Robot submarine completes 50% of MH370 underwater search area
The Bluefin-21 robot submarine has searched half of the focused underwater search area for flight MH370, as the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet enters its 44th day, say Australian authorities.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said nothing has been found yet in the seven underwater searches. Another underwater trip has begun today, it added.
"Early this morning, Bluefin-21 AUV completed mission seven in the underwater search area. Bluefin-21 has searched approximately 50 per cent of the focused underwater search area to date," Amsa said in a statement.
It said the focused underwater search area was defined as a circle of 10km radius around the second Towed Pinger Locator detection which occurred on April 8.
"No contacts of interest have been found to date," it added.
Amsa said today it planned a visual search area totalling approximately 48,507 square kilometres, across two areas.
Up to 11 military aircraft and 12 ships will assist in today's search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, it added.
The weather forecast for today scattered showers, isolated thunderstorms in some areas, and east south-easterly winds, the authorities said. – April 20, 2014.
