New evidence suggests plane dropped sooner
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AN air and sea search for the missing Malaysian passenger jet moved 1,100 kilometers north yesterday, after Australian authorities coordinating the operation in the remote Indian Ocean received new information from Malaysia that suggested the plane ran out of fuel earlier than thought.
The dramatic shift followed analysis of radar and satellite data that showed the plane had traveled faster than had been previously calculated, and so would have burned through its fuel load quicker.
Australia said late yesterday that five aircraft had spotted “multiple objects of various colors” in the new area.
“Photographic imagery of the objects was captured and will be assessed overnight,” the Australian Maritime and Safety Authority said.
“The objects can’t be verified or discounted as being from MH370 until they are relocated and recovered.”
The latest twist underscores the perplexing hunt for evidence in the near three-week search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
Malaysia says the plane was likely diverted deliberately but investigators have turned up no apparent motive among the 227 passengers or 12 crew.
Malaysian officials said the new search area was the result of a painstaking analysis of Malaysian military radar data and satellite readings from British company Inmarsat carried out by US, Chinese, British and Malaysian investigators.
Engine performance analysis by the plane’s manufacturer Boeing helped investigators determine how long the plane could have flown, they said.
“Information ... was re-examined in light of new evidence,” Malaysia’s acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.
For over a week, teams have been scouring seas where satellite images had shown possible debris from the flight, which went missing on March 8. Aircraft searching yesterday were immediately re-directed to the new area about 1,850km west of Perth.
A flotilla of Australian and Chinese ships will take longer to shift north, however, while the Australian naval ship HMAS Success was not due to arrive until this morning.
The new search area is larger, but closer to Perth, allowing aircraft to spend longer on site by shortening travel times. It is also vastly more favorable in terms of the weather.
“I’m not sure we’ll get perfect weather, but it’s likely to be better than we’ve seen,” said John Young, general manager of the emergency response division of Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the shift was based on analysis of radar data between the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca. At that time, the Boeing 777 was making a radical diversion west from its course.
Malaysia’s civil aviation chief, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, said yesterday he was “not at liberty” to give the exact path of the aircraft.
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