Missing Flight MH370: New Zealand Crew Not Losing Hope as New Leads Emerge

New Zealand continues its efforts to search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 as ships and aircraft from Japan and China have joined the international effort in combing the remote waters off Western Australia. Australia is leading the search efforts as previous satellite images point to the possible location of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft near Perth.

The Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 carried 239 people onboard, including 13 crew, and shortly lost contact with ground control after taking off for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Ten aircraft have already joined the search for the missing place and now investigating a new lead after a French satellite had reportedly picked up images of possible debris.

The New Zealand Air Force Orion crew continues to remain upbeat despite another day of failing to find any trace of the lost Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The Orion went back to base in Western Australia at about 4:30 am on March 24 after its latest sweep of the sea.

Missing plane search difficult but crew not losing hope

Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadron Leader Brett MacKenzie said finding debris on the ocean while up in the air was a difficult task since the aircraft they were using in search efforts is travelling 200 miles an hour.

Mr MacKenzie said the world is moving so fast and a great amount of concentration is needed to look for an object in amongst the whitecaps. In searching for about two or two and half hours, they might miss something important if they were to have a "couple of moments of inattention."

The search on March 23 was affected by thick clouds and fog. However, acting chief of the Air Force Air Commodore Mike Yardley said the crew has not given up hope of finding the missing Malaysian Airlines plane. Commodore Yardley said searchers had renewed energy when news of the recent images from a French satellite believed to be aircraft debris broke out.

The New Zealand crew, along with other searchers, is buoyed by the recent development and determined to go out again to find what they were looking for. Mr Yardley said New Zealand was requested to provide more people to analyse satellite data and work with search planes.

Australia has vowed to continue search efforts indefinitely until the missing plane is found.