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Clock Ticks as Search for Missing Plane Intensifies in New Zone Clock Ticks as Search for Missing Plane Intensifies in New Zone
(about 3 hours later)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — More than three weeks after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, and with still no trace of the missing plane, the international search effort intensified on Sunday with 10 surveillance planes and eight naval vessels scheduled to scour the latest search zone, the Australian authorities said. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — More than three weeks after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, and with still no trace of the missing plane, the international search effort intensified on Sunday with nine planes conducting surveillance above the latest search area while the flotilla of naval vessels scouring the zone continued to grow, the Australian authorities said.
A frigate from the Royal Australian Navy was also en route to the area and was expected to arrive on Tuesday, and another Australian naval vessel, the Ocean Shield, was preparing to depart from Perth later Sunday, outfitted with special equipment to detect the pings of the plane’s data recorders, or black boxes, said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the search. As many as eight ships were expected to arrive in the area by day’s end, and others were to follow in the coming days, including an Australian naval vessel, the Ocean Shield, outfitted with special equipment to detect the pings of the plane’s data recorders, or black boxes, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the search.
After aircraft had spotted numerous unidentified objects floating in the search area, crews on two of the ships pulled several items from the water on Saturday, but investigators determined that those objects were not from the missing Boeing 777-200, officials said.After aircraft had spotted numerous unidentified objects floating in the search area, crews on two of the ships pulled several items from the water on Saturday, but investigators determined that those objects were not from the missing Boeing 777-200, officials said.
Still, Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia called the day’s efforts “successful.” Still, Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia called Saturday’s efforts “successful.”
“We haven’t yet been able to ascertain what those objects are, but nevertheless, for the first time yesterday objects have been recovered from the ocean,” he said Sunday.“We haven’t yet been able to ascertain what those objects are, but nevertheless, for the first time yesterday objects have been recovered from the ocean,” he said Sunday.
The Ocean Shield was not expected to reach the search zone until Wednesday at the earliest, officials said. In addition to the listening device, which was supplied by the United States Navy, it will also be carrying an unmanned underwater vehicle, the Australians said. In Malaysia, more than two dozen relatives of Chinese passengers on Flight 370 arrived from China on Sunday to press Malaysian officials for more answers about the ongoing investigation. The Malaysian government has endured withering criticism by the relatives and friends of Chinese passengers, both in Malaysia and in China, who have accused officials of withholding information about the plane’s disappearance and not doing enough to find it.
But the ping detector’s utility in the absence of more specific information about the location of the wreckage is doubtful. The device is towed behind a ship traveling at about five knots, or about 6 miles, per hour and needs to be within about a mile of a black box to pick up the signal reliably, making for a slow and painstaking process. The new search area, which was established on Friday, is roughly the size of Poland. The group staged a protest at a hotel near Kuala Lumpur, chanting, “"We want proof!” They also demanded an apology from the Malaysian government for declaring last week that the plane had crashed into the Indian Ocean, saying there was insufficient evidence to support that conclusion.
Government officials said later that they planned to hold a briefing for the family members that would include “high-level representatives of the Malaysian government.”
Over the weekend, planes flying above the search area in the southern Indian Ocean spotted unidentified objects, with search vessels scrambling to retrieve the items for inspection. Crews on at least two vessels have pulled several pieces of debris from the water but have determined that none was associated with the missing plane.
The Ocean Shield, the warship with the black box listening device, was preparing to depart from Perth, Australia, late Sunday but was not expected to reach the search zone until Wednesday at the earliest, officials said. It will also be carrying an unmanned underwater vehicle, the Australians said.
But the ping detector’s utility in the absence of more-specific information about the location of the wreckage is doubtful. The device is towed behind a ship traveling at about five knots, or six miles per hour, and needs to be within about a mile of the black box to pick up the signal reliably, making for a slow and painstaking process. The new search area, which was established on Friday, is roughly the size of Poland.
Searchers, however, say there is no time to waste: The device is rendered ineffective once the black boxes’ batteries die, which is expected to happen next week.Searchers, however, say there is no time to waste: The device is rendered ineffective once the black boxes’ batteries die, which is expected to happen next week.
The recovery of debris from Flight 370 might help pinpoint the location of the wreckage, though experts are doubtful.The recovery of debris from Flight 370 might help pinpoint the location of the wreckage, though experts are doubtful.
When debris is found quickly enough after a crash into the sea, investigators can trace its drift back to the impact site and conduct an underwater search for the black boxes. But in the case of Flight 370, any debris, if found, might well have drifted hundreds of miles since the plane’s disappearance and be of limited use in locating the crash site.When debris is found quickly enough after a crash into the sea, investigators can trace its drift back to the impact site and conduct an underwater search for the black boxes. But in the case of Flight 370, any debris, if found, might well have drifted hundreds of miles since the plane’s disappearance and be of limited use in locating the crash site.
Still, recovered items from the plane might allow investigators to rule in or out certain events that could have precipitated a crash. Scorch marks, for example, might indicate that there was a fire, and the nature of any fire damage could offer clues about its source.Still, recovered items from the plane might allow investigators to rule in or out certain events that could have precipitated a crash. Scorch marks, for example, might indicate that there was a fire, and the nature of any fire damage could offer clues about its source.
In the case of the crash of Air France Flight 447 in 2009, the fact that the oxygen masks had not deployed and that life vests remained in their pouches indicated that those on board had not had time to prepare for an impact. Investigators also deduced from the damage that the plane hit the water at high speed, and they were able to tell which part of the plane hit the water first. Autopsies on the bodies recovered from the site revealed that the impact was extremely violent.In the case of the crash of Air France Flight 447 in 2009, the fact that the oxygen masks had not deployed and that life vests remained in their pouches indicated that those on board had not had time to prepare for an impact. Investigators also deduced from the damage that the plane hit the water at high speed, and they were able to tell which part of the plane hit the water first. Autopsies on the bodies recovered from the site revealed that the impact was extremely violent.
Confirmed debris would also provide final confirmation that the plane had crashed into the ocean and offer at least partial resolution to the families and friends of the passengers and crew. Confirmed aircraft debris would also provide final evidence that the plane had crashed into the ocean and offer at least partial resolution to the families and friends of the passengers and crew.
But search experts warned that the approaching winter in the Southern Hemisphere could force a delay of several months to any comprehensive underwater search-and-recovery mission.But search experts warned that the approaching winter in the Southern Hemisphere could force a delay of several months to any comprehensive underwater search-and-recovery mission.
While the wreckage of the plane probably rests in cold, deep waters and is unlikely to degrade significantly in the coming months, experts said, the prospect of a delay would be hard for search experts to explain to the family members and to politicians who want to demonstrate that they are doing everything possible to find out what happened.While the wreckage of the plane probably rests in cold, deep waters and is unlikely to degrade significantly in the coming months, experts said, the prospect of a delay would be hard for search experts to explain to the family members and to politicians who want to demonstrate that they are doing everything possible to find out what happened.
The search area was shifted after new analysis of radar data from the morning of March 8, as Flight 370 veered off its intended route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, determined that the plane was traveling faster than previously thought and therefore would have burned fuel more quickly and possibly fallen into the Indian Ocean farther north than previously believed, officials said. The search area was shifted after new analysis of radar data from the morning of March 8 — when Flight 370 apparently veered off its intended route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing — determined that the plane was traveling faster than previously thought and therefore would have burned fuel more quickly and possibly fallen into the Indian Ocean farther north than previously believed.
The new zone is about 1,100 miles west of Perth and about 700 miles northeast of the previous search area.The new zone is about 1,100 miles west of Perth and about 700 miles northeast of the previous search area.
Two aircraft flying over the new zone on Saturday — one from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force and the other from the Royal Australian Air Force — spotted floating debris. Five aircraft flying over the zone on Friday also spotted unidentified objects. The sightings of possible airplane debris over the weekend has elevated hopes that the searchers might be getting closer. But officials involved in the search, mindful of the amount of detritus adrift in the world’s oceans, cautioned that such sightings were inconclusive without the retrieval and hands-on analysis of the items.
But officials involved in the search, mindful of the amount of detritus adrift in the world’s oceans, cautioned that the sightings were inconclusive without the retrieval and hands-on analysis of the items. “It is not known how much flotsam, such as from fishing activities, is ordinarily there,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said in a statement.
“It is not known how much flotsam, such as from fishing activities, is ordinarily there,” the Maritime Safety Authority said in a statement.
On Sunday, 29 relatives of Chinese passengers on Flight 370 arrived in Kuala Lumpur, The Associated Press reported. The Malaysian government has endured withering criticism by the relatives and friends of Chinese passengers, both in Malaysia and in China, who have accused it of withholding information about the disappearance of the plane and not doing enough to find it.
On Saturday, Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia’s defense minister, stopped by a hotel near Kuala Lumpur to meet with some of the relatives.
Speaking to reporters after the closed-door meeting, Mr. Hishammuddin said the families wanted assurances that the search-and-rescue operation would continue.
“As long as there is even a remote chance of a survivor, we will pray and do whatever it takes,” he said, adding, “This is the hardest part of my life at the moment, meeting up with the families.”