that means the farker at control tower have hearing problem... mebbe the plane has been sending 五月天 signal and they tot it came from 5566 or FIR
-
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
MALAYSIAN Airlines flight en route to China is missing.
- Thread starter GoldenPeriod
- Start date
that means the farker at control tower have hearing problem... mebbe the plane has been sending 五月天 signal and they tot it came from 5566 or FIR
I have heard over news ( I think BBC) that fellow pilots have commented that it is not usual for them to report back to control tower, "all right goodnight". Hence, it is an indication that the pilot was not behaving normally at that time.
Malaysia has changed the wordings after those comments from the pilots and is therefore interesting.
Last edited:
the question is not the message, but why they change it 3 weeks later. Malaysia boleh.
It was past midnight and they say goodnight?!
China’s ambassador to Malaysia strikes conciliatory tone over flight MH370
Ambassador to Malaysia strikes conciliatory tone as he emphasises joint responsibility in missing jet search after criticism from families
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 02 April, 2014, 11:44pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 03 April, 2014, 7:35am
Teddy Ng and Danny Lee in Kuala Lumpur
Relatives of passengers aboard the ill-fated plane leave yesterday after a briefing by Malaysian government officials. Photo: AFP
Beijing last night sought to distance itself from critical comments made by Chinese relatives of those onboard flight MH370, branding them "irresponsible" and unrepresentative of the views of the central government.
In an effort to smooth bilateral ties after a backlash in Malaysia over attacks by some families, China's ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang said he was confident the investigation was being handled well.
Huang Huikang backed the investigation. Photo: AP
His statement came days after state media urged relatives to act "rationally" to news their loved ones had almost certainly perished in the Indian Ocean.
"Some Chinese families, internet users and well-known people have aired some radical views," Huang said.
"These radical and irresponsible opinions do not represent the views of Chinese people and the Chinese government."
Huang is the first official to comment on the outbursts.
He also defended Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's use of the word "ended" when describing the probability that the jet plunged into the ocean on March 8 - a turn of phrase that infuriated relatives who said there was no evidence of a crash.
Some accused the Malaysians of "murdering" loved ones by delaying the rescue mission, while others called for a boycott of Malaysian travel and goods.
"None of the accusations are true," Huang said. "Najib Razak chose the word 'ended' instead of 'crashed' or 'lost'. I fully understood why, because the purpose was to avoid harmful meaning."
Huang's conciliatory tone marked a softening in the stance of the government, which last week allowed a demonstration to take place outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing.
Huang said Kuala Lumpur had had problems co-ordinating the search and releasing consistent information, but added that Malaysia could not bear sole responsibility for the search.
"China and Malaysia are sincerely co-operating with and trust each other," he said. "We are willing to give helping hands to each other without hesitation whenever the other is in need."
The airline incident would not sour relations on the 40th anniversary of bilateral ties, Huang said. Planned celebrations would go ahead, with China giving two pandas to Malaysia and Najib visiting Beijing in May.
Huang's remarks came as Premier Li Keqiang and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke by phone, during which time Li said rescue efforts should not be lessened.
Last night, following a meeting with Malaysia's civil aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, some Chinese families remained unrepentant.
One man, who did not wish to be named, said: "We have not raised any unreasonable demands. Our criticisms are not targeted at Malaysian people, but the government."
Yesterday Malaysia's top policeman, Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar, warned investigators "may not ever know the real cause" of the disappearance of the Boeing 777 and the 239 people onboard.
MH370 mystery may never be solved, says top Malaysian police officer
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 03 April, 2014, 2:41am
UPDATED : Thursday, 03 April, 2014, 2:41am
Danny Lee [email protected]
Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar
Malaysia's top police officer warned yesterday that the mystery behind the disappearance of flight MH370 may never be solved, as a global body representing airlines said all aircraft should be continuously tracked.
"Investigations may go on and on and on. We have to clear every little thing," Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar admitted. "At the end of the investigations we may not ever know the real cause."
He said more than 170 interviews had been conducted and there were more in the pipeline. "We need to be thorough," he said.
His words will be of little comfort to the relatives of the 239 on board the Kuala Lumpur to Beijing flight, including the Chinese families.
The probe is well into its fourth week with police still checking the backgrounds and activities of the 12 crew members on board. The 227 passengers are no longer suspects.
Meanwhile, International Air Transport Association director general Tony Tyler, a former Cathay Pacific chief executive, urged the industry yesterday to introduce real-time monitoring of aircraft around the world.
"In a world where our every move seems to be tracked, there is disbelief that an aircraft could simply disappear," he said, announcing a high-level task force to make recommendations on the matter.
"We cannot let another aircraft simply vanish."
Malaysia's Defence and Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein will meet US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel this week during a gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations members. He is expected to ask for more help in the hunt for MH370.
The Malaysian government said yesterday that the country's attorney general had been instructed to "compile evidence and advise" on possible legal action against false media reports related to the missing plane.
First signs of MH370 crash may be found on Australian shore
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 03 April, 2014, 2:41am
UPDATED : Thursday, 03 April, 2014, 2:41am
Danny Lee in Kuala Lumpur [email protected]
Unknown debris seen from a search plane on Monday. Photo: Reuters
The first pieces of evidence that Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 crashed into the ocean may come to light when they are washed up on a beach, possibly within weeks, experts said yesterday.
Oceanographers said that currents and prevailing winds would likely push any floating debris towards Australia's vast west coast.
In the event that the huge ongoing Indian Ocean search turns up nothing, small, buoyant items could appear before the wreckage of the plane itself is located.
An assortment of aircraft and ships scouring the ocean some 2,000 kilometres off the coast of Perth have so far found no sign of the missing Boeing 777.
Dr Alec Duncan, an oceanographer from Curtin University in Perth, said: "Prevailing winds are southwesterly, which will push material in the general direction of the coast. However, the search area is a long way offshore, so this could take months."
He said it was also possible that debris could wash up on one of the islands that dot the Indian Ocean.
Oceanographer Erik van Sebille said that if the plane had crashed near Australia there "would be a good chance" something washed up.
A computer-generated model created by Sebille, which tracks ocean rubbish based on historical data, suggests objects floating in the water 1,800 kilometres from Australia will take about six months to reach land.
But he warned that it would be difficult to identify anything that might wash up.
"I don't think we will see many sightings, or people picking up debris from the plane, because it won't be a beach full of plane wreckage," he said.
"There's so much debris in the ocean, if you start to investigate every single piece, the chances of it being from the plane are pretty slim."
Graham Edkins, a former safety investigator with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, said it was possible that objects would reach the coast.
"If someone stumbled across wreckage they would be required to call the police in the first instance," he said.
Oceanographer Andrew Kiss described the current in the search zone as turbulent, and said it would spread floating objects in all directions.
He cautioned that even if something from the plane were to wash ashore, it could easily go unnoticed since the 2,600-kilometre west coast of Australia was sparsely populated.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology predicted that for the next seven days, waves would flow in southwestern and northerly directions in the area around the search zone.
Search for missing Malaysian jet drags on, as probe narrows to crew
By Matt Siegel and Niluksi Koswanage
PERTH/KUALA LUMPUR Wed Apr 2, 2014 1:32pm EDT
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HqR789gLeFY?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>
(Reuters) - Malaysian police have ruled out involvement of any passengers in the disappearance of a missing jetliner, while Australian officials warned bad weather and a lack of reliable information were impeding efforts to find wreckage from the plane.
Up to 10 planes and nine ships from a half dozen countries on Wednesday scoured a stretch of the Indian Ocean roughly the size of Britain, where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is believed to have crashed more than three weeks ago.
Authorities have not ruled out mechanical problems as causing the disappearance, but say all the evidence suggests the plane was deliberately diverted from its scheduled route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Malaysia's police chief said the investigation was focusing on the cabin crew and pilots, after clearing all 227 passengers of possible involvement in hijacking, sabotage or having personal or psychological problems that could have been connected to the disappearance.
"They have been cleared," national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.
The search and rescue teams are in a race against time to locate the plane's black box recorder, which has an expected battery life of around 30 days and without which it may never be possible to find the wreckage.
Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the head of the Australian agency coordinating the operation, said that a lack of reliable flight telemetry and punishing conditions at sea were making the operation even more challenging.
"In other words, we don't have a precise aircraft location for six hours before the aircraft went into the water somewhere," he said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"The reality is it's the most complex and challenging search and rescue operation, or search and recovery operation now, that I've ever seen."
NO TRACE
Broken clouds, sea fog and isolated thunderstorms were expected to further complicate operations, Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Center said.
The search is now focused on an inhospitable 221,000 sq km (85,000 sq miles) swathe of the southern Indian Ocean some 1,500 km (932 miles) west of the Australian city of Perth. But despite the unprecedented effort, the international team has so far failed to spot any trace of the jetliner.
"Look, it's one of the great mysteries of our time," Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in an interview with local Perth radio station Radio 6iX.
"We owe it to the world, we owe it to those families, to do whatever we reasonably can do get to the bottom of this."
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was expected to arrive in Perth late on Wednesday to inspect the search and rescue operations, which are being conducted out of RAAF Base Pearce north of the city. He was expected to meet Abbott on Thursday.
Najib will arrive with Malaysia coming under fresh fire for its handling of the incident after authorities there changed their account of the plane's critical last communication.
Malaysia on Tuesday released the full transcript of communications between the Boeing 777 and local air traffic control before it dropped from civilian radar in the early hours of March 8. (for full transcript, click: r.reuters.com/kam28v)
While indicating nothing abnormal, the transcript showed the final words from the cockpit were not the casual "All right, good night" that authorities first reported, but the more standard "Good night Malaysian three seven zero."
Minutes after the final radio transmission was received the plane's communications were cut off and it turned back across Peninsular Malaysia and headed towards the Indian Ocean, according to military radar and limited satellite data.
NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
Malaysian authorities have faced heavy criticism, particularly from China, for mismanaging the search, now in its fourth fruitless week, and holding back information. Most of the 239 people on board the flight were Chinese.
Among the vessels due to join the search in the coming days is an Australian defence force ship, the Ocean Shield, that has been fitted with a sophisticated U.S. black box locator and an underwater drone.
Britain is sending HMS Tireless, a Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine with sonar capabilities, to help with the search, Malaysia's transport ministry said in a statement.
Still, Houston said the challenging search would continue based on the imperfect information with which they had to work.
"It's vitally important for the governments involved that we find this aeroplane," he said. "But I'm just pointing out that it won't be easy given the circumstances that surround this particular search and recovery operation."
(Additional reporting by Stuart Grudgings in KUALA LUMPUR; Editing by Alex Richardson)
It was "salamat malam Malaysia tiga tujoh kosong, CINTA"....yah! malu to report, lah!...
Their discrepancies in such simple detail help fuel conspiracy theories. It reinforced the belief that they have fabricated them and are hiding the truth. One relative of the US passenger put it most aptly in an interview that she had stopped listening to their daily briefing in order to keep her sanity.
Last edited:
Malaysia to launch lawsuits against media that publish 'false' reports on Flight MH370
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 02 April, 2014, 11:31am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 02 April, 2014, 11:31am
Agence France-Presse in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia's Transport and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein speaks during a press briefing on Flight MH370. Photo: EPA
Malaysia’s authoritarian government, which has been under harsh global scrutiny over the handling of the missing Flight MH370 drama, said on Tuesday it would compile a list of “false” media reports issued over the crisis and consider filing lawsuits.
Transport and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on his Twitter feed the country’s attorney general had been instructed to “compile evidence and advise” on possible legal action.
Earlier in the day Hishammuddin was quoted by the Malay Mail newspaper as saying: “We have been compiling all the false reports since day one. When the time is right, the government should sue them.”
The MH370 saga and resulting world attention has put Malaysia’s long-ruling government – which muzzles its own pliant mainstream press – in the unaccustomed position of having to answer tough questions from reporters.
Hishammuddin, who has run the government’s near-daily briefings on the situation, has repeatedly denied various anonymously-sourced reports revealing details of Malaysia’s investigation into the March 8 disappearance of MH370 with 239 people aboard.
He took particular aim on Monday against British tabloid the Daily Mail, which at the weekend quoted a “source close to the family” of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah as saying police had learned he was emotionally unstable before the flight amid alleged marital trouble.
“I can confirm to you that the information did not come from the police and you should ask Daily Mail how they get the information,” Hishammuddin said tersely when asked about the report.
In a Facebook comment reported by local media, Zaharie’s daughter Aishah Zaharie accused the Daily Mail of “making up” the report.
The Daily Mail also reported earlier that Zaharie was said to be a fanatical supporter of Malaysia’s political opposition. Friends and acquaintances have denied that.
Suspicions have fallen on Zaharie, 53, and his co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid after Malaysian officials said the plane was believed to have been deliberately diverted by someone with flying knowledge. But nothing has emerged to suggest either had any motive to go rogue.
The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in power since independence in 1957 has a poor record of transparency, routinely sweeping corruption scandals and other embarrassments under the rug.
Malaysia’s independent web-based news organisations are largely unfettered due to a promise by the government in the 1990s not to censor the internet, but their reporters say they are routinely harassed or blocked from government press briefings.
Your explanation very funny. Maybe it's true.
Re: MALAYSIAN Airlines flight en route to China is STILL missing.
Food probed as investigation continues into flight MH370
AFP
Yahoo! and wires April 3, 2014, 2:06 pm
Sub joins MH370 hunt as Malaysia police probe draws blankAFP Sub joins MH370 hunt as Malaysia police probe draws blank
A new theory being investigated is that the food was poisoned on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Authorities are probing every lead possible in the hunt to find out what happened to the missing flight, including scrutinising the food and cargo on the plane.
Malaysia’s top police officer Khalid Abu Bakar said that just investigating a load of mangosteens, a leathery-shelled, tropical Asian fruit, proved to be a difficult exercise.
“For example when we knew there was a load of mangosteens on board we had to find out where the mangosteens came from,” he said. “We tracked down who plucked the fruits, who packed them and shipped them out, who put them on the plane.”
“Imagine how many people we must interview and that was just the mangosteens,” he said.
Prime minister Tony Abbott met with Malaysia prime minister Najib Razak in Perth. Photo: Getty Images
Investigators had to also track down who was buying the fruit to make sure all leads were covered.
"Investigations may go on and on and on. We have to clear every little thing," he said.
"At the end of the investigations, we may not even know the real cause. We may not even know the reason for this incident."
Malaysia PM visits Perth
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been told Australia is doing everything it can to find the missing flight, which disappeared almost four weeks ago with 239 people on board.
Mr Najib arrived at Perth's RAAF Pearce air base, which is the departure point for the eight-nation operation, to meet those involved in the search and tour the facilities.
"I want to assure you Australia is doing everything it can," retired air marshal Angus Houston, who is leading the new Joint Agency Coordination Centre for the search, said.
He said it was one of the most demanding search and rescue operations he'd ever seen, and one of the most complex.
He offered his sympathies to the families of those on board MH370, which disappeared on March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
"I'd like to personally extend my personal condolences to the people of Malaysia," he said.
The former head of Australia's defence forces said the search, co-ordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, was being reinforced by strong liaison at all levels.
"Prime Minister Najib, today you will see in action the remarkable co-operation occurring between the military crews from across our region and indeed the world, who are contributing to the search effort," he said.
"They are working seamlessly and effectively with our civilian agencies, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
"It is a truly international effort and the search, I think, is a powerful example of international co-operation at its very best."
He said Malaysia and Australia were longstanding friends who worked well together.
"To use the Australian term, we're good mates," air chief marshal Houston said.
Mr Najib was accompanied by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The initial search focused on the South China Sea, where air traffic controllers lost contact with MH370.
After subsequent searches in the Strait of Malacca, Andaman Sea and northern Indian Ocean, the focus turned to the southern Indian Ocean, based on satellite data.
Hundreds of objects have been spotted in the remote search area, but none have been verified as being part of the plane's wreckage.
The Joint Agency Coordination Centre, established this week in central Perth and staffed by 20 people, said eight planes and nine ships would on Thursday search an area of 223,000 square kilometres, 1680 kilometres west-northwest of Perth.
The first plane left the Pearce air base at 6am (WST).
The weather forecast is fair with visibility of about 10km, but the southern area may experience some isolated showers.
Tweet causes stir
Malaysian defence and acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein has come under fire for appearing to agree with a journalist that missing flight MH370 was a "blessing in disguise".
A journalist based in Kuala Lumpur, Ismail Amsyar , tweeted "#MH370 is a blessing in disguise for all of us. I understand now the beauty of unity, the sweetness of having each other. @HishammuddinH2O".
Shortly later, Hishammudin replied with "Right u are
(sic)".
Users immediately responded, blasting both the journalist and the minister for suggesting that there could be a positive to the plight of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.
Alan Cook tweeted: “@HishammuddinH2O @IsmailAmsyar hmmmm not sure the families will be happy to hear that translate it so they can read your statment #mh370”.
Hishammuddin Hussein is under fire for this tweet. Photo: Twitter
Hj Azman HMZ also quickly responded: “@HishammuddinH2O @IsmailAmsyarSorry. I beg to differ with max consideratn & respect to the families. MH370 can’t be a blessing!”.
The journalist, who works for The Malaysian National News Agency, responded to the criticism, saying the unity and resilience of the Malaysian people was behind his comments.
“but u shud see how united we are defending our country from being accused, how strong the local media dispelling -ve reports,” he wrote.
He also responded directly to users who had taken aim at him.
“@hjazman got what u mean..but m not being insensitive or anything. I look at them as my family and i want them back. My apology,” he tweeted.
“@hjazman I’ve been covering this issue since day 1. they are all my family, my Malaysian family. if they hurt, so do i,” he followed up with shortly later.
Submarine sent to aid search
A British nuclear sub with underwater search capabilities reinforced the Indian Ocean hunt for flight MH370 on Wednesday, but Malaysian police warned the cause of the jet's mysterious disappearance may never be known.
Despite extensive scouring of the remote waters southwest of Perth where Malaysia believes the jet went down, ships and planes have found no debris that would indicate a crash site.
Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said a three-week-old criminal investigation into what caused the flight with 239 people aboard to veer far from its intended route between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing had so far been inconclusive.
The sober assessment will add to the frustrations of anxious family members of the missing passengers, who have denounced Malaysia's handling of the crisis.
"Give us more time," Khalid told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, according to Dow Jones Newswires. "We may not even know the real cause of this incident."
Ten planes and nine ships resumed the hunt Wednesday although authorities warned clouds, fog and isolated thunderstorms would reduce visibility.
Britain's Royal Navy said the first submarine in the operation -- HMS Tireless -- has arrived in the area and "with her advanced underwater search capability will be able to contribute to the attempts to locate the missing plane".
Britain's HMS Echo is also due in the search zone shortly to assist Australia's Ocean Shield naval vessel, which is fitted with a US-supplied "black box" detector and is expected to arrive on Friday.
Black box deadline looms
Malaysian news agency Bernama quoted police chief Khalid saying all MH370 passengers had been "cleared" of suspicion.
Police also are investigating the backgrounds of the plane's 12 crew, as well as ground staff and flight engineers, for signs of a hijack or sabotage plot.
More than three weeks after the flight's March 8 disappearance, authorities remain baffled as to how and why it happened, and warn that unless the black box is found, the mystery may never be solved.
The battery-powered signal from MH370's black box -- which records flight data and cockpit voice communications that could hold clues in the mystery -- usually lasts only about 30 days, with time fast running out to find it.
Malaysian leader heads to Perth
Australia has warned against expectations of quick success in the difficult task of recovering the black box from the deep and vast seas.
Retired Australian air chief marshal Angus Houston, who is heading a new coordination centre in Perth, reiterated Wednesday that the odds were stacked against them.
"The reality is it's the most complex and challenging search and recovery operation I've ever seen," he told national radio.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib is due to arrive late Wednesday in Perth.
On Thursday, he will tour the air base being used as a staging post for the search and meet with his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott.
Malaysia's handling of the crisis, marked by piecemeal and occasionally contradictory information, has been widely questioned, especially by distraught relatives of the 153 Chinese nationals aboard.
Many have alleged incompetence or even a cover-up by Malaysia, straining ties between the two countries, although the rhetoric has eased in recent days.
In a briefing on Wednesday, Malaysian officials sought to explain to skeptical relatives their conclusion that the plane went down in the Indian Ocean.
That determination, based on complex satellite data, has outraged some families who say wreckage must first be recovered.
The closed-door briefing outside Kuala Lumpur included technical experts from China and Malaysia, a government statement said, and was telecast to other relatives in Beijing.
"Throughout the process, I want to assure you that we have done everything in our power to locate MH370. We have spared no effort and expense," civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman told relatives in his opening statement.
But Steven Wang, a relative in Beijing, said the briefing did not convince him.
"I don't think that anything was explained to us... There are all kinds of possibilities," he said.
On Tuesday, Malaysia Airlines revealed the full radio communications with the pilots of MH370, but the routine exchanges contained nothing unusual and shed no light on the theory of possible pilot involvement.
The conversations with air traffic controllers had been the subject of much speculation as suspicions have focused on whether one or both of the pilots deliberately diverted the plane.
Food probed as investigation continues into flight MH370
AFP
Yahoo! and wires April 3, 2014, 2:06 pm
Sub joins MH370 hunt as Malaysia police probe draws blankAFP Sub joins MH370 hunt as Malaysia police probe draws blank
A new theory being investigated is that the food was poisoned on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Authorities are probing every lead possible in the hunt to find out what happened to the missing flight, including scrutinising the food and cargo on the plane.
Malaysia’s top police officer Khalid Abu Bakar said that just investigating a load of mangosteens, a leathery-shelled, tropical Asian fruit, proved to be a difficult exercise.
“For example when we knew there was a load of mangosteens on board we had to find out where the mangosteens came from,” he said. “We tracked down who plucked the fruits, who packed them and shipped them out, who put them on the plane.”
“Imagine how many people we must interview and that was just the mangosteens,” he said.
Prime minister Tony Abbott met with Malaysia prime minister Najib Razak in Perth. Photo: Getty Images
Investigators had to also track down who was buying the fruit to make sure all leads were covered.
"Investigations may go on and on and on. We have to clear every little thing," he said.
"At the end of the investigations, we may not even know the real cause. We may not even know the reason for this incident."
Malaysia PM visits Perth
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been told Australia is doing everything it can to find the missing flight, which disappeared almost four weeks ago with 239 people on board.
Mr Najib arrived at Perth's RAAF Pearce air base, which is the departure point for the eight-nation operation, to meet those involved in the search and tour the facilities.
"I want to assure you Australia is doing everything it can," retired air marshal Angus Houston, who is leading the new Joint Agency Coordination Centre for the search, said.
He said it was one of the most demanding search and rescue operations he'd ever seen, and one of the most complex.
He offered his sympathies to the families of those on board MH370, which disappeared on March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
"I'd like to personally extend my personal condolences to the people of Malaysia," he said.
The former head of Australia's defence forces said the search, co-ordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, was being reinforced by strong liaison at all levels.
"Prime Minister Najib, today you will see in action the remarkable co-operation occurring between the military crews from across our region and indeed the world, who are contributing to the search effort," he said.
"They are working seamlessly and effectively with our civilian agencies, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
"It is a truly international effort and the search, I think, is a powerful example of international co-operation at its very best."
He said Malaysia and Australia were longstanding friends who worked well together.
"To use the Australian term, we're good mates," air chief marshal Houston said.
Mr Najib was accompanied by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The initial search focused on the South China Sea, where air traffic controllers lost contact with MH370.
After subsequent searches in the Strait of Malacca, Andaman Sea and northern Indian Ocean, the focus turned to the southern Indian Ocean, based on satellite data.
Hundreds of objects have been spotted in the remote search area, but none have been verified as being part of the plane's wreckage.
The Joint Agency Coordination Centre, established this week in central Perth and staffed by 20 people, said eight planes and nine ships would on Thursday search an area of 223,000 square kilometres, 1680 kilometres west-northwest of Perth.
The first plane left the Pearce air base at 6am (WST).
The weather forecast is fair with visibility of about 10km, but the southern area may experience some isolated showers.
Tweet causes stir
Malaysian defence and acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein has come under fire for appearing to agree with a journalist that missing flight MH370 was a "blessing in disguise".
A journalist based in Kuala Lumpur, Ismail Amsyar , tweeted "#MH370 is a blessing in disguise for all of us. I understand now the beauty of unity, the sweetness of having each other. @HishammuddinH2O".
Shortly later, Hishammudin replied with "Right u are
(sic)".Users immediately responded, blasting both the journalist and the minister for suggesting that there could be a positive to the plight of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.
Alan Cook tweeted: “@HishammuddinH2O @IsmailAmsyar hmmmm not sure the families will be happy to hear that translate it so they can read your statment #mh370”.
Hishammuddin Hussein is under fire for this tweet. Photo: Twitter
Hj Azman HMZ also quickly responded: “@HishammuddinH2O @IsmailAmsyarSorry. I beg to differ with max consideratn & respect to the families. MH370 can’t be a blessing!”.
The journalist, who works for The Malaysian National News Agency, responded to the criticism, saying the unity and resilience of the Malaysian people was behind his comments.
“but u shud see how united we are defending our country from being accused, how strong the local media dispelling -ve reports,” he wrote.
He also responded directly to users who had taken aim at him.
“@hjazman got what u mean..but m not being insensitive or anything. I look at them as my family and i want them back. My apology,” he tweeted.
“@hjazman I’ve been covering this issue since day 1. they are all my family, my Malaysian family. if they hurt, so do i,” he followed up with shortly later.
Submarine sent to aid search
A British nuclear sub with underwater search capabilities reinforced the Indian Ocean hunt for flight MH370 on Wednesday, but Malaysian police warned the cause of the jet's mysterious disappearance may never be known.
Despite extensive scouring of the remote waters southwest of Perth where Malaysia believes the jet went down, ships and planes have found no debris that would indicate a crash site.
Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said a three-week-old criminal investigation into what caused the flight with 239 people aboard to veer far from its intended route between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing had so far been inconclusive.
The sober assessment will add to the frustrations of anxious family members of the missing passengers, who have denounced Malaysia's handling of the crisis.
"Give us more time," Khalid told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, according to Dow Jones Newswires. "We may not even know the real cause of this incident."
Ten planes and nine ships resumed the hunt Wednesday although authorities warned clouds, fog and isolated thunderstorms would reduce visibility.
Britain's Royal Navy said the first submarine in the operation -- HMS Tireless -- has arrived in the area and "with her advanced underwater search capability will be able to contribute to the attempts to locate the missing plane".
Britain's HMS Echo is also due in the search zone shortly to assist Australia's Ocean Shield naval vessel, which is fitted with a US-supplied "black box" detector and is expected to arrive on Friday.
Black box deadline looms
Malaysian news agency Bernama quoted police chief Khalid saying all MH370 passengers had been "cleared" of suspicion.
Police also are investigating the backgrounds of the plane's 12 crew, as well as ground staff and flight engineers, for signs of a hijack or sabotage plot.
More than three weeks after the flight's March 8 disappearance, authorities remain baffled as to how and why it happened, and warn that unless the black box is found, the mystery may never be solved.
The battery-powered signal from MH370's black box -- which records flight data and cockpit voice communications that could hold clues in the mystery -- usually lasts only about 30 days, with time fast running out to find it.
Malaysian leader heads to Perth
Australia has warned against expectations of quick success in the difficult task of recovering the black box from the deep and vast seas.
Retired Australian air chief marshal Angus Houston, who is heading a new coordination centre in Perth, reiterated Wednesday that the odds were stacked against them.
"The reality is it's the most complex and challenging search and recovery operation I've ever seen," he told national radio.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib is due to arrive late Wednesday in Perth.
On Thursday, he will tour the air base being used as a staging post for the search and meet with his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott.
Malaysia's handling of the crisis, marked by piecemeal and occasionally contradictory information, has been widely questioned, especially by distraught relatives of the 153 Chinese nationals aboard.
Many have alleged incompetence or even a cover-up by Malaysia, straining ties between the two countries, although the rhetoric has eased in recent days.
In a briefing on Wednesday, Malaysian officials sought to explain to skeptical relatives their conclusion that the plane went down in the Indian Ocean.
That determination, based on complex satellite data, has outraged some families who say wreckage must first be recovered.
The closed-door briefing outside Kuala Lumpur included technical experts from China and Malaysia, a government statement said, and was telecast to other relatives in Beijing.
"Throughout the process, I want to assure you that we have done everything in our power to locate MH370. We have spared no effort and expense," civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman told relatives in his opening statement.
But Steven Wang, a relative in Beijing, said the briefing did not convince him.
"I don't think that anything was explained to us... There are all kinds of possibilities," he said.
On Tuesday, Malaysia Airlines revealed the full radio communications with the pilots of MH370, but the routine exchanges contained nothing unusual and shed no light on the theory of possible pilot involvement.
The conversations with air traffic controllers had been the subject of much speculation as suspicions have focused on whether one or both of the pilots deliberately diverted the plane.
true, nothing to denote flying competency except that mh pilots have good manners and are polite..and the good it did for him and those onboard:p
You can see from their expressions that, they are lying with a straight face...most likely the pilot must have said " Say, I Anwar supporter, I langgar plane in water"....:p
Anyway once again..Malaysia BOLEH!..one Mongolian disappear, BOLEH! ( blasted to pieces), ONE BOEING 777 disappear...BOLEH! BOLEH! BOLEH!...MALAYSIA SATU!!
Underwater search for MH370 black boxes begins - just days before their batteries die
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 03 April, 2014, 11:52pm
UPDATED : Friday, 04 April, 2014, 1:06pm
Agence France-Presse in Perth
A towed pinger locator sits on the wharf ready to be fitted to the defense ship Ocean Shield to aid in her roll in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in Perth. Photo: AP
Crews searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet today launched a targeted underwater hunt for the plane’s black boxes along a stretch of remote ocean - just days left before the devices’ batteries are expected to run out.
The Australian navy ship Ocean Shield, which is dragging a towed pinger locator from the US Navy, and the British navy’s HMS Echo, which has underwater search gear on board, will converge along a 240-kilometre track in a patch of the southern Indian Ocean, said Angus Houston, the head of a joint agency coordinating the search.
The plane’s data recorders emit a ping that can be detected by equipment on board the ships. But the battery-powered devices stop transmitting the signals some 30 days after a crash — meaning searchers have little time left before the batteries on Flight 370’s black boxes die.
Locating the data recorders and wreckage after that is possible, but incredibly difficult.
The area the ships are searching was chosen based on hourly satellite pings the aircraft gave off after it vanished from radar March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. That information, combined with data on the estimated speed and performance of the aircraft, led them to that particular stretch of ocean, Houston said.
“The area of highest probability as to where the aircraft might have entered the water is the area where the underwater search will commence,” Houston said. “It’s on the basis of data that only arrived very recently and it’s the best data that is available.”
The underwater search started after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak vowed yesterday "we will not rest" until the fate of flight MH370 is known.
Australia called the hunt for the jet "the most difficult search in human history".
Najib toured the military base in Perth being used as a staging post in the hunt for the Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 239 people that is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean.
"We want to find answers. We want to provide comfort to the families and we will not rest until answers are indeed found," Najib said, as he thanked those involved in the eight-nation search.
Despite extensive scouring of the remote southern Indian Ocean, no debris that would indicate a crash site has been found, with time running out to locate the plane's "black box", which only emits a signal for around 30 days.
Najib admitted the exhaustive hunt for the Boeing 777 that vanished on March 8 was a "gargantuan task", but said he was confident that "in due time we will provide a closure to this event, on this tragedy".
Najib left without taking questions, as a reporter called out a query about Malaysia's handling of the crisis. Its response has been widely criticised, especially by distraught relatives of the 154 Chinese aboard. Adding to the frustration for families affected, Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said on Wednesday that a criminal investigation into what caused the flight to veer from its intended route between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing had so far been inconclusive.
In contrast, Australia's mobilisation since it was handed increased responsibility for the search effort has been praised.
Australia has far more experience than Malaysia of conducting rescue operations, routinely monitoring huge tracts of ocean, but Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "It is a very difficult search, the most difficult in human history, but as far as Australia is concerned we are throwing everything we have at it."
Both Najib and Abbott hailed the "truly remarkable" co-operation between Australia, Britain, China, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Korea and the United States.
A British nuclear submarine with underwater search capabilities on Wednesday joined planes and ships scouring the vast oceanic search zone.
Australia's Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre, which is directing the search, said eight planes and nine ships were involved yesterday as they further refined the search area, moving it to west-northwest of Perth.
Australia's Ocean Shield naval vessel, fitted with a US-supplied "black box" detector, is due to arrive in the area today. But without a confirmed crash site, hopes of finding the device are slim.
Similar threads
