The Malaysian government approved a plan to restart the search for the wreckage of MH370 over six years since the last search ended in 2018.
It has now been over 10 years since the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200ER, with 239 passengers and crew on board. The flight departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (WMKK), heading for Beijing International Airport (ZBAA).
The flight initially headed north according to its flight plan. But as the aircraft left Malaysian airspace, its transponder stopped transmitting and primary (military) radar later showed that it had changed course, heading back south. The search for MH370 started quickly but initially focused on Vietnam, where the aircraft should have overflown.
In the next few years, the search focused on a region near the west Australian coast, where analysts believed MH370 headed after its disappearance. But the size of the search area and the mounting cost of the search, eventually led to its abandonment.
MH370 – A New Search
But now, Malaysia’s government has come to an agreement with exploration firm Ocean Infinity to restart the search. Ocean Infinity was the last company to search for MH370 until 2018. This will be the company’s third attempt to find the missing wreckage.
If its search for MH370 bears fruit, Ocean Infinity will get $70 million from Malaysia. But this is a no-find-no-fee search contract, so the company itself assumes some risk. However, it appears that the company and Malaysian officials believe that new information is credible enough to justify these efforts.
Neither Ocean Infinity nor Malaysia’s authorities have revealed which area the search for MH370 will focus on. They have only revealed the size of the area, which is 15,000 square kilometers or 5,790 square miles – a bit larger than the U.S. State of Connecticut.
In the years since the last search, different analysts have concentrated on at least two approaches to finding MH370. One approach studies existing standard operating procedures and how they correlate to satellite signals sent by the aircraft. Another study examines how the silent aircraft may have interfered with other radio transmissions in the region.
These two research studies point to different search areas for the missing flight – but not far apart from each other. Again, it isn’t clear which of them Ocean Infinity will prioritize or if it is targeting a different area. The company will conduct its search over a period of 18 months.
For an incredibly detailed look at the disappearance of MH370, the studies and the possible ways to arrive at new search areas, check out the Mentour Pilot video below:
