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| Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Is Called Off After Nearly 3 Years | Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Is Called Off After Nearly 3 Years |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| HONG KONG — Almost three years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 people on board, officials said on Tuesday that they had called off the underwater search for the plane, ensuring that one of the great aviation mysteries will remain unsolved for the foreseeable future. | |
| The decision, which had been expected, indefinitely suspends an intensive deep-sea search in the southern Indian Ocean for remnants of the plane, a Boeing 777. The underwater search turned up no traces of the plane, although pieces of debris were found as far away as Tanzania. | The decision, which had been expected, indefinitely suspends an intensive deep-sea search in the southern Indian Ocean for remnants of the plane, a Boeing 777. The underwater search turned up no traces of the plane, although pieces of debris were found as far away as Tanzania. |
| Flight 370 disappeared on the way from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, to Beijing on March 8, 2014, prompting the largest and costliest search in aviation history. Investigators determined that the plane had veered off course and flown south for several hours, for reasons that remain unknown. | Flight 370 disappeared on the way from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, to Beijing on March 8, 2014, prompting the largest and costliest search in aviation history. Investigators determined that the plane had veered off course and flown south for several hours, for reasons that remain unknown. |
| “Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area,” the governments of Australia, China and Malaysia, the three countries that oversaw the search, said in a joint statement on Tuesday. “Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has not been located in the 120,000-square-kilometer underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean,” a zone of more than 46,000 square miles. | “Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area,” the governments of Australia, China and Malaysia, the three countries that oversaw the search, said in a joint statement on Tuesday. “Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has not been located in the 120,000-square-kilometer underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean,” a zone of more than 46,000 square miles. |
| “Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft,” the statement said. “Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended.” | “Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft,” the statement said. “Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended.” |
| The decision drew sharp rebukes from family members of the missing. | The decision drew sharp rebukes from family members of the missing. |
| “It is incomprehensible that they would give up right now,” said a sobbing Grace Nathan, 28, whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the flight. “I can’t imagine living the rest of my life accepting that people just disappeared into thin air.” | “It is incomprehensible that they would give up right now,” said a sobbing Grace Nathan, 28, whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the flight. “I can’t imagine living the rest of my life accepting that people just disappeared into thin air.” |
| Investigators have come up with several theories about what happened to the plane. They believe it ran out of fuel, and one theory holds that the pilots may have tried to make an emergency landing at sea. Other theories suggest that one or both pilots lost control of the aircraft, that one was a rogue pilot who diverted the flight, or that the plane was hijacked. | Investigators have come up with several theories about what happened to the plane. They believe it ran out of fuel, and one theory holds that the pilots may have tried to make an emergency landing at sea. Other theories suggest that one or both pilots lost control of the aircraft, that one was a rogue pilot who diverted the flight, or that the plane was hijacked. |
| What investigators do know from radar and satellite communications data is that the plane made several turns, then flew south for five hours. That information led them to concentrate the search along a 400-mile arc from which the plane most likely sent its last signal. | What investigators do know from radar and satellite communications data is that the plane made several turns, then flew south for five hours. That information led them to concentrate the search along a 400-mile arc from which the plane most likely sent its last signal. |
| The first phase of the search, lasting 52 days, was conducted from the air, covering 1.7 million square miles and involving 334 search flights that flew 3,137 hours in the air. “Unfortunately, all of that effort has found nothing,” Warren Truss, Australia’s infrastructure minister, said in May 2014, announcing the start of the deep-sea search. | The first phase of the search, lasting 52 days, was conducted from the air, covering 1.7 million square miles and involving 334 search flights that flew 3,137 hours in the air. “Unfortunately, all of that effort has found nothing,” Warren Truss, Australia’s infrastructure minister, said in May 2014, announcing the start of the deep-sea search. |
| That highly complex process scoured the ocean floor, 12,000 to 15,000 feet below the water’s surface, occasionally turning up debris fields that raised false hopes. | That highly complex process scoured the ocean floor, 12,000 to 15,000 feet below the water’s surface, occasionally turning up debris fields that raised false hopes. |
| Australia, China and Malaysia have said since July that the search would end if the plane were not found in the search area. China is involved in the search because 153 of the passengers on the plane were Chinese. | Australia, China and Malaysia have said since July that the search would end if the plane were not found in the search area. China is involved in the search because 153 of the passengers on the plane were Chinese. |
| In December, investigators said they may have been looking too far south and recommended expanding the search zone. But the Australian government said that without more credible evidence identifying the specific location of the jet, the search, which cost a total of $150 million, would be called off this month. | In December, investigators said they may have been looking too far south and recommended expanding the search zone. But the Australian government said that without more credible evidence identifying the specific location of the jet, the search, which cost a total of $150 million, would be called off this month. |
| “We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located,” the statement on Tuesday said. | “We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located,” the statement on Tuesday said. |
| While the underwater search proved fruitless, about 20 pieces of debris believed to be from the missing jet have been recovered, including a wing part, known as a flaperon, that was found on Réunion Island, east of Madagascar, in July 2015. That location, combined with analysis of ocean currents, supported the theory that the plane had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. | While the underwater search proved fruitless, about 20 pieces of debris believed to be from the missing jet have been recovered, including a wing part, known as a flaperon, that was found on Réunion Island, east of Madagascar, in July 2015. That location, combined with analysis of ocean currents, supported the theory that the plane had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. |
| The end of the search appeared to dash the last hopes of victims’ relatives, many of whom had pressed for it to continue in hopes that the mystery surrounding the fates of their loved ones would be solved. | The end of the search appeared to dash the last hopes of victims’ relatives, many of whom had pressed for it to continue in hopes that the mystery surrounding the fates of their loved ones would be solved. |
| “There have been so many similar incidents and people were always able to find something,” said Liu Jiani, whose grandparents, Chinese citizens, were on the plane. In this case, she asked, “Why has nothing been found?” | “There have been so many similar incidents and people were always able to find something,” said Liu Jiani, whose grandparents, Chinese citizens, were on the plane. In this case, she asked, “Why has nothing been found?” |