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Sighting by Chinese Plane Is Latest in Hunt for Missing Jet Sighting by Chinese Plane Is Latest in Hunt for Missing Jet
(about 1 hour later)
PEARCE AIR FORCE BASE, Australia — A Chinese military aircraft scouring the southern Indian Ocean for possible wreckage from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane reported seeing objects in the water on Monday, after data recorded by a French satellite gave credence to the view that Flight 370 might have fallen into the sea there, far off the coast of Western Australia.PEARCE AIR FORCE BASE, Australia — A Chinese military aircraft scouring the southern Indian Ocean for possible wreckage from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane reported seeing objects in the water on Monday, after data recorded by a French satellite gave credence to the view that Flight 370 might have fallen into the sea there, far off the coast of Western Australia.
About two-thirds of the 227 passengers onboard the flight, which vanished on March 8 after leaving Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing, were Chinese nationals, and the Chinese government has been particularly vocal in demanding an intense hunt for any signs of the missing Boeing 777-200. No definitive evidence has been found so far. About two-thirds of the 227 passengers on board the flight, which vanished on March 8 after leaving Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing, were Chinese nationals, and the Chinese government has been particularly vocal in demanding an intense hunt for signs of the missing Boeing 777-200. No definitive evidence has been found so far.
A brief bulletin from a Chinese Air Force Ilyushin IL-76 plane that has joined the search appeared to bolster hopes that traces of the plane might yet be found. But the description of the sighting Monday was vague, and it seemed entirely possible that it could prove to be another in a long list of false leads. A brief bulletin from a Chinese Air Force Ilyushin IL-76 plane that joined the search appeared to bolster hopes that traces of the plane might yet be found. But the description of the sighting Monday was vague, and it seemed possible that it could prove to be another in a long list of false leads.
“The crew of a Chinese IL-76 plane spotted some suspicious objects in the southern Indian Ocean on Monday,” said a report from Xinhua, the Chinese state-run news agency, which had a reporter on the plane. “The crew of a Chinese IL-76 plane spotted some suspicious objects in the southern Indian Ocean on Monday,” said a report from Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, which had a reporter on board.
The plane spotted a number of objects, including two large pieces, Xinhua reported. “From a height of 1,000 meters, there were two quite large objects, and some small, white fragments scattered within a radius of several kilometers,” the report said. The plane spotted a number of objects from a height of 3,200 feet, or 1,000 meters, including two large pieces, Xinhua reported. “There were two quite large objects, and some small, white fragments scattered within a radius of several kilometers,” the report said.
Australia and China have in recent days released blurry satellite images of objects floating in the search area off Western Australia, and officials said those might be wreckage from the Boeing 777-200. On Sunday, a French satellite was also reported to have detected objects in the southern Indian Ocean that might be related to Flight 370. France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the possible debris was spotted using satellite-based radar, but gave no other details about the image or the objects’ precise location. In recent days, Australia and China have released blurry satellite images of objects floating in the search area west of Australia, and officials have said they might be wreckage from the missing plane. On Sunday, a French satellite was also reported to have detected objects in the southern Indian Ocean that might be linked to Flight 370. France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the possible debris was spotted using satellite-based radar, but gave no other details about the image or the precise location of the objects.
Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer who studies the flow of water around Australia, said the current, the weather and the remoteness of the search site make finding debris plotted from satellite images taken days ago extremely difficult. Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at the University of New South Wales who studies the flow of water around Australia, said currents, the weather and the remoteness of the search site would make it extremely difficult to find debris plotted from satellite images taken days earlier.
“The whole ocean down there is like a pinball machine,” said Dr. van Sebille, a research fellow at the University of New South Wales. “It is difficult to track or predict where water goes, or do what is really important now, which is to backtrack where water came from. The searchers want to find that debris from the satellite images and then confirm it has or has not come from the plane. They will then try to backtrack to find where that material has come from. Where the water moved from. Then they will know where the plane hit the water.” “The whole ocean down there is like a pinball machine,” Dr. van Sebille said. “It is difficult to track or predict where water goes, or do what is really important now, which is to backtrack where water came from. The searchers want to find that debris from the satellite images and then confirm it has or has not come from the plane. They will then try to backtrack to find where that material has come from, where the water moved from. Then they will know where the plane hit the water.”
But Dr. van Sebille said that task was almost impossible. “The longer it takes, the harder it will be to backtrack those pieces of debris because those eddies are unpredictable,” he said. “If you hit one thing differently, like a pinball machine, you get a completely different trajectory.”But Dr. van Sebille said that task was almost impossible. “The longer it takes, the harder it will be to backtrack those pieces of debris because those eddies are unpredictable,” he said. “If you hit one thing differently, like a pinball machine, you get a completely different trajectory.”
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the search off Western Australia, said in a statement Monday that it had been “advised about the reported objects sighted by a Chinese aircraft.” It said the “reported objects are within today’s search area and attempts will be made to relocate them.”The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the search off Western Australia, said in a statement Monday that it had been “advised about the reported objects sighted by a Chinese aircraft.” It said the “reported objects are within today’s search area and attempts will be made to relocate them.”
Earlier, the Xinhua reporter onboard the Chinese search plane had said that visibility was “quite poor” because of low-hanging clouds. Earlier, the Xinhua reporter on board the Chinese search plane had said that visibility was “quite poor” because of low-hanging clouds.
China has sent two Ilyushin IL-76 planes, usually used for transport, to Western Australia to assist in the effort; they were among a total of 10 planes scheduled to take part in the search Monday, according to the Australian organizers. China has also redirected its polar exploration ship, the Xuelong, to the area, and a Chinese merchant ship was headed there. China has sent two Ilyushin IL-76 planes, usually used for transport, to the region to assist in the effort; they were among a total of 10 planes scheduled to take part in the search Monday, according to the Australian organizers. China has also redirected a polar exploration ship, the Xuelong, to the area, and a Chinese merchant ship is headed there.
Investigators say they believe military radar and satellite signals indicate that Flight 370 cut across mainland Malaysia, headed west over the Indian Ocean and then possibly south, toward the area where Australia is leading the search. Investigators say they believe military radar and satellite signals indicate that Flight 370 cut across mainland Malaysia, headed west over the Indian Ocean and then possibly south.
Flight Lt. Russell Adams, the pilot of an Australian P-3 military aircraft that spent more than 10 hours on Sunday searching for debris, said weather conditions had deteriorated in parts of the search zone.Flight Lt. Russell Adams, the pilot of an Australian P-3 military aircraft that spent more than 10 hours on Sunday searching for debris, said weather conditions had deteriorated in parts of the search zone.
“There was cloud down to the surface,” he told reporters Sunday, minutes after landing at the base here, which is about 30 miles north of the western Australian city of Perth. “There was cloud down to the surface,” he told reporters Sunday, minutes after landing at Pearce Air Force Base, north of the Australian city of Perth.
The search is focused on an area about 1,550 miles southwest of Perth. The search is focused on an area about 1,550 miles, or 2,500 kilometers, southwest of Perth.
China has described the object sighted by one of its satellites Tuesday as measuring about 74 feet by 43 feet. It was observed about 65 nautical miles southwest of the spot where, two days earlier, another satellite had captured similar images of floating objects, which the Australian government said might be wreckage from Flight 370. China has described the object sighted by one of its satellites last week as measuring about 74 feet by 43 feet, or 22 meters by 13 meters. It was observed about 65 nautical miles southwest of the spot where, two days earlier, another satellite had captured similar images of floating objects, which the Australian government said might be wreckage from Flight 370.
So far, however, there is no evidence that the debris in any of the Indian Ocean sightings is from the missing airliner. On Saturday, a New Zealand P-3 Orion patrol plane flew over the area and reported sighting only “clumps of seaweed,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. Early search efforts, including in the South China Sea, were plagued by sightings of debris that turned out to be false leads.So far, however, there is no evidence that the debris in any of the Indian Ocean sightings is from the missing airliner. On Saturday, a New Zealand P-3 Orion patrol plane flew over the area and reported sighting only “clumps of seaweed,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. Early search efforts, including in the South China Sea, were plagued by sightings of debris that turned out to be false leads.
As searching resumed on Monday, the United States Pacific Command said it would move into the region a Towed Pinger Locator System, capable of locating a flight information recorder — the so-called black box — down to a depth of 20,000 feet. But an officer of the Navy Seventh Fleet stressed that the move was a precaution, in case wreckage from the missing plane is found. As searching resumed on Monday, the United States Pacific Command said it would move into the region a Towed Pinger Locator System, capable of locating a flight information recorder — the so-called black box — down to a depth of 20,000 feet, or 6,000 meters. But an officer of the Navy Seventh Fleet stressed that the move was a precaution, in case wreckage from the missing plane is found.
“This movement is simply a prudent effort to pre-position 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,” Cmdr. Chris Budde, an operations officer, said in an email issued by the fleet’s public affairs office.“This movement is simply a prudent effort to pre-position 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,” Cmdr. Chris Budde, an operations officer, said in an email issued by the fleet’s public affairs office.
Flight 370 was about 40 minutes into a six-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it stopped communicating with air traffic controllers and changed course. On board were 239 people, including two infants. Flight 370 was about 40 minutes into a six-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it stopped communicating with air traffic controllers and changed course. There were 239 people on board, including two infants.
Signals that the plane transmitted to a satellite — the last one at 8:11 a.m., more than seven hours after the jet took off — allowed investigators to say that the plane took one of two broad paths, one south to the current focus of search operations and the other north across the Asian continent. Signals that the plane transmitted to a satellite — the last one at 8:11 a.m., more than seven hours after it took off — allowed investigators to say that the plane most likely took one of two broad paths, one south to the current focus of search operations and the other north across the Asian continent.
On Saturday, Hishammuddin Hussein, the defense minister of Malaysia, said that seven countries — China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar and Pakistan — had seen nothing to suggest the plane took the north route. On Saturday, Hishammuddin Hussein, the Malaysian defense minister, said that seven countries — China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar and Pakistan — had seen nothing to suggest the plane had taken the north route.
More than two dozen countries are on the hunt from land, air, space and sea for any visible sign of the plane. Investigators from law enforcement and aviation safety agencies around the globe have combed through the backgrounds of all the passengers, and so far have revealed no potential suspects. The Malaysian police are investigating the backgrounds of the plane’s pilot and first officer. So far, there is no proof that the plane’s disappearance was caused by human intervention, nor is there any conclusive evidence that it was caused by a mechanical malfunction or an onboard accident, such as an electrical fire. More than two dozen countries are on the hunt from land, air, space and sea for any visible sign of the plane. Investigators from law enforcement and aviation safety agencies around the globe have combed through the backgrounds of all the passengers, and so far have revealed no potential suspects. The Malaysian police are investigating the backgrounds of the plane’s pilot and first officer. So far, there is no proof that the plane’s disappearance was caused by human intervention, nor is there any conclusive evidence that it was caused by a mechanical malfunction or an accident on board, such as an electrical fire.
Locating the wreckage of the missing aircraft and, most important, the black box that recorded information about its operations during its final hours, would be crucial to determining what happened on Flight 370, said Simon Bennett, director of the Civil Safety and Security Unit at the University of Leicester in Britain. Locating the wreckage of Flight 370 and, most important, the black box that recorded information about its operations during its final hours, would be crucial to determining what happened, said Simon Bennett, director of the Civil Safety and Security Unit at the University of Leicester in Britain.
“In all likelihood, we may never ascertain what happened to MH370, which is a real shame, because then the speculation will simply accelerate and mount up,” he said. “What actually needs to happen is that we need to find the hull, find the flight recorders, and then carefully deconstruct what happened. But in the middle of all that is this blizzard of insane conjecture.” “We may never ascertain what happened to MH370, which is a real shame, because then the speculation will simply accelerate and mount up,” he said. “What actually needs to happen is that we need to find the hull, find the flight recorders, and then carefully deconstruct what happened. But in the middle of all that is this blizzard of insane conjecture.”
Separately Monday, a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-300 headed to Seoul, South Korea, from Kuala Lumpur on an overnight flight was diverted to Hong Kong because of a generator failure, according to the airline. The airline said an auxiliary generator continued to supply power to Flight 66, which was carrying 271 passengers; a spokeswoman for the Hong Kong airport authority said it landed without incident shortly before 3 a.m. Separately on Monday, a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-300 headed to Seoul, South Korea, from Kuala Lumpur on an overnight flight was diverted to Hong Kong because of a generator failure, the airline announced. The carrier said that an auxiliary generator continued to supply power to Flight 66, which had 271 passengers on board. A spokeswoman for the Hong Kong airport authority said that the flight had landed without incident shortly before 3 a.m.
Mohd Taufik Atman, a spokesman for the airline, said the plane was under repair and would resume service once a technical crew gave the go-ahead. He said that as far as he knew, the airline had no plans to investigate the incident further. “This was a mechanical issue. It doesn’t happen regularly, but it won’t take” a larger investigation, he said. Mohd Taufik Atman, a spokesman for the airline, said the plane was under repair and would resume service once a technical crew gave the go-ahead. He said that the airline had no plans to investigate the incident further. “This was a mechanical issue,” he said.