MH 777 missing - MH370 media statement

[drron]

Then again I have pictures of coconut shells on the shore of Macquarie Island at 54S.The current objects are between 40-44S.So lots of flotsam from more trafficked shipping lanes can make it to Southern waters.

 

[DC3]

I have a few retired merchantmen in my extended family and they well tell you that they hit rubbish including containers anywhere. If the search was to go on the trail of every piece of sighted garbage then the search could be infinite.

Seeing some floating rubbish is not a reportable incident. IMO

Have to agree with those sentiments.

And no-one still has any idea at all where the plane is.

 

[mannej]

Is the Skytraders A319 involved in the search? Just spotted it overhead.

 

[Melburnian1]

I am not saying there isn't flotsam and jetsam to be found, just that its incidence in that area is a lot lower than other locations.

Are you sure of this, markis10? A report this morning says that currents in this very large search area typically move at 3.6 kilometres an hour, and as someone else said, containers that have gone overboard can end up anywhere on the oceans.

 

[markis10]

Are you sure of this, markis10? A report this morning says that currents in this very large search area typically move at 3.6 kilometres an hour, and as someone else said, containers that have gone overboard can end up anywhere on the oceans.

The point I was making is that it's not as common elsewhere! not that it doesn't exist. The initial search area has a high amount of junk, as was reported with various finds. And yes, containers can end up anywhere, but they don't have the dimensions of the satellite finds, they are too small.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And yes, containers can end up anywhere, but they don't have the dimensions of the satellite finds, they are too small.

Unless of course it is more than one shipping container....note the clusters drifting away below.



And would not want to run into this cluster in a yacht at night..

 

[markis10]

Unless of course it is more than one shipping container....note the clusters drifting away below.

View attachment 26490

Still won't be more than 40ft long in most cases, max length is 45ft and that's rare by comparison. Containers usually don't sit on the surface either after time in the water, the small amount of air in most means they are likely found at the six foot depth.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

found at the six foot depth.

Not always..see pics above.

It would depend a lot on what is in the container.

 

[markis10]

Search operations resume for Malaysia Airlines MH370: Update 11
*All times are expressed in Australian Eastern Daylight Saving time. Please note departure times are
approximate.

Search operations in the Southern Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft will continue
today in the Australian Search and Rescue Region.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) reiterates this is a challenging search operation and
continues to hold grave fears for the passengers and crew on board the missing flight.

Several small objects of interest were identified by air observers on a civil aircraft in yesterday’s search.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion aircraft with specialist electro-optic observation
equipment was diverted to the location, arriving after the first aircraft left but only reported sighting
clumps of seaweed.

The RNZAF P3 Orion dropped a datum marker buoy to track the movement of the material.

Further attempts will be made today to establish whether the objects sighted are related to MH370.

Yesterday, China provided a satellite image to Australia possibly showing a 22.5 metre floating object in
the southern Indian Ocean. AMSA plotted the position and it fell within yesterday’s search area. The
object was not sighted during yesterday’s search.

AMSA has used this information in the development of the search area, taking drift modelling into
account.

Today’s search has been split into two areas within the same proximity covering 59,000 square
kilometres about 2500 kilometres south-west of Perth. These areas have been determined by drift
modelling.

A total of eight aircraft have been tasked by AMSA’s Rescue Coordination Centre to undertake today’s
search activities.

The civil aircraft are two Bombardier Global Express, a Gulfstream 5 and an Airbus 319.

One civil aircraft departed Perth for the search area just after 9am. Three other civil aircraft departed for
the search area between 11am and midday.

The United States Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft departed for the search area about 11am.

 

[markis10]

Not always..see pics above.

It would depend a lot on what is in the container.

Quite true, reefers are usually the ones that stay on top, thanks to the insulation foam.

 

[markis10]

Is the Skytraders A319 involved in the search? Just spotted it overhead.

Yes it is today, yesterday it was doing its normal job routing Christmas Island - Per - DRW

 

[lovetravellingoz]

While containers are a very likely object to find floating at sea, they are not the only objects..

From the exotic:



To upturned hulls...quite common for capsized boats all dimensions to not actually sink......and yes maybe even parts of a passenger jet..

 

[ozkid]

Then again I have pictures of coconut shells on the shore of Macquarie Island at 54S.The current objects are between 40-44S.So lots of flotsam from more trafficked shipping lanes can make it to Southern waters.

African swallows on southern migratory arc

 

[ozkid]

Search operations resume for Malaysia Airlines MH370: Update 11
snip
The United States Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft departed for the search area about 11am.

potentially dumb questions:
- would sonobouys used by these ASW aircraft be of any use to listen for pings from the black boxes
- would the MAD gear be sensitive enough for metal floating on surface, as backup to eyeball mark 1

 

[markis10]

potentially dumb questions:
- would sonobouys used by these ASW aircraft be of any use to listen for pings from the black boxes
- would the MAD gear be sensitive enough for metal floating on surface, as backup to eyeball mark 1

I suspect the MAD gear would not be effective against Aluminium, radar is a different story and thats what the P8 and others would mostly be using.

 

[medhead]

Not always..see pics above.

It would depend a lot on what is in the container.

How long were those containers in the water? And how does that fit with eventually settling at a depth. A photo taken shortly after the containers went into the drink does not support your post.

 

[Robbi]

Unless of course it is more than one shipping container....note the clusters drifting away below.

View attachment 26490

And would not want to run into this cluster in a yacht at night..

View attachment 26491



View attachment 26492

You'd think they have a deck mounted .50 cal gun to hole the containers so they sink quickly and not cause a hazard for other craft.

 

[prozac]

A refrigerated (what we call a freezer or reefer box) container will float for much longer as it is a sealed unit just like your fridge at home. They come in 20ft and 40ft sizes.

After the tsunami in Japan containers and lots of other debris continued to wash up on the US west coast 18 months after the event.

Worth remembering also that the Cape of Good Hope is a major shipping lane for vessels to and from Europe/Middle East and Asia. Cargo lost overboard and rubbish disposed of not in accordance with MARPOL Convention will make it;s way across the sthn oceans (west to east). Also many vessels do transit straight across to Australia, the Hoegh St Petersberg being a good example.

 

[cove]

I saw a mention that some of the planes cargo was lithium-ion batteries. Has that been validated by a credible source?

 

[HarryB]

You'd think they have a deck mounted .50 cal gun to hole the containers so they sink quickly and not cause a hazard for other craft.

Hmm ... No chance of that being used in a manner other than what it as designed for, eh?