MH370 BREAKING:Australia Air Chief Marshal Says Ocean Shield Has Reacquired Possible Black Box Signals Twice

25 MINs ago Twitter
WSJ Asia@WSJAsia

Breaking: Australia says four signals found, not at point of deploying submersible in Flight 370 search. #MH370 http://t.co/jdwE2sTJHv

31 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australia Air Chief Marshal Says Analysis of Initial Pings Found Signals Consistent With Flight Data Recorder

35 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australia Air Chief Marshal Says Not Yet at Point of Deploying Submersible

36 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australia Air Chief Marshal Says Ocean Shield Has Reacquired Possible Black Box Signals Twice

*Australia Air Chief Marshal Says Have Now Detected Four Signals in Same Area

37 MINs ago Twitter
WSJ Asia@WSJAsia

Australian officials are giving a press conference on #MH370. Follow our streaming coverage: http://t.co/1CJVpwfuvU

http://abcnews.go.com/International/underwater-signals-located-flight-370-search-area/story?id=23249737

New Underwater Signals Detected in Flight 370 Search Area
April 8, 2014

(http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/Pings_140408_DG_4x3t_384.jpg)
Maps released by Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre show the location of signals detected by a pinger locator towed by the Ocean Shield.

Australia officials say new signals have been detected in the southern Indian Ocean, consistent with the pings of a plane's black box. Officials believe that the pings could be connected to missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which went missing March 8 with 239 people on board.

Sound-locating equipment on board the Ocean Shield reacquired the signal on two occasions, Angus Houston, the retired Australian air chief marshal who is heading the search operation far off Australia's west coast, said.

Search crews detected several "pings"

The signal was held Tuesday afternoon for 5 minutes, and later Tuesday for about 7 minutes, Houston said.
Those signals allow search crews to narrow the search area into a more manageable size.

Wreckage still needs to be found in order for authorities to know for sure that this is the plane's final resting place, Young said, but the reacquired signals mark a new turning point in the difficult search.

"I believe we are searching in the right area," he said.

Authorities still have not deployed a submarine in the area.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/04/08/malaysia-plane-search/7451461/

Searchers for missing plane again hear underwater pings
11:46 p.m. EDT April 8, 2014

Australian searchers have relocated an underwater electronic signal that could be from the missing Malaysian jetliner in the Indian Ocean, the search coordinator says, allowing them to narrow the focus of their effort to find wreckage.

Angus Houston, who is leading the joint search, said in Perth on Wednesday that equipment aboard the Australian ship Ocean Shield twice reacquired signals first detected last week that could be coming from the black box data and voice recorders on board the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.

He said the ship has now heard the signal a total of four times, most recently a seven-minute transmission Tuesday night.

The new data has allowed searchers to further reduce the size of the search area, Houston said.

"I believe we are searching in the right area'' for the wreckage, he said.
 ::snipping3::

Video at the link

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/08/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: 2 new signals in search area buoys hope
April 9, 2014 -- Updated 0356 GMT (1156 HKT)

 ::snipping3::
On Tuesday, the ship once again reacquired the signals. That's four signals in the same broad area: two on Saturday; two on Tuesday.

"I believe we are searching in the right area but we need to visually identify wreckage before we can confirm with certainty that this is the final resting place of MH370," Houston said.

The second piece of good news? Authorities analyzed the signals picked up Saturday and determined they were not of natural origin and was likely sourced from specific electronic equipment.

"They believe the signals to be consistent with the specification and description of a flight data recorder," Houston said.

Signals getting weaker

Wednesday is Day 33 in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which went missing March 8. It was carrying 239 people.

Authorities haven't given up trying. Instead, they are pinning their hopes on the so-pings.

But time is not on their side.

The batteries powering the flight recorders' locator beacons are certified to be working for 30 days. Stored in a plane's tail, they are designed to begin sending off distinct, high-pitched signals as soon as they come in contact with water.

"The signals are getting weaker. Which means we're either moving away from the search area or the pinger batteries are dying," Houston said.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-09/plane-hunt-fails-to-replicate-signal-as-search-narrows.html

Australian Ship Reacquires Pinger Signals in Jet Search
 Apr 8, 2014 10:33 PM CT

 ::snipping3::
The Ocean Shield, pulling the U.S. Navy towed pinger locator, acquired two more signals, retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who is heading the search operations, said today. The vessel, which previously picked up two signals, is now searching a much more concentrated area. No debris has been found, said Houston, who heads the Joint Agency Coordination Centre.

“We are searching in the right area,” Houston told reporters, adding further search and visual confirmation are needed to determine the final resting place of MH370.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/malaysia_flight_370_ship_detec.html

Malaysia Flight 370: Ship detects again signal that could be pings from black box
on April 08, 2014 at 11:16 PM, updated April 08, 2014 at 11:21 PM

 ::snipping3::
"Hopefully in a matter of days, we will be able to find something on the bottom that might confirm that this is the last resting place of MH370," Houston said at a news conference in Perth, the starting point for the search in the southern Indian Ocean.

Finding the sound again is crucial to narrowing the search area so a small submarine can be deployed to chart a potential debris field on the seafloor. If the autonomous sub was used now with the sparse data collected so far, covering all the potential places from which the pings might have come would take many days.

"The better Ocean Shield can define the area, the easier it will be for the autonomous underwater vehicle to subsequently search for aircraft wreckage," Houston said.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr014.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
9 April 2014—am

Up to 11 military aircraft, four civil aircraft and 14 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Today AMSA has planned a search area of about 75,423 square kilometres.

The centre of the search area is approximately 2261 kilometres north west of Perth.

A weak front is moving in from the south east, expected to bring scattered showers.

The underwater search continues today, with ADV Ocean Shield at the northern end of the defined search area, and Chinese ship Haixun 01 and HMS Echo at the southern end.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the UK, China and Australia.

(http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr_014-1.jpg)

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr015.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
10 April 2014—am

Up to 10 military aircraft, four civil aircraft and 13 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Aircraft and ships reported spotting a large number of objects during yesterday's search, but only a small number were able to be recovered.

None of the recovered items were believed to be associated with MH370.

Today AMSA has planned a search area of about 57,923 square kilometres.

The centre of the search area lies approximately 2280 kilometres north west of Perth.

Moderate south easterly winds with isolated showers are forecast. Visibility will be fair (5000 metres) during the showers.

The underwater search continues today, with ADV Ocean Shield at the northern end of the defined search area, and Chinese ship Haixun 01 and HMS Echo at the southern end.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to refine the area where the aircraft entered the water based on continuing ground-breaking and multi-disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team comprising analysts from Malaysia, the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Australia.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303873604579492463296288606

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Search Zone Narrows
April 10, 2014 12:10 a.m. ET

(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/WO-AR968A_MALSE_D_20140409183011.jpg)

SYDNEY—The search zone for  Malaysia Airlines  3786.KU +2.38%     Flight 370 continued to narrow Thursday, as authorities focused on picking up fading signals that may be from the missing jet's "black boxes" before their batteries run out of power.

The Australian authority leading the multinational hunt said as many as 14 planes and 13 ships would patrol an area of about 57,923 square kilometers (22,364 square miles) of the southern Indian Ocean northwest of Perth—the narrowest zone yet in a close to five-week-old search for the jet, which disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8.
 ::snipping3::
On Wednesday, Australia sent a P-3 Orion military aircraft to drop 84 sonar buoys in a remote patch of the southern Indian Ocean, broadly in the same spot where the Australian defense vessel Ocean Shield detected the stream of signals. Each sonar buoy is equipped with a set of underwater microphones that unspool on wires to a depth of 1,000 feet.

The buoys send data through a radio system back to the aircraft for analysis—a technique typically used to track enemy submarines attempting to evade surface radar. Dropped in a pattern across the search area, the buoys could help to triangulate the source or sources of four signals picked up by the Australian navy since April 5.

Ocean Shield has been sweeping a 7-mile strip of water since Friday. It is towing a U.S. Navy device nearly 2 miles beneath the ocean surface, listening for sounds from the black boxes. Other vessels, including the Chinese ship Haixun 01, are also doing an underwater search of an area farther south, though they haven't detected any new signals since late last week.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr016.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Update on search for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
10 April 2014—pm

The Chief Coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston (Ret'd), has confirmed that whilst conducting an acoustic search this afternoon a RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft has detected a possible signal in the vicinity of the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield.

“The acoustic data will require further analysis overnight but shows potential of being from a man-made source,” Air Chief Marshal Houston (Ret'd) said.

“I will provide a further update if, and when, further information becomes available.”

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

3 HRs ago Update
Breaking News

*Australian Search Authority Says Latest Signal Detected by Sonobuoy

*Australian Search Authority Says HMS Echo Has Specialist Equipment to Help With Search

*Australia Search Authority Says HMS Echo Won’t Interfere With Ocean Shield Detection Work

*Australia Search Authority Says HMS Echo On Route to Assist Ocean Shield

*Australian Search Authority Says HMS Echo to Arrive in Vicinity Later Thursday

Video at the link

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-search-possible-black-box-ping-from-indian-ocean/

April 10, 2014, 7:09 AM
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 searchers hear another possible black box ping from Indian Ocean

PERTH, Australia -- An Australian aircraft hunting for the missing Malaysian jet picked up a new possible underwater signal on Thursday in the same area search crews detected sounds earlier in the week that were consistent with an aircraft's black boxes.

The Australian navy P-3 Orion, which has been dropping sound-locating buoys into the water near where the original sounds were heard, picked up a "possible signal" that may be from a man-made source, said Angus Houston, who is coordinating the search off Australia's west coast.

"The acoustic data will require further analysis overnight," Houston said in a statement.

If confirmed, this would be the fifth underwater signal picked up in the hunt for Flight 370, which vanished over a month ago on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing.
 ::snipping3::

A CONNECTION?

Image shows incredible ocean depths where MH370 search continues
Posted on: 7:58 am, April 10, 2014

<snipped>

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared from military radar for about 120 nautical miles after it crossed back over the Malaysian peninsula, sources say. Based on available data, this means the plane must have dipped in altitude to between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, a senior Malaysian government official and a source involved in the investigation tell CNN.

<snipped>

http://myfox8.com/2014/04/10/image-shows-insane-ocean-depths-where-mh370-search-continues/


Fishermen Plane Sighting a Tip or False Lead in MH370 Hunt?
Malaysia March 18, 2014

<snipped>

Azid Ibrahim, Rahim Mamat and six other men left Kota Bharu in northern Malaysia for tuna fishing that night and were 10 miles out at sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, an area that would have been in the plane's initial flight path. Suddenly a plane came thundering overhead, louder and lower than Ibrahim had ever seen. The plane was heading west, Ibrahim said. Mamat agrees with what they saw.

The fishing boat returned to Kota Bharu in the morning and when they heard about the plane's disappearance they reported what they saw to the local police.

<snipped>

http://abcnews.go.com/International/fishermen-plane-sighting-tip-false-lead-mh370-hunt/story?id=22954793

A SIGHTING?

Remote Islanders In The Indian Ocean Claim They Saw The Missing Malaysia Plane
MAR. 18, 2014

Residents of a remote atoll in the Indian Ocean claim to have seen a "low flying jumbo jet" on the morning after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished, according to a report in the Maldives paper Haveeru Daily.

Maldives, a collection of coral atolls and islets, has a population of some 400,000 islanders. Haveeru Daily is the country's longest serving daily newspaper.

Several Maldives residents on the island of Kuda Huvadhoo told Haveeru that they saw a large white aircraft, with red stripes across it (like Malaysia Airlines planes) around 6:15 a.m. local time (9:15 a.m. Malaysia time) on March 8.

From Haveeru:

Eyewitnesses from the Kuda Huvadhoo concurred that the aeroplane was travelling North to South-East, towards the Southern tip of the Maldives – Addu. They also noted the incredibly loud noise that the flight made when it flew over the island.

"I've never seen a jet flying so low over our island before. We've seen seaplanes, but I'm sure that this was not one of those. I could even make out the doors on the plane clearly," said an eyewitness.

The Island Councilor of Kuda Huvadhoo told Haveeru that several of the islanders had spoken about the incident. A local aviation expert told Haveeru that the possibility of any aircraft flying over the island at the reported time is extremely low.

If true, the sighting would upend the leading theories about where Boeing 777 went after making a hard turn west into the Strait of Malaka at about 1:30 a.m. Malaysia time.

<snipped>

http://www.businessinsider.com/maldvies-islanders-claim-to-see-malaysia-370-2014-3


(http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5328505beab8eac92c4b5f35-999-469/screen%20shot%202014-03-18%20at%209.55.11%20am.png)

Sighting by witnesses?  None of them have been substantiated.  I haven't come across later articles to contradict this conclusion.

http://www.kcentv.com/story/25022590/developing-did-they-see-flight-370
DEVELOPING: Did They See Flight 370?
Posted: Mar 19, 2014 7:51 PM CDT
Updated: Mar 19, 2014 7:51 PM CDT

(CNN) -- How could a commercial airliner disappear without a sign, you ask?

In fact, several people on the ground or at sea claimed they saw Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 before it went missing after its post-midnight takeoff from Kuala Lumpur on March 8.

The purported eyewitnesses include fishermen, an oil rig worker and islanders in an atoll. Some even alleged they saw it crash.

While none of their claims have been substantiated, their assertions add to the ongoing mystery of the missing Boeing 777 and the 239 people aboard.
 ::snipping3::

Hmmm...Malaysian official and source involved with the investigation

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/10/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/

Malaysia Airlines plane search: New possible signal detected
April 11, 2014 -- Updated 0139 GMT (0939 HKT)

 ::snipping3::
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared from military radar for about 120 nautical miles after it crossed back over the Malay Peninsula, sources say. Based on available data, this means the plane must have dipped in altitude to between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, a senior Malaysian government official and a source involved in the investigation tell CNN.
 ::snipping3::
The sources also told CNN that Malaysian air force search aircraft were scrambled about 8 a.m. March 8 to the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, soon after Malaysia Airlines reported that its plane was missing. The aircraft took off before authorities corroborated data indicating that the plane turned back westward, a senior Malaysian government official told CNN.

But the air force did not inform the Department of Civil Aviation or search and rescue operations until three days later, March 11, a source involved in the investigation told CNN.

Later Thursday, communications officials from Malaysia's Transportation Ministry denied that jets had scrambled shortly after the plane went missing, calling that claim a "false allegation."
 ::snipping3::

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

23 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australia’s Prime Minister Says Search Area Has Narrowed Significantly – ABC News

25 MINs ago Update
Breaking

Australia’s Prime Minister Says Confident Ping Signals Are From Malaysia Airlines Plane — Sky News

46 MINs ago Update
Malaysia Police Chief: Investigation Related to Flight 370 Still Ongoing

Malaysia Police Chief: Investigation Related to Flight 370 Still Ongoing
Malaysia Police Chief: Recorded 205 Statements for Flight 370 Probe
Malaysia Police Chief: Will Interview More People for Flight 370 Probe

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

3 MINs ago Update
Australia Search Authority: Acoustic Signal Detected Thursday Likely Unrelated to Flight 370

Australia Search Authority: Acoustic Signal Detected Thursday Likely Unrelated to Flight 370
Australia Search Authority Says Navy Vessel Still Using Black-Box Locator
Australia Search Authority: Underwater Search with Submersible May be Days Away
Australia Search Authority: No Major Breakthrough in Flight 370 Search

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr017.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Update on search for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
11 April 2014—am

Up to 12 military aircraft, three civil aircraft and 13 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Today the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has planned two search areas in close proximity totalling about 46,713 square kilometres. The centre of the search areas lies approximately 2312 kilometres north west of Perth.

The weather forecast for today is 10–15 knot southerly winds with isolated showers, seas swells of 1 to 1.5 metres and visibility of five kilometres in showers.

Yesterday there were no sightings reported by search aircraft or objects recovered by ships.
(http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr_017-1.jpg)

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr018.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Update on search for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
11 April 2014—pm

The Chief Coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston (Ret'd), said an initial assessment of the possible signal detected by a RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft yesterday afternoon has been determined as not related to an aircraft underwater locator beacon.

“The Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre has analysed the acoustic data and confirmed that the signal reported in the vicinity of the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield is unlikely to be related to the aircraft black boxes,” Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston (Ret'd), said.

“Further analysis continues to be undertaken by Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre.

“Today Ocean Shield is continuing more focussed sweeps with the Towed Pinger Locator to try and locate further signals that may be related to the aircraft's black boxes. It is vital to glean as much information as possible while the batteries on the underwater locator beacons may still be active.

“The AP-3C Orions continue their acoustic search, working in conjunction with Ocean Shield, with three more missions planned for today.

“A decision as to when to deploy the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle will be made on advice from experts on board the Ocean Shield and could be some days away.

“On the information I have available to me, there has been no major breakthrough in the search for MH370. I will provide a further update if, and when, further information becomes available.”

a good vid on how the pinger works


April 8th, 2014
09:49 PM ET
How black box pingers work
http://outfront.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/08/how-black-box-pingers-work/

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr019.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
12 April 2014—am

Up to nine military aircraft, one civil aircraft and 14 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Today the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has planned a visual search area totalling approximately 41,393 square kilometres. The centre of the search areas lies approximately 2331 kilometres north west of Perth.

Today, Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield continues more focused sweeps with the Towed Pinger Locator to try and locate further signals related to the aircraft's black boxes. The AP-3C Orions continue their acoustic search, working in conjunction with Ocean Shield. The oceanographic ship HMS Echo is also working in the area with Ocean Shield. This work continues in an effort to narrow the underwater search area for when the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is deployed. There have been no confirmed acoustic detections over the past 24 hours.

The weather forecast for today is 10 knot south easterly winds with isolated showers, sea swells up to one metre and visibility of five kilometres in showers.

Aircraft and ships reported spotting a number of objects during yesterday's search, but only a small number were able to be recovered. None of the recovered items were confirmed to be associated with MH370.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/ (http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/)

U.S. Navy commander in hunt for airline 'optimistic' as search area narrows
updated 9:13 PM EDT, Fri April 11, 2014

(CNN) -- The U.S. Navy commander leading the American effort to find Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 said he's "optimistic" about how the search is proceeding.

"We are detecting very continuous pings coming through in a manner consistent with exactly what you'd expect from a black box," Cmdr. William Marks told CNN's Erin Burnett on Friday. "We've ruled out that it was anything natural, or anything from commercial shipping, or anything like that."
 ::snipping3::
Families skeptical

Families of the 239 people who were aboard when the plane disappeared from radar screens early March 8 met Friday with Malaysia Airlines and government officials. They came away unpersuaded that progress was being made.

"Today, all they said was that they were confident," family representative Steve Wang said. "But that really doesn't mean that they have confirmed it. They didn't use the word 'confirm.' So it could be that it's a real lead, but it could also not be. I think that, at the moment, everyone needs to wait for final, confirmed information."
 ::snipping3::

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303603904579494640112249008?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303603904579494640112249008.html (http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303603904579494640112249008?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303603904579494640112249008.html)

Australia's Abbott 'Very Confident' Over Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Search
Updated April 11, 2014 7:35 a.m. ET

(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/WO-AR984_MALSEA_G_20140410190911.jpg)

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-australia-leader-sees-long-hunt-for-jet/

April 12, 2014, 9:24 AM
Plane search "likely to continue for a long time to come"

PERTH, Australia -- With no new underwater signals detected, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Saturday that the massive search for the missing Malaysian jet would likely continue "for a long time," with electronic transmissions from the plane's black boxes fading fast.
::snipping3::

Abbott continued to express his belief Saturday, but added that the job of finding the plane, which disappeared March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, remained arduous. Recovering the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders is essential for investigators to try to piece together what happened to Flight 370.

"No one should underestimate the difficulties of the task still ahead of us," he said on the last day of his China trip.

We have "very considerably narrowed down the search area, but trying to locate anything 2.8 miles beneath the surface of the ocean about 620 miles from land is a massive, massive task, and it is likely to continue for a long time to come," Abbott said.
 ::snipping3::
"Given that the signal from the black box is rapidly fading, what we are now doing is trying to get as many detections as we can," Abbott said. "So that we can narrow the search area down to as small an area as possible."

The underwater search zone is currently a 500-square-mile patch of the seabed, about the size of Los Angeles.

The searchers want to pinpoint the exact location of the source of the sounds - or as close as they can get - and then send down a robotic submersible to look for wreckage. But the sub will not be deployed until officials are confident that no other electronic signals are present.

The Bluefin 21 submersible takes six times longer to cover the same area as the ping locator. That's about six weeks to two months to canvass the current underwater zone. The signals are also coming from 15,000 feet below the surface, which is the deepest the Bluefin can dive. The search coordination center has said it was considering options in case a deeper-diving sub is needed.

The surface area to be searched for floating debris has been narrowed to 15,982 square miles of ocean extending from about 1,400 miles northwest of Perth. Up to 10 planes and 14 ships were searching Saturday.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/co-pilot-missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-made-mid-flight-call-report-article-1.1754309

Co-pilot of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 may have made desperate phone call seconds before plane went off radar: report

Saturday, April 12, 2014, 11:14 AM
Updated: Saturday, April 12, 2014, 2:29 PM
 
The co-pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight may have made a "desperate" cell-phone call before the plane fell off the radar, according to a published report.

The New Straits Times, a newspaper with close ties to the Malaysian government, did not divulge the details of the call. But it was an intriguing development in the more than month-long mystery behind the disappearance of flight MH370.

The report claims that Fariq Abdul Hamid may have turned his cell phone on as the doomed Boeing 777 flew low over the Malaysian city of Penang.

His phone reportedly connected with a telecommunications tower in the city before the connection was cut off—so if he made a call, it never went through.

"The telco's [telecommunications company's] tower established the call that he was trying to make. On why the call was cut off, it was likely because the aircraft was fast moving away from the tower and had not come under the coverage of the next one," an unidentified source told NST.

"If Fariq could make one call before the plane disappeared, it would have been to [his mother],” said 18-year-old cousin Nursyafiqah Kamarudin.

Relatives say the young pilot was very close to his mom
 ::snipping3::
Officials in Malaysia are still conducting investigations into the backgrounds of the 12 crew members who were on board.

Hamid reportedly had used his cell the evening before his flight departed from Kuala Lumpur, when he allegedly sent a text message through the WhatsApp Messenger. Then his phone was then “detached.”

"This is usually the result of the phone being switched off. At one point, however, when the airplane was airborne, between waypoint Igari and the spot near Penang (just before it went missing from radar), the line was 'reattached,’” sources told NST.

The New Straits Times quoted acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein as saying that the report needed to be verified.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr020.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
13 April 2014—am

Up to 11 military aircraft, one civil aircraft and 14 ships will assist in today’s search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Today the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has planned a visual search area totalling approximately 57,506 square kilometres. The centre of the search areas lies approximately 2200 kilometres north west of Perth.
 
Today, Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield continues more focused sweeps with the Towed Pinger Locator to try and locate further signals related to the aircraft's black boxes. The AP-3C Orions continue their acoustic search, working in conjunction with Ocean Shield. The oceanographic ship HMS Echo is also working in the area with Ocean Shield.

This work continues in an effort to narrow the underwater search area for when the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is deployed.

There have been no confirmed acoustic detections over the past 24 hours.

The weather forecast for today is south easterly winds with isolated showers, sea swells up to one metre and visibility of five kilometres in showers.

Areas of planned search on April 12, 2014

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/malaysia_flight_370_with_black.html
Malaysia Flight 370: With black box signal gone, Australian PM warns of long search ahead
on April 12, 2014 at 3:50 PM, updated April 12, 2014 at 4:49 PM

 ::snipping3::
We have "very considerably narrowed down the search area, but trying to locate anything 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) beneath the surface of the ocean about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from land is a massive, massive task, and it is likely to continue for a long time to come," Abbott said.
 ::snipping3::
(http://imgick.syracuse.com/home/adv-media/width620/img/breaking_news_national_desk/photo/jet-search-australiajpg-82fdc133629754f2.jpg)

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

40 MINs ago Asia
No Black Box Detection in Two Days

A second day has passed without the massive international air and sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean detecting signals from what are thought to be the aircraft's black box recorders.
 ::snipping3::
“There have been no confirmed acoustic detections over the past 24 hours,” the Joint Agency Coordination Centre said in a statement, repeating its message from Saturday.

The authority has been working to refine the size of the underwater search area to allow the use of an autonomous underwater vehicle, which will more closely scour the sea floor to get visual images of any possible wreckage. The visual search area was extended Sunday to 57,506 square kilometers (22,203 square miles) without explanation.

A spokesperson for the authority wasn’t immediately available for comment. The search zone had been narrowed in previous days to as small as 41,393 square kilometers Saturday.
 ::snipping3::

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303887804579498862345781176?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303887804579498862345781176.html

Malaysia Weighs Custody of Flight 370 Black Boxes
Minister Unaware If Co-Pilot Tried to Make a Cell Phone Call
Updated April 13, 2014 2:42 p.m. ET

(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-CI804_malmap_G_20140412222626.jpg)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Authorities are consulting with international legal experts to consider which country should get custody of the black boxes from Flight 370 if they are located and retrieved from the Indian Ocean, Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Sunday.

Precedent in past airline crashes would give the country overseeing the search—in this case, Malaysia—authority to determine how the black boxes are recovered and analyzed. Kuala Lumpur has so far delegated large parts of the search and investigation to countries and agencies with better technical resources, and it is expected to designate foreign experts to download data from the devices.
 ::snipping3::
Mr. Hishammuddin, who also is acting transport minister, told reporters that Attorney General Abdul Ghani Patail was in London discussing "who actually has custody over the black box" with the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization and other legal experts.

Mr. Hishammuddin suggested that further discussion on the topic was premature. "I would like to address that when we actually do find the black box," he said.
 ::snipping3::
The pilot and co-pilot have been a chief focus of the investigation, in part because they are the only people on board known to have had the skill to fly a  Boeing  BA -1.27%     777, according to people close to the investigation.

Mr. Hishammuddin said he had no knowledge of such a call and didn't want to speculate on the report out of respect for the families of the pilot and co-pilot.

"That would be in the realm of the police and the other international agencies, and when the time comes that will be revealed," Mr. Hishammuddin said. "I do not want to disrupt the investigations that are being done now, not only by the Malaysian police but the FBI and MI6 and the Chinese intelligence and other international intelligence agencies."

Contradicting Malaysia's top police official, Mr. Hishammuddin said that investigators haven't ruled out the possible involvement of passengers in the plane's disappearance.
 ::snipping3::

Investigators Now Say that MH370 Co-Pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid Tried to Make a Mobile Phone Call After the Plane Turned West and Flew Over Malaysia But Was Abruptly Cut Off

<snipped>

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/12/article-2603075-1D0DC20D00000578-204_634x507.jpg)

<snipped>

Posted April 13, 2014 by Scared Monkeys

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2014/04/13/investigators-now-say-that-mh370-co-pilot-fariq-abdul-hamid-tried-to-make-a-mobile-phone-call-after-the-plane-turned-west-and-flew-over-malaysia-but-was-abruptly-cut-off/

Planned search--Monday, April 14, 2014

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr021.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
14 April 2014—am

Up to 11 military aircraft, one civil aircraft and 15 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Today the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has planned a visual search area totalling approximately 47,644 square kilometres. The centre of the search areas lies approximately 2,200 kilometres north west of Perth.

Today, Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield continues more focused sweeps with the Towed Pinger Locator to try and locate further signals related to aircraft black boxes. The AP-3C Orions continue their acoustic search, working in conjunction with Ocean Shield. The oceanographic ship HMS Echo is also working in the area with Ocean Shield.

There have been no confirmed acoustic detections over the past 24 hours.

The weather forecast for today is south easterly winds with possible showers, sea swells up to 1.5 metres and visibility of three to five kilometres.

FBI analyse Malaysian Airlines pilot's home flight simulator as it's revealed he deleted data one month prior to taking control of missing MH370 plane
PUBLISHED: 10:19 GMT, 19 March 2014

<snipped>

Today it was also revealed that a remote island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with a runway long enough to land a Boeing 777 was programmed into the home flight simulator of the pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

Police are now urgently investigating whether Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah had practised landing at Diego Garcia, an island south of the Maldives occupied by the US navy.

Police seized the simulator from his home outside Kuala Lumpur over the weekend and reassembled it at police headquarters, hoping for information on the flight's fate.
 
The investigation into the Diego Garcia, an overseas territory of the UK, which is rented to the US and is now a huge American naval base follows fresh eyewitness accounts of a 'low flying jumbo jet' being spotted in the Maldives.

People on the island of Kuda Huvadhoo reported seeing a plane on the morning of the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, according to a Haveeru, a news website in the Maldives.

Islanders said a white aircraft with red stripes across it - which would match the missing plane - was seen travelling North to South-East towards Addu, the southern tip of the Maldives.

An eyewitness told the website: 'I've never seen a jet flying so low over our island before. We've seen seaplanes, but I'm sure that this was not one of those. I could even make out the doors on the plane clearly.

'It's not just me either, several other residents have reported seeing the exact same thing. Some people got out of their houses to see what was causing the tremendous noise too.'

Captain Shah, a father-of-three, was passionate about his simulator, which he built using off-the-shelf parts.

<snipped>

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2584123/Revealed-Malaysian-Airlines-pilot-high-security-US-base-Diego-Garcia-programmed-homemade-flight-simulator-deleted-data-just-taking-control-missing-plane.html


(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/19/article-2584123-1C69068000000578-162_634x358.jpg)

Diego Garcia, a remote island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with a runway long enough to land a Boeing 777 was programmed into the home flight simulator of the pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, it has been revealed.


(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/19/article-2584123-1C690A8400000578-960_634x477.jpg)

Police are now urgently investigating whether Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah had practised landing at Diego Garcia, an island south of the Maldives occupied by the US navy.

When I consider the sightings of a low flying plane by residents of Kuda Huvadhoo and fishermen of Kota Bharu ... the sightings on the morning of March 8th of a low flying plane that fits the description of MH370 and ... when I consider there is no evidence of a crash in that ocean in the path taken by the plane ... I am cling to hope that the plane landed on an isolated landing strip on the remote island of Diego Garcia.

Janet

++++

United States denies claims missing Flight MH370 landed at its military base on Diego Garcia
Apr 12, 2014 01:25

A spokesman for the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, insisted: "MH370 did not land in Diego Garcia."

The United States has flatly denied claims that missing Flight MH370 had landed at its military base on the remote island of Diego Garcia.

There have been rumours that the jetliner could have headed for the small coral atoll in the Indian Ocean after it veered off course while travelling between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Beijing, China on March 8.

However, a spokesman for the US embassy in the Malaysian capital said there was no truth in this speculation.

He told Malaysia's Star newspaper by email: "There was no indication that MH370 flew anywhere near the Maldives or Diego Garcia.

"MH370 did not land in Diego Garcia.

<snipped>

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mh370-diego-garcia-united-states-3402879

CNN reports:  News conference from Australia--midnight ET

In about 10 minutes

Press conference information--

Streaming coverage

http://stream.wsj.com/story/malaysia-airlines-flight-370/SS-2-475558/

19 MINs ago Twitter
Troy McCullough@TroyWSJ

"We haven't had a signal in six days. It's time to go underwater." #MH370 http://t.co/N7E0XLgvAD

21 MINs ago Twitter
Troy McCullough@TroyWSJ

Breaking: #MH370 search spots oil slick in search zone. http://t.co/N7E0XLgvAD

26 MINs ago Twitter
Newley Purnell@newley

RT @TroyWSJ: Breaking: #MH370 search to cease scans for black box signals and send submersible to sea floor.

26 MINs ago Update
Breaking

*Australian Air Chief Marshal Says Ocean Shield Will Cease Black Box Search Later Today

*Australian Air Chief Marshal Says Underwater Vehicle Bluefin 21 to Be Deployed as Soon as Possible

*Australian Air Chief Marshal Says No Confirmed Signal Detections Since Last Tuesday

*Australian Air Chief Marshal Says Despite Lack of Further Detections, Four Previous Signals a Promising Lead

*Australian Air Chief Marshal Says Analysis of Signals Has Reduced Search Area

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/14/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/

MH 370: With no further pings detected, underwater vehicle to be deployed in search
updated 12:39 AM EDT, Mon April 14, 2014

(CNN) -- With no underwater pulses detected in almost a week, Australian authorities said Monday they will stop listening for pings coming from the floor of the Indian Ocean -- and will now deploy an underwater vehicle.

"We haven't had a single detection in six days. It's time to go underwater," Australian chief search coordinator Angus Houston said.

The Bluefin-21, a probe equipped with side-scan sonar, will be deployed as soon as Monday evening Perth time. Side-scan sonar is an acoustic technology that creates pictures from the reflections of sound rather than light.

Though the discovery of four pings believed to be from the jet's so-called black boxes -- its flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder -- have helped investigators narrow the search area, they would still face a formidable task.

Houston cautioned against hopes that the underwater vehicle will find wreckage.

"It may not," he said. "This will be a slow and painstaking process."

Each deployment will last 24 hours.

It will take two hours for the Bluefin-21 to get down to the bottom of the ocean, it will scour the ocean bed for 16 hours, and take another two hours to resurface. It will take take another four hours to download and analyze the data collected, Houston said.

The first mission will cover an area 5 kilometers by 8 kilometers ((3.1 miles by 4.9 miles).

The bottom of the search area is not sharply mountainous -- it's more flat and almost rolling, Houston said. But he said the area likely has a lot of silt on the bottom, which can "complicate" the search.

Meanwhile, the Australian ship Ocean Shield detected an oil slick Sunday evening, but it is unclear where the oil came from. Two liters have been collected for examination, Houston said. But it will take a few days.

"I stress the source of the oil has yet to be determined but the oil slick is approximately 5,500 meters downwind...from the vicinity of the detections of the TPL on Ocean Shield," Houston said, referring to the pings detected by the towed pinger locater.

The developments come after a weekend of notable developments in the search for MH370, which disappeared March 8 with 239 people on board. Monday marks Day 38 of the search.
 ::snipping3::

A transcript of the Q and A session is also included.

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/interviews/2014/april/tr009.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Transcript of Press Conference, 14 April 2014

Angus Houston: I'll start by introducing those behind me. Commodore Peter Leavy, who's the Task Force Commander of all the Australian Defence assets that are out there involved in the search for MH370. On my right we have Mr Scott Constable from AMSA, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and over here, Bob Armstrong from ATSB, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

I would like to update you on the latest developments regarding the search for missing flight MH370. As you are aware, there have been no confirmed signal detections since last Tuesday night Perth time. Today is day 38 of the search. The guaranteed shelf-life of the batteries on the aircraft black boxes is 30 days. Despite the lack of further detections, the four signals previously acquired taken together constitute the most promising lead we have in the search for MH370. We need to pursue this lead as far as possible.

Analysis of the four signals has allowed the provisional definition of a reduced and manageable search area on the ocean floor. The experts have, therefore, determined that the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield will cease searching with the Towed Pinger Locator later today and deploy the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Bluefin-21, as soon as possible. The Bluefin-21 is equipped with side scan sonar. Once deployed, it will begin searching the sea floor in the vicinity of the detected signals.

Each mission conducted by the Bluefin-21 will take a minimum of 24 hours to complete. It will take the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle two hours to get down to the bottom of the ocean. It will then be on task for 16 hours. It will then take two hours to return to the surface and four hours to download and analyse the data collected. The first mission will see Bluefin-21 cover an area of approximately five kilometres by eight kilometres, an area of 40 square kilometres.

The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in sight scan sonar mode transmits an active pulse which produces a high resolution, three dimensional map of the sea floor. The deployment of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle has the potential to take us a further step towards visual identification since it offers a possible opportunity to detect debris from the aircraft on the ocean floor.

As I have said before, aircraft wreckage needs to be visually identified before we can say with certainty that this is the final resting place of MH370. I would caution you against raising hopes that the deployment of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle will result in the detection of the aircraft wreckage. It may not. However, this is the best lead we have and it must be pursued vigorously. Again, I emphasise that this will be a slow and painstaking process.

In another development, I can report Ocean Shield detected an oil slick yesterday evening in her current search area. A sample of about two litres has been collected and it will be a number of days before it can be landed ashore and conclusively tested. I stress the source of the oil is yet to be determined but the oil slick is approximately 5,500 metres down-wind and down-sea from the vicinity of the detections picked up by the Towed Pinger Locator on Ocean Shield.

A few words about today's search. Up to 11 military aircraft, one civil aircraft and 15 ships will assist in today's search. HMS Echo is working in the area supporting Ocean Shield, providing oceanographic support and analysis. The planned visual search area is about 47,644 square kilometres. The centre of the search area lies approximately 2,200 kilometres north-west of Perth. The air and surface search for floating material will be completed in the next two to three days in the area where the aircraft most likely entered the water.

The chances of any floating material being recovered have greatly diminished and it will be appropriate to consult with Australia's partners to decide the way ahead later this week. The weather forecast for today is south-easterly winds with possible showers, sea swells of up to 1.5 metres and visibility of three to five kilometres.

I'm now happy to take your questions.
 ::snipping3::

I have been accused of suspecting a conspiracy when there is none but ... considering there is no hard evidence I remain sceptical that MH370 crashed into the Indian Ocean.  The major network are very quiet about the island of Diego Garcia with a runway where an aircraft the size of MH370 could have landed.  Why?  The major networks are very quiet quiet about the Kuda Huvadhoo witnesses who reported a low flying aircraft that flew overhead on the morning of March 8, 2014.  Why?

Janet

+++++

APRIL 11, 2014

MH370 search: MH370 did not land in Diego Garcia, says US rep
Friday April 11, 2014 MYT 10:17:27 AM

KUALA LUMPUR: The US embassy here says there is no truth in speculation that missing Flight MH370 could have landed in its military base at Diego Garcia, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

An embassy spokesman also said there was no indication that the plane flew anywhere near the Maldives.

“There was no indication that MH370 flew anywhere near the Maldives or Diego Garcia. MH370 did not land in Diego Garcia.

“Under the coordinating efforts of Malaysia and Australia, the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet is working alongside 26 other nations to locate the aircraft based on areas identified by Malaysian and international experts,” he said in an e-mail reply to The Star yesterday.

MH370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew members on board the flight bound for Beijing.

There has been talk that the plane had landed in Diego Garcia, which is about 3,500km from Malaysia and which the United States uses as a military base.

<snipped>

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/04/11/MH370-did-not-land-in-Diego-Garcia-says-US-rep/


MARCH 19, 2014

FBI analyse Malaysian Airlines pilot's home flight simulator as it's revealed he deleted data one month prior to taking control of missing MH370 plane
PUBLISHED: 10:19 GMT, 19 March 2014

Today it was also revealed that a remote island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with a runway long enough to land a Boeing 777 was programmed into the home flight simulator of the pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

Police are now urgently investigating whether Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah had practised landing at Diego Garcia, an island south of the Maldives occupied by the US navy.

Police seized the simulator from his home outside Kuala Lumpur over the weekend and reassembled it at police headquarters, hoping for information on the flight's fate.
 
The investigation into the Diego Garcia, an overseas territory of the UK, which is rented to the US and is now a huge American naval base follows fresh eyewitness accounts of a 'low flying jumbo jet' being spotted in the Maldives.

People on the island of Kuda Huvadhoo reported seeing a plane on the morning of the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, according to a Haveeru, a news website in the Maldives.

Islanders said a white aircraft with red stripes across it - which would match the missing plane - was seen travelling North to South-East towards Addu, the southern tip of the Maldives.

An eyewitness told the website: 'I've never seen a jet flying so low over our island before. We've seen seaplanes, but I'm sure that this was not one of those. I could even make out the doors on the plane clearly.

'It's not just me either, several other residents have reported seeing the exact same thing. Some people got out of their houses to see what was causing the tremendous noise too.'

<snipped>

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2584123/Revealed-Malaysian-Airlines-pilot-high-security-US-base-Diego-Garcia-programmed-homemade-flight-simulator-deleted-data-just-taking-control-missing-plane.html

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

MH370 Held in Diego Garcia? Conspiracy Theory and GPS Data Suggests Missing Malaysian Airplane Could be Found in Remote Island in the Indian Ocean?
April 9, 2014 10:41 AM EST

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/547244/20140409/mh370-diego-garcia-found-conspiracy-theory-gps.htm#.U0wV-_ldUnc

According to a call from my 16 year old grandson ... the Diego Garcia theory was discussed by a panel on NBC (?) about an hour ago.  Apparently ... some on the panel find it highly suspicion that Diego Garcia has not been an obvious focus of speculation by the "powers that be" in the search for MH370 following the British revealing that sharp right turn back over Malaysia to the Indian Ocean?

If Diego Garcia had been preciously investigated and ruled out ... why was it not announced to the world way back then rather than waiting until it was obvious the theories that abound were not going to go away?  Could it be the search outside of Perth and the pings be all a distraction from a behind the scenes investigation?

If the Diego Garcia theory turns out to be just that ... a theory ... my temporary connection with 16 year old grandson made it all worth while.  This young man is growing so fast.  Friends and activities tend to take priority.

Janet

++++

Diego Garcia and MH370 conspiracy of a 'lost' island in middle of it all
Published Sunday, April 06, 2014

While the Malaysian authorities and the Australians, in charge of the search, have vowed to remain committed to finding the answers, however long that may take, an interesting report has emerged on news website asiaone.com

It involved a small atoll in the Indian Ocean that is a military island, controlled and operated by the US and the UK.

According to the report, the conspiracy theory now gaining traction on the internet comes from freelance journalist Jim Stone and concerns the atoll of Diego Garcia.

According to Stone’s theory, an American passenger on board MH370, named as Philip Wood, sent out an image and voice activated text, along with GPS coordinates that trace to a location a few kilometres away from Diego Garcia.

The text claimed that Wood was being held hostage by unknown military personnel.

This report has now sparked speculation that MH370 had landed on this US military base.

Even more interestingly, Diego Garcia is reported to also act as an emergency landing site for commercial aircraft that are cleared to fly the long, landless distance over the Indian Ocean.

Diego Garcia is a tiny atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The AsiaOne report quotes the official British government site, gov.uk, as stating that the British Indian Ocean Territory is administered from London and there is no British diplomatic or consular representation on Diego Garcia and that it is not a tourist destination.

Access is restricted and a permit is required in advance of travel.

http://www.emirates247.com/news/diego-garcia-and-mh370-conspiracy-of-a-lost-island-in-middle-of-it-all-2014-04-06-1.544414

In Jake Trapper's opinion ... the Diego Garcia Island theory need to be debunked.  Why?  According to the families of those aboard ... a search is being demanded.  Why has a search/investigation not already been conducted?  Why was the WH spokesperson prepared with a only short response regarding Diego Garcia Island when questioned during a press conference?  The silence from the "powers that be" as well as the press regarding the possibility that MH370 landed on this Island appears to be motivating more suspicion.

Janet

+++++++


CNN:  Jake Trapper

Debunking the Flight 370 Diego Garcia Island theory
April 8th, 2014

(CNN) – Ever since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, there have been countless outrageous conspiracy theories about what may have happened to the plane, ranging from alien abductions, to Bermuda Triangles over the Indian Ocean.

Many have been so absurd, we didn't find it necessary to debunk them.

But there's one theory that seems to be picking up steam as of late, a theory that needs a debunking. It involves Diego Garcia – a tiny, remote island that many have probably never even heard of.

CNN's Jake Tapper reports. ....

Video:
http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/08/debunking-the-flight-370-diego-garcia-island-theory/


THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER
Mystery of Flight 370
Aired April 8, 2014 - 21:00  ET

TAPPER: We would not even be talking about Diego Garcia, this small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean if it were not for the conspiracy theories about it. Once flooding not only the usual murky depths of the Internet but spilling out in the mainstream locations such as the White House briefing room

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some news report saying that the missing flight could have landed in the U.S. military base, Diego Garcia in central of Indian Ocean, do you rule in that or rule out that?

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I'll rule that one out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1404/08/cg.03.html


Response

CNN: #MH370 Families Asked Authorities To Search Diego Garcia
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 10:07

(Before It's News)

Jake Tapper, doing a segment on The Lead, stated that after the Philip Woods picture went on the internet, the families of the flight 370 passengers asked for authorities to search Diego Garcia.

Now, this is news to me, as I haven’t heard CNN report before that the families have demanded an investigation into Diego Garcia. Hmmm, you’re right Jake. MH370 Diego Garcia theory just keeps gaining strength.

http://beforeitsnews.com/scandals/2014/04/cnn-mh370-families-asked-authorities-to-search-diego-garcia-2433878.html

According to these articles, the theory that the plane landed there is not true.

Your grandson is 16 already?  How fast they grow up!  Nice that you had some quality time with him.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/606936-diego-garcia-alleged-philip-wood-photo-from-missing-flight-mh370-has-faked-gps-data/
Diego Garcia: Purported Philip Wood Photo From Missing Flight MH 370 Includes Faked GPS Data
By Zachary Stieber, Epoch Times | April 7, 2014
Last Updated: April 8, 2014 4:08 am

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/617116-diego-garcia-philip-wood-case-us-says-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh-370-not-there/
Diego Garcia, Philip Wood Conspiracy Theory: US Says Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 370 Didn’t Land On Base
By Jack Phillips, Epoch Times | April 12, 2014
Last Updated: April 14, 2014 12:37 pm

At the link:  Images of 3 charts showing search area for 15 April 2014

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr022.aspx

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Search and recovery continues for Malaysian flight MH370
Media Release
15 April 2014—am

Up to nine military aircraft, two civil aircraft and 11 ships will assist in today's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Today the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has planned a visual search area totalling approximately 62,063 square kilometres. The centre of the search areas lies approximately 2,170 kilometres north west of Perth.

The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle deployed last night from ADV Ocean Shield.

After completing around six hours of its mission, Bluefin-21 exceeded its operating depth limit of 4,500 metres and its built in safety feature returned it to the surface.

The six hours of data gathered by the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is currently being extracted and analysed.

Bluefin-21 is planned to redeploy later today when weather conditions permit.

The weather forecast for today is south easterly winds with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, sea swells up to two metres and visibility of five kilometres.

The Chief Coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston (Ret'd), will provide further updates if, and when, more information becomes available.

http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr022.aspx

(http://www.jacc.gov.au/media/releases/2014/april/mr_022-1.jpg)

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/flight-370-search-area-is-too-deep-for-robotic-submarine/

April 14, 2014, 9:28 PM
Flight 370: Search area is too deep for robotic submarine

PERTH, Australia - The search area for the missing Malaysian jet has proved too deep for a robotic submarine which was hauled back to the surface of the Indian Ocean less than half way through its first seabed hunt for wreckage and the all-important black boxes, authorities said on Tuesday.

Search crews sent the Bluefin 21 deep into the Indian Ocean on Monday to begin scouring the seabed for the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 after failing for six days to detect any signals believed to be from its black boxes.

But after only six hours of its planned 16-hour mission on the sea bed, the autonomous underwater vehicle exceeded its maximum depth limit of 15,000 feet and its built-in safety feature returned it to the surface, the search coordination center said in a statement on Tuesday.

What if anything it might have discovered during the six-hour search was still being analyzed, the center said.

The Bluefin 21 will resume the search Tuesday when weather conditions permit, it said.

Search authorities knew that the primary wreckage from Flight MH370 was likely lying at the limit of the Bluefin's dive capabilities. Deeper diving submersibles have been evaluated, but none is yet available in the search area.
 ::snipping3::

Video at the link

http://live.wsj.com/video/flight-370-how-the-bluefin-21-sonar-sub-works/24A519FC-56A7-4FD9-8953-D61E21166B44.html#!24A519FC-56A7-4FD9-8953-D61E21166B44

Flight 370: How the BlueFin-21 Sonar Sub Works
4/14/2014 6:38:20 PM

^^^^  Ooops...hope this link works for the video post above (a little slow; but it should work):

http://live.wsj.com/video/flight-370-how-the-bluefin-21-sonar-sub-works/24A519FC-56A7-4FD9-8953-D61E21166B44.html#!24A519FC-56A7-4FD9-8953-D61E21166B44 (http://live.wsj.com/video/flight-370-how-the-bluefin-21-sonar-sub-works/24A519FC-56A7-4FD9-8953-D61E21166B44.html#!24A519FC-56A7-4FD9-8953-D61E21166B44)

http://www.firstpost.com/world/mini-sub-tries-again-after-first-search-for-mh370-aborted-1480361.html (http://www.firstpost.com/world/mini-sub-tries-again-after-first-search-for-mh370-aborted-1480361.html)

Mini-sub tries again after first search for MH370 aborted
Apr 15, 2014

(http://s3.firstpost.in/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Malaysia-search-Bluefin-AP.jpg)
The Blue-fin 21 will try again: AP

 ::snipping3::
US Navy Captain Mark Matthews explained the vehicle had exceeded its programmed operational limit and automatically resurfaced.

"There's certain abort criteria that the vehicle has as it's executing its mission," he told CNN from Perth.

"If there's certain conditions that occur, it stops and it comes to the surface.

"In this case the vehicle's programmed to fly 30 metres over the floor of the ocean to get a good mapping of what's beneath."

Charts put the depth at 4,200-4,400 metres, he said.

"It went to 4,500 metres and once it hit that max depth, it said this is deeper that I'm programmed to be, so it aborted the mission."

Matthews, a search and recovery expert, said the crew would now refine the task to cope with the depth encountered.

"It happened in the very far corner of the area it's searching. So they are just shifting the search box a little bit away from that deep water."

The US-made Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Bluefin-21 would embark on a second mission during the day, weather permitting, Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said.

JACC chief Angus Houston had announced Monday the end of weeks of listening for signals from the plane's black boxes and the launch of submarine operations.

The vehicle would survey the silty ocean floor for 16 hours at a time to gather a maximum amount of data, he said.

"Bluefin-21 is planned to redeploy later today when weather conditions permit," JACC added.

The forecast for the search zone 2,170 kilometres northwest of Perth is southeasterly winds with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, sea swells up to two metres (nearly seven feet) and visibility of five kilometres (three miles).
 ::snipping3::

Baseless!!  Since when are witness accounts considered "baseless"?  Why does Harvey Sernovitz ... the spokesperson for the Embassy ... fail to address the Kuda Huvadhoo witnesses who claim that they now only heard and also observed a "low flying plane" on the morning of March 8th ... a "low flying plane" headed towards the island of Diego Garcia?

Why would MH370 make a deliberate turn off the established flight path with the purpose of ditching it hours later in the Indian Ocean?  It does not make sense.

Janet

++++


April 15, 2014 - A Baseless Conspiracy theory

MH370 Tragedy: US denies MH370 'cover-up'
15 April 2014

KUALA LUMPUR: WASHINGTON has strongly refuted all allegations of a cover-up in the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

As discussions, including on social media, on United States purported role behind the Boeing jetliner going missing continue to swirl, Washington, through its embassy here, said that they were all "baseless conspiracy theories".

The US Embassy here, in an email to the New Straits Times, said claims that MH370 was hidden somewhere in its island military base, Diego Garcia, were also wild allegations.

"This is a baseless conspiracy theory that has already been debunked around the world, and the White House Press Secretary specifically addressed this on March 18," said the embassy's press attaché Harvey Sernovitz.

<snipped>

Washington also addressed allegations that logs at Diego Garcia from March 8 to 10, had been wiped clean.

"These reports are completely false. MH370 did not land in Diego Garcia. This is a baseless conspiracy theory."

Sernovitz said his government also denied that they had withheld information from Kuala Lumpur that could help with investigations.

<snipped>

http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/font-color-red-mh370-tragedy-font-us-denies-mh370-cover-up-1.567390?cache=03


March 18, 2014 - Low Flying Jet Sighting

Maldives island residents report sighting of 'low flying jet'
Mar 18, 2014

Residents of the remote Maldives island of Kuda Huvadhoo in Dhaal Atoll have reported seeing a "low flying jumbo jet" on the morning of the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Whilst the disappearance of the Boeing 777 jet, carrying 239 passengers has left the whole world in bewilderment, several residents of Kuda Huvadhoo told Haveeru on Tuesday that they saw a "low flying jumbo jet" at around 6:15am on March 8.

They said that it was a white aircraft, with red stripes across it – which is what the Malaysia Airlines flights typically look like.

Eyewitnesses from the Kuda Huvadhoo concurred that the aeroplane was travelling North to South-East, towards the Southern tip of the Maldives – Addu. They also noted the incredibly loud noise that the flight made when it flew over the island.

"I've never seen a jet flying so low over our island before. We've seen seaplanes, but I'm sure that this was not one of those. I could even make out the doors on the plane clearly," said an eyewitness.

"It's not just me either, several other residents have reported seeing the exact same thing. Some people got out of their houses to see what was causing the tremendous noise too."

Mohamed Zaheem, the Island Councilor of Kuda Huvadhoo, said that the residents of the island had spoken about the incident.

<snipped>

The Malaysia airlines jet disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board after taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing. Investigators say it was deliberately diverted off course.

Twenty-six countries are now helping to hunt for the plane after satellite and military radar data projected two huge corridors through which it might have flown.

Satellite data suggests that the last "ping" was recieved from the flight somwhere close to the Maldives and the US naval base on Diego Garcia.

But the Maldives is not amongst the countries that Malaysian authorities had sought help from in its search for the missing jet. Malaysia has listed the countries that it had appealed for assistance: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and France.

http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/54062