MH370 – now comes the hard part
As the search for MH370 continues, important questions remain.
According to various reports, investigators believe that pilot suicide is the most likely explanation. They have not formally ruled out another event, such as a cockpit fire though – which makes recovering the black box crucial.
AF$447 took two years to locate. Wreckage was found after a few days in that case, and although the ocean topography was far from ideal, due to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, pretty much everything else was more favourable.
From weather to remoteness and the approaching winter – there are quite literally strong headwinds to deal with. Not to mention that the there is no confirmation of the wreckage being spotted.
Hopefully the experience of the search for AF447 will at least come in useful.
MH 370: Possible sighting of debris in southern Indian Ocean
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH 370 is now focussed on the southern Indian Ocean, just under 2,400 km southwest from Perth, Australia.
This follows the detection of debris by satellites – although whether this is MH 370 is unclear.
The area is extremely remote and prone to stormy weather, which is already making the search quite difficult However, if it is MH370, then the search will at least take place on a smooth ocean floor, according to various reports. The search for Air France AF447, n contrast, was conducted in an underwater mountain range (i.e. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge).