Australia Spots ‘Credible’ Evidence of Missing Jet Time Magazine: Charlie Campbell @charliecamp6ell 1:35 AM ET A satellite image of objects that may be possible debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean, released on March 20, 2014. A satellite image of objects that may be possible debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean, released on March 20, 2014. Australian authorities spotted credible evidence on satellite imagery of what could be debris from the Malaysia Airlines jet missing for almost two weeks in what was called the best lead yet, but no wreckage was found and officials urged caution Australian authorities said Thursday they had found “credible” evidence in satellite imagery of what may be debris from the Malaysia Airlines plane that has been missing for almost two weeks. The debris was spotted in the Indian Ocean near Australia, and while authorities cautioned it could turn out to be another dead end, it was called the “best lead” yet in what has mushroomed into a massive international search for a 777 that vanished with 239 people aboard. Australian aircraft arrived in the area about 1,500 miles southwest of the country but were unable to immediately find the objects spotted by satellite because “cloud & rain limited visibility,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said. Other aircraft from the United States and New Zealand were en route to aid the search operation. Relatives of the passengers on the missing jet, who have grown increasingly anguished over the lack of answers provided by the search, gathered at a hotel in Beijing to await news. As night fell in the Indian Ocean, Australian officials said they were calling off their search for the day and would resume on Friday morning. An American Navy aircraft also combed the area but returned to Australia “with nothing of significance to report,” having found no indication of debris,” the New York Times reports. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament on earlier Thursday that the evidence was “credible,” while also cautioning that “it may turn out that they are not related to the search.” Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Since then an international search has grown to encompass vast swaths of ocean and land, and with few clues, focus has recently turned to whether anyone on board—pilots, crew or passengers—may have been involved. The FBI has joined in the investigation, and it is now the longest disappearance in modern commercial aviation history. Australia spotted two objects, one of which is 24 m (or about 78 ft) long. The objects appeared to be “awash with water and bobbing up and down,” John Young, the general manager of the AMSA, said during a news conference. He called the objects “relatively indistinct on the imagery,” but said they are “credible sightings” and “probably the best lead with have right now.” Despite the lack of hard evidence so far, analysts said the Australian premier likely wouldn’t choose to inform Parliament in person, rather than simply issuing a statement, unless there is a strong possibility that debris from the missing plane had finally been found. “The task of analyzing imagery is quite difficult, it requires drawing down frames and going through frame by frame,” said Australian Air Commodore John McGarry. “The moment this imagery was discovered to reveal a possible object that might indicate a debris field, we have passed the information from defense across to AMSA for their action.”
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 22:47:39 +0000
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