This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-frantic-search-for-black-box-continues-as-officials-consider-sending-in-submersible-9245546.html
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Navy divers to trawl search area after evidence of black box 'pings' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Navy divers have been searching for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, after signals detected by a vessel consistent with those from black box flight recorders were hailed as "the most promising lead" in the month-long hunt so far. | |
| The head of the Australian-led search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has said they will scour the sea before sending in a submersible underwater. | |
| Australia’s Ocean Shield picked up the ‘pings’ on Saturday and Sunday, but were unable to relocate them on Monday. | Australia’s Ocean Shield picked up the ‘pings’ on Saturday and Sunday, but were unable to relocate them on Monday. |
| They will now continue to trawl the area before sending a submersible to investigate whether faint sounds detected by equipment on board Australian vessel Ocean Shield are from the missing plane's black boxes. | They will now continue to trawl the area before sending a submersible to investigate whether faint sounds detected by equipment on board Australian vessel Ocean Shield are from the missing plane's black boxes. |
| If no further pings are detected, the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Bluefin-21 is onboard the Ocean Shield and could be sent to look for wreckage on the sea floor. | If no further pings are detected, the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Bluefin-21 is onboard the Ocean Shield and could be sent to look for wreckage on the sea floor. |
| Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search for flight MH370, said the month-long hunt in the Indian Ocean was at a critical stage given the batteries in the black box beacons had already reached the end of their 30-day expected life. | Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search for flight MH370, said the month-long hunt in the Indian Ocean was at a critical stage given the batteries in the black box beacons had already reached the end of their 30-day expected life. |
| "If we don't get any further transmissions, we have a reasonably large search area of the bottom of the ocean to prosecute and that will take a long, long time. It's very slow, painstaking work," said Houston. | "If we don't get any further transmissions, we have a reasonably large search area of the bottom of the ocean to prosecute and that will take a long, long time. It's very slow, painstaking work," said Houston. |
| "It is a large area for a small submersible that has a very narrow field of search, and of course, it is literally crawling along the bottom of the ocean," he said. | "It is a large area for a small submersible that has a very narrow field of search, and of course, it is literally crawling along the bottom of the ocean," he said. |
| "That's why it’s so important to get another transmission and we need to continue until there's absolutely no chance the device is still transmitting." | "That's why it’s so important to get another transmission and we need to continue until there's absolutely no chance the device is still transmitting." |
| The Bluefin will scour the ocean floor in 20-hour missions using sonar in an attempt to find the Boeing 777, before its findings are downloaded and analysed on board the Ocean Shield. | The Bluefin will scour the ocean floor in 20-hour missions using sonar in an attempt to find the Boeing 777, before its findings are downloaded and analysed on board the Ocean Shield. |
| If anything unusual is spotted, the sonar on board the robotic vehicle will be replaced with a camera to take a closer look. The potential search area is about 4.5 km (2.8 miles) deep, the outer reach of the Bluefin's range. | If anything unusual is spotted, the sonar on board the robotic vehicle will be replaced with a camera to take a closer look. The potential search area is about 4.5 km (2.8 miles) deep, the outer reach of the Bluefin's range. |
| Up to eleven military planes, three civilian planes and 14 ships are taking part in the search on Tuesday, with the Australian coordination centre reporting good weather in the search area. | Up to eleven military planes, three civilian planes and 14 ships are taking part in the search on Tuesday, with the Australian coordination centre reporting good weather in the search area. |
| On Monday, Malaysia's Defence Minister said he was "cautiously hopeful" that teams searching for missing flight MH370 will be able to make a positive announcement in the next few days, "if not hours". | On Monday, Malaysia's Defence Minister said he was "cautiously hopeful" that teams searching for missing flight MH370 will be able to make a positive announcement in the next few days, "if not hours". |
| His comments came after the head of the Australian agency co-ordinating the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 said the team is “very close” to locating the area where the aircraft fell, after a US Navy ‘ping’ locator towed by an Australian ship detected signals consistent with the beacons emitted from aircraft black box recorders. | His comments came after the head of the Australian agency co-ordinating the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 said the team is “very close” to locating the area where the aircraft fell, after a US Navy ‘ping’ locator towed by an Australian ship detected signals consistent with the beacons emitted from aircraft black box recorders. |
| Additional reporting by agencies | Additional reporting by agencies |