MH370 Search Update: Authorities Initially Snubbed Evidence Related To Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight, Losing Chance Of Discovering Debris-Report
More than nine months after, missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 continue to baffle researchers. Meanwhile, a new report claims that Malaysian authorities neglected the information from a British satellite company Inmarsat, that was received in the initial days of plane's disappearance.
According The West Australian, "critical days were lost in the search for" the missing Boeing 777 because the authorities from Malaysia "initially rejected evidence" related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 received from the satellite. As per the website, the satellite company provided "findings but were rebuffed." The information by the company was provided within 24 hours of the Malaysian jetliner's disappearance.
"They didn't want to know" a source told the publication. As per the report, the company then reached out to Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch. They reportedly recognised the importance of the data. As for Malaysian authorities, it took them five days to realise the significance of the data by Inmarsat in the search of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. According to the report, Inmersat "continued to get a signal every hour from MH370 until 8:19 am, WA time"
The missing Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8, 2014 with 239 people on board from 15 different nations, including at least six Australians. It is said that the Beijing-bound plane went off the radar within few minutes of its take off from Kuala Lumpur airport. Soon after, troops were deployed as a part of multinational search mission. However, no traces or debris have been discovered. On March, 24, 2014, it was announced that missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, ended in southern Indian Ocean.
Inmersat and AAIB together approached Malaysian authorities with their findings and convinced them to consider the information "seriously." As reported, days after radar tracking data was revealed by Malaysian military that showed that there was a change in the course of the flight. It revealed that MH370 flew "across Malaysia" in the direction of Andaman Sea. However, the initial search efforts were conducted in South China Sea.
The report notes that according to the oceanographers neglect of the information may have led to the loss of probability of discovering "major debris field." As explained in the report, 10 days later, debris has a chance of becoming "waterlogged and sunk or been broken up in the heavy seas."
Meanwhile, it is reported that the search in "priority zone" could be ended in May 2015, according to Mirror UK. As revealed by JACC authorities to Perth Sunday Times, the three vessels have now completed "two-thirds" of the search area for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.