Objects spotted in Malaysia plane search

Monday March 24, 2014

Attempts are underway to find large floating objects spotted by a Chinese aircrew in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
Searchers have seen two relatively big floating objects with many white smaller ones scattered within a radius of several kilometres, the official Xinhua news agency says, citing a reporter on board a Chinese Ilyushin-76 plane.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says they are within a search area currently being combed by ships and aircraft and attempts will be made to relocate them.
Ten aircraft are searching different sections of the remote southern Indian Ocean some 2500km southwest while the US Navy is sending a black box locator to the area following a cluster of debris sightings including a wooden pallet along with belts or straps.
One search zone on Monday was based on objects identified by French authorities, while another continues to focus on finding debris picked up by Australian and Chinese satellites.
'We've got to check out all the options,' Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said on Monday.
'We're just, I guess, clutching at whatever little piece of information comes along to try and find a place where we might be able to concentrate the efforts.'
But despite the bolstered efforts, the operation is likely to be hampered with forecast rain leading to possible reduced visibility.
AMSA has reiterated the hunt is challenging due to its distance from land, the weather, turbulent seas and because flight MH370, carrying 239 people, disappeared more than two weeks ago.
Civil aircraft engaged by AMSA and military aircraft from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, China and Japan are involved in the search.
Two Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft from China were en route to the search area on Monday morning, and will be joined by two Japanese P-3 Orion aircraft.
Twenty West Australian SES volunteers are working as observers on board three civilian aircraft: two Bombardier Global Express planes and an Airbus.
Two RAAF P-3 Orion aircraft will again join the search, along a US P-8 Poseidon.
HMAS Success remains in the search area, while a number of Chinese ships are en route to assist.
The US navy says sending the black box locator was a 'precautionary measure' in case the debris sightings confirm the location of the missing aircraft.
'If a debris field is confirmed, The Navy's Towed Pinger Locator 25 will add a significant advantage in locating the missing Malaysian aircraft's black box,' Commander William Marks, a spokesman for the US Seventh Fleet, said in an email.
The locator system relies on acoustic signals to help find flight recorders - also known as black boxes - on downed navy and commercial aircraft to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet (6000 metres), he added.