Satellite looking into missing Malaysia flight detects suspected crash area By Greg Botelho. Jethro Mullen and Michael Pearson, CNN March 13, 2014 -- Updated 0028 GMT (0828 HKT) Breaking down possible wreckage images STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: Theres so much confusing information, a commercial pilot says Malaysian aviation official says he hasnt seen the Chinese satellite images Agency: The satellite found three suspected floating objects Flight 370 went missing early Saturday; 27,000 sq. nautical miles are being searched (CNN) -- A Chinese satellite probing the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 observed a suspected crash area at sea, a Chinese government agency said -- a potentially pivotal lead into what thus far has been a frustrating, fruitless search. Chinas State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense announced the discovery, including images of what it said were three suspected floating objects. The objects arent small: 13 by 18 meters (43 by 59 feet), 14 by 19 meters (46 by 62 feet) and 24 by 22 meters (79 feet by 72 feet). For reference, the wingspan of an intact Boeing 777-200ER like the one that disappeared is about 61 meters (200 feet) and its overall length is about 64 meters (210 feet). The images were captured around 11 a.m. on March 9 -- which was the day after the plane went missing -- but werent released until Wednesday. The Chinese agency gave coordinates of 105.63 east longitude, 6.7 north latitude, which would put it in waters northeast of where it took off in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and south of Vietnam, near where the South China Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand. Photos: The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Source: CNN Did Flight 370 veer off course? Did Flight 370 veer off course? Its where its supposed to be, Peter Goelz, a former National Transportation Safety Board managing director, told CNNs Jake Tapper, noting the great skepticism about reports the plane had turned around to go back over Malaysia. I think theyve got to get vessels and aircraft there as quickly as humanly possible. This isnt the first time authorities have announced the discovery of objects or oil slicks that might be tied to aircraft. Still, it is the latest and comes on the same day that officials, rather than narrowing the search area, more than doubled it from the day earlier to nearly 27,000 square nautical miles (35,000 square miles). Bill Palmer -- author of a book on Air Frances Flight 447, which also mysteriously went missing before its remnants were found -- said having a search area of that size is immensely challenging. He compared it to trying to find something the size of a car or truck in Pennsylvania, then widening it to look for the same thing in all of North America. Its a very, very difficult situation to try to find anything, Palmer told CNNs Brooke Baldwin. Looking for pieces on the shimmering water doesnt make it any easier. The Chinese satellite find could help, significantly, in that regard. I think the size of the pieces ... everything weve heard... gives good cause to believe that weve now (refocused) the area, former Federal Aviation Administration official Michael Goldfarb told CNN. And thats a huge relief to everybody ... I think its a high chance that theyre going to confirm that these (are) pieces of the wreckage. But not every expert was convinced this is it. Clive Irving, a senior editor with Conde Nast Traveler, said that the size of the pieces -- since they are fairly square and large -- dont conform to anything thats on the plane. Tom Haueter, a former NTSB aviation safety director, said hed be surprised if the objects came from the plane, rationalizing that anything that big wouldnt float. Regardless, time is of the essence -- both for investigators and the loved ones of the planes 239 passengers and crew, who have waited since Saturday for any breakthrough that would provide closure. The flight data recorders should ping, or send out a signal pointing to its location, for about 30 days from the time the aircraft set off, noted Goldfarb. After that, Flight 370 could prove exponentially harder to find. Its the only clue that weve had so far, CNN aviation expert Richard Quest said of the satellite imagery clues. If this doesnt prove to be the wreckage of 370, then were back to square one. Timeline of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Vietnamese minister: Info being provided insufficient The Malaysia Airlines flight set off seemingly without incident early Saturday, not long after midnight, en route to Beijing. Then, around 1:30 a.m., all communication cut off over a location south and east of where the Chinese satellite images were shot. While those pictures may be significant, that doesnt mean the new information was immediately acted upon. Abdul Raman, the head of Malaysias civil aviation department, said around 6 a.m. Thursday in Kuala Lumpur -- hours after Chinas announcement -- that his agency had not seen the images. This assertion comes amid frustration about the investigation, search and communication surrounding both. Relatives of those aboard the plane have expressed outrage, with video showing some of them angrily throwing water bottles at airline officials. And on Tuesday, a middle-aged man -- who said his son was on that plane -- shouted, Time is passing by, before bursting into tears. Some involved in the multinational search operation have also vented about the ordeal. Most of those on the flight were Chinese, and the Chinese government has urged Malaysia to speed up the pace of its investigation. And Phan Quy Tieu, Vietnams vice minister of transportation, has characterized the information that Malaysian officials have provided as insufficient. Up until now we only had one meeting with a Malaysian military attache, he said. For now, Vietnamese teams will stop searching the sea south of Ca Mau province, the southern tip of Vietnam, and shift the focus to areas east of Ca Mau, said Doan Luu, the director of international affairs at the Vietnamese Civil Aviation Authority. Malaysias transportation and defense minister Hishamuddin Bin Hussein defended his governments approach. We have been very consistent in the search, he said. How you can help find the plane Confusion about planes route Over the weekend, authorities suddenly expanded their search to the other side of the Malay Peninsula, in the Strait of Malacca, where search efforts now seem to be concentrated. That location is hundreds of miles off the planes expected flight path. An explanation appeared to come Tuesday when a senior Malaysian Air Force official told CNN that the Air Force had tracked the plane to a spot near the small island of Palau Perak off Malaysias west coast in the Strait of Malacca. The planes identifying transponder had stopped sending signals, too, said the official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Malaysias civilian administration appeared to dispute the report, however. The New York Times quoted a spokesman for the Malaysian prime ministers office as saying Tuesday that military officials had told him there was no evidence the plane had flown back over the Malay Peninsula to the Straits of Malacca. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: What we know and dont know The Prime Ministers office didnt immediately return calls from CNN seeking comment. In another shift, Malaysian authorities said at a news conference Wednesday that radar records reviewed in the wake of the planes disappearance reveal an unidentified aircraft traveling across the Malay Peninsula and some 200 miles into the Strait of Malacca. However, it wasnt clear whether that radar signal represented Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Gen. Rodzali Daud, head of the Malaysian Air Force, said at the news conference. Rodzali said then that officials are still examining and analyzing all possibilities when it comes to the planes flight path. As Rob Mark, a commercial pilot and publisher of JetWhine, told CNNs Erin Burnett: Theres so much confusing information flying around about this right now. Nothing has been ruled out as to what caused the planes communication systems -- including its crucial transponder -- to suddenly stop working. Terrorism, hijacking, pilot error and a mechanical malfunction all remain just as valid as possibilities now as when the plane went missing. Amid all the confusion and complaints, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday appealed for patience. The families involved have to understand that this is something unexpected, Najib said. The families must understand more efforts have been made with all our capabilities. I just found out that the MISSING PLANE IS NOT FOUND YET
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 00:55:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015