MH 777 missing - MH370 media statement

[amaroo]

Here is the UK AAIB report given to the Malaysian government.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=740971779281171&id=178566888854999

The comments are disappointing.....FB warriors!

 

[markis10]

26th March, 2014: 8am (AEDT)

Search operation for Malaysia Airlines aircraft continues: Update 18

The search for any signs of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft in the Australian Search and Rescue
Region is scheduled to get underway around 8am AEDT this morning.

A total of six countries are now assisting in the search and recovery operation – Australia, New Zealand,
the United States, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.

Today’s search is split into three areas within the same proximity covering a coughulative 80,000 square
kilometres.

Weather conditions have improved in the area and HMAS Success is now on its way back to the search
area. On its arrival, HMAS Success will conduct a surface sweep of an area identified on Monday
afternoon by a RAAF P3 Orion as the location for several objects of interest.

China’s polar supply ship Xue Long is expected to arrive in the search area later this morning.

AMSA has tasked a total of 12 aircraft today to search for possible objects in the search area.

Five civil aircraft will be involved in search activities today and will have AeroRescue Aviation Mission
Coordinators on board.

A total of 34 State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers from Western Australia will again be air
observers on board the civil aircraft.

A total of seven military aircraft will join search operations today.

One Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft from China, a P3 Orion from Japan, a P3 Orion from the Republic of Korea,
two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orion, a United States Navy P8 Poseidon, and a Royal New
Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion will join today’s search.

The Chinese aircraft will be the first aircraft to depart for the search area about 8am.

 

[Austman]

A bit more information on how the Doppler Effect was used to work out if the aircraft was travelling north or south is here:

Basically, Inmarsat 4-F1′s longitude wobbles slightly during its orbit. This wobble, if you know what you’re looking for, creates enough variation in the Doppler shift that objects moving and north and south have slightly different frequencies. (If it didn’t wobble, the Doppler shift would be identical for both routes.) Inmarsat says that it looked at the satellite pings of other flights that have taken similar paths, and confirmed that the Doppler shift measurements for MH370′s pings show an “extraordinary matching” for the southern projected arc over the Indian Ocean. ”By yesterday [we] were able to definitively say that the plane had undoubtedly taken the southern route,” said Inmarsat’s Chris McLaughlin.

How satellites tracked down flight MH370 – but why we still can’t find the plane | ExtremeTech

 

[drron]

NASA now has redeployed 2 satellites to look at the search area-EO-1 and ASTER.EO-1 can resolve objects down to 35 feet,ASTER to 50 feet.Hopefully can come up with something.
The New Zealanders are pointing the finger at the Captain-
Flight MH370: Pilot in wrong state of mind to fly - friend - World - NZ Herald News

Whilst the FBI haven't come up with anything against the Captain yet if we believe CNN-
Indications files deleted closer to final Malaysian Airline flight - CNN.com

A good post from an aircraft designer on PPRuNe-
Malaysian Airlines MH370 contact lost - Page 409 - PPRuNe Forums

And if you want to see what the conditions were like on the Chinese icebreaker yesterday have a look at this video-
Video: MH370: Search boat battles huge waves in Indian Ocean - Telegraph

Unfortunately we experienced seas like this on our return from Antarctica.

 

[DrA]

NASA now has redeployed 2 satellites to look at the search area-EO-1 and ASTER.EO-1 can resolve objects down to 35 feet,ASTER to 50 feet.Hopefully can come up with something.
The New Zealanders are pointing the finger at the Captain-
Flight MH370: Pilot in wrong state of mind to fly - friend - World - NZ Herald News

Whilst the FBI haven't come up with anything against the Captain yet if we believe CNN-
Indications files deleted closer to final Malaysian Airline flight - CNN.com

A good post from an aircraft designer on PPRuNe-
Malaysian Airlines MH370 contact lost - Page 409 - PPRuNe Forums

And if you want to see what the conditions were like on the Chinese icebreaker yesterday have a look at this video-
Video: MH370: Search boat battles huge waves in Indian Ocean - Telegraph

Unfortunately we experienced seas like this on our return from Antarctica.

Good. The difference with ASTER is that in addition to standard satellite photos, it also records spectral data. There are band ratios that can be used which can help to distinguish between different types of materials (minerals, water, vegetation). Would assist in identifying the debris which might be relevant. Honestly, I'm a little surprised this is only just happening. I would have thought that the ASTER sat would have been re-deployed to the area as soon as the search went south.

 

[browski]

NASA now has redeployed 2 satellites to look at the search area-EO-1 and ASTER.EO-1 can resolve objects down to 35 feet,ASTER to 50 feet.Hopefully can come up with something.
The New Zealanders are pointing the finger at the Captain-
Flight MH370: Pilot in wrong state of mind to fly - friend - World - NZ Herald News

In a perverse way, after the "Ghost plane" theory, the "Joyride" theory is hard to shake from your head.

 

[Joshua]

Good. The difference with ASTER is that in addition to standard satellite photos, it also records spectral data. There are band ratios that can be used which can help to distinguish between different types of materials (minerals, water, vegetation). Would assist in identifying the debris which might be relevant. Honestly, I'm a little surprised this is only just happening. I would have thought that the ASTER sat would have been re-deployed to the area as soon as the search went south.

Not really the case since the TIR instrument is far too spatially coarse and the SWIR sensor has malfunctioned years ago. I assume the initial spotting was done with any NIR/SWIR bands anyway... Obviously the photos they've been releasing are panchromatic or equivalent and leaves many - including some on this board - wondering how they can tell if they're clueless on the data acquired. I imagine it's pretty easy to pull up materials in NIR/SWIR when they're surrounded by ocean. Obviously we don't know exactly all the imagery they've been getting with military assets but lets assume they have some basic capacity outside visible, though nothing like environmental/civil ones.

I have no idea about the surveillance aircraft but some sort of onboard hyperspectral sensor would easily be able to determine plastic vs. steel vs. aluminium. It probably something that hasn't been needed to be done before, but considering they're spotting stuff in the air but can't retrieve, it would be good to at least try molecular identification through spectral response without physical retrieval.

 

[markis10]

Wont be much flying tomorrow, weather looks set to close in again.

 

[DC3]

... and Ocean Shield is still on track for a Saturday morning arrival in Fremantle.

 

[Archphoto]

BBC World latest report supposedly more wreckage has been found:

"A further 122 objects potentially from missing Malaysian flight identif​ied by satellite, Malaysia's acting transport minister has said.The images, taken on 23 March, showed objects up to 23m (75 ft) in length, he said."

BBC News - Flight MH370: 122 'new objects' spotted - Malaysia minister

 

[markis10]

Three objects spotted by aircraft, two looked like rope and the NZ P3 spotted a blue object, none located on second pass.

 

[Archphoto]

I found this story in today's NYT, rather interesting, explaining why the area is so difficult to search:

Search for Missing Flight’s Wreckage Is Hampered by a Sea of Detritus

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Three objects spotted by aircraft, two looked like rope and the NZ P3 spotted a blue object, none located on second pass.

Well that's useful, 2 pieces of a rope and something blue. Perhaps this aircraft will never be found

 

[defurax]

Well that's useful, 2 pieces of a rope and something blue.

A harpooned whale?

But seriously, I wonder if they would abandon the search efforts if they had good evidence that it was pilot suicide.

 

[drron]

Malaysian team with the Chinese relatives have said there is sealed information that can not be revealed-
Malaysia says there's sealed evidence on MH370 that cannot be made public

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Malaysian team with the Chinese relatives have said there is sealed information that can not be revealed-
Malaysia says there's sealed evidence on MH370 that cannot be made public

I can't imagine that announcement would do anything for Chinese Malay relations mind you they've probably been damaged beyond repair by now anyway.

 

[samh004]

Malaysian team with the Chinese relatives have said there is sealed information that can not be revealed-
Malaysia says there's sealed evidence on MH370 that cannot be made public

Seems inevitable that things will come out, the world wants to know after all.

On a different topic, this may have been brought up already and I don't want to seem insensitive, but I wonder if any of the Australians (or other passengers) were QFF's who have now had their accounts frozen and points forfeited. Family might not be too happy when they realise and I'm sure it'll be someones headline if so.

 

[kpc]

I don't know how I would react if i had a loved one onboard MH370, but what do AFFers think of the behaviour of the Chinese relatives esp. in Beijing? (cf to say the Malaysian and Australian relatives; I also accept that there are cultural differences as well)

Mr Hussein also defended his Government over growing Chinese criticism about the handling of the disaster.

He said until the debris is found the one question Chinese relatives are asking cannot be answered.
And in a veiled reference to the Chinese reaction, where there have been angry scenes and water bottles hurled at Malaysian officials and protest marches, Mr Hussein said many nations had lost loved ones.
“Time will heal emotions that are running high. We fully understand but for the Chinese families they must also understand that we in Malaysia also lost loved ones. There are so many nations that lost loved ones.
“I have seen some images coming from Australia, very rational, understanding that this is a global effort, not blaming directly ... because we are co-ordinating something that is unprecedented,” Mr Hussein said.
He was referring to the Australian families of passengers meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Abbott.

France spots 122 objects in Indian Ocean where search resumes for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 | News.com.au

...and this is leading to:
China and Malaysia tensions simmer over missing Malaysia Airlines plane MH370 | News.com.au

 

[amaroo]

Malaysian team with the Chinese relatives have said there is sealed information that can not be revealed-
Malaysia says there's sealed evidence on MH370 that cannot be made public

Bedded in the comments is the best conspiracy theory by a long shot.....it involves the Taliban, drones, navy seals, Mossad, America, Australia, Chinese Scientists, Maldives and more. Look for the comment by Chua....it's an absolute ripper!

 

[drron]

And the vultures have landed-
Malaysia Airlines and Boeing face $1.9 billion lawsuit

The same law firm are suing Boeing after the Asiana crash too.