Search for MH370: Objects possibly from lost jet sighted from aircraft

Canberra Objects possibly linked to the lost Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been sighted from aircraft for the first time on Friday in a new search area in the southern Indian Ocean but confirmation by ship can happen only by Saturday Australian authorities saidldquoRNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion spotted objects in MH370 search area identity to be establishedrdquo the Australian Maritime Safety Authority AMSA tweeted adding that the aircraft would be landing soon at Pearce Airbase near Perth and imagery was awaitedldquoSightings need confirmation by ship not expected until tomorrowrdquo it also saidRAAF Flight Lieutenant Russell Adams looks out from the cockpit of a AP3C Orion during a search mission for missing Malaysia Airline flight MH370 in the Southern Indian Ocean on March 26 2014 PicAFPEarlier Friday the Australian authorities said that the search operation for the lost Malaysian airliner that was being conducted 2500 km southwest of Perth was Friday shifted 1100 km northeast following a ldquocredible leadrdquoldquoThe AMSA search for any sign of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been shifted to an area north following advice from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau ATSBrdquo John Young emergency response general manager of the AMSA and Martin Dolan chief commissioner of the ATSB said in a joint statementldquoAn international air crash investigation team in Malaysia provided updated advice to the ATSB which has examined the information and determined an area 1100 km to the northeast of the existing search area is now the most credible lead as to where debris may be locatedrdquo it addedAccording to the statement the new search area is approximately 319000 sq km and is about 1850 km west of Perth the capital of Western Australia stateMalaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished mysteriously about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur shortly after midnight March 8The Boeing 777200ER was scheduled to land in Beijing the same day The 226 passengers on board included five Indians 154 Chinese and 38 MalaysiansThe plane lost contact along with its radar signal when it was flying over the air traffic control area of Vietnams Ho Chi Minh CityAt a press conference in Kuala Lumpur Monday Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said British investigators from its Air Accidents Investigation Branch AAIB confirmed flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian OceanBased on their new analysis Inmarsat and the AAIB have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean west of Perth he addedAccording to the AMSAATSB statement Friday the Australian GeospatialIntelligence Organisation AGO is retasking satellites to capture images of the new search arealdquoWeather conditions are better in the revised area and 10 aircraft have been tasked for todayrsquos Fridays searchrdquo the statement said Thursdays search operation had to be cut short due to adverse weather conditionsTwo Royal Australian Air Force RAAF P3 Orions a Japanese Coast Guard Gulfstream 5 jet a Japanese P3 Orion a P3 Orion and a C130 Hercules of South Korea a Royal New Zealand Air Force RNZAF P3 Orion a Chinese air force Ilyushin IL76 a US Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft and one civil Australian jet acting as a communications relay have been deployed for Fridays search operationldquoFour of the 10 aircraft are overhead the search area with a further six planes to fly over the area todayrdquo the AMSAATSB statement saidSix ships are also relocating to the new search area including the Royal Australian Navys HMAS Success and five Chinese shipsChinese Maritime Safety Administration MSA patrol ship Haixun 01 is in the search areaMeanwhile a US towed pinger locator and Bluefin21 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle have arrived in Perth to assist with location and recovery of the black boxThe depth of the water in the search area is between 2000 and 4000 metresOn Thursday over 300 new objects were spotted by satellites of Thailand and Japan in or near the earlier search area in the southern Indian Ocean