[Peetwo]

ATSB MH370 SIO Ops search update 29 April 2015:

Operational Update

At the request of the Malaysian Government, Australia has accepted responsibility for the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is leading the underwater search for MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean.

Joint Agency Coordination Centre
MH370 Operational Search Update
29 April 2015

This operational report has been developed to provide regular updates on the progress of the search effort for MH370. Our work will continue to be thorough and methodical, so sometimes weekly progress may seem slow. Please be assured that work is continuing and is aimed at finding MH370 as quickly as possible.
Key developments this week

• GO Phoenix arrived back in the search area on Thursday, 23 April and recommenced search operations in the northern part of the search area.
  
• Fugro Discovery continues to conduct search operations to the west of the 7th arc with a focus on the south in order to maximise coverage in this area prior to the deterioration of weather conditions as winter approaches.
  
• Fugro Equator continues to conduct operations to the east of the 7th arc with a focus on the south in order to ensure that this area is searched ahead of the expected deterioration in weather conditions.
  
• Fugro Supporter continues to conduct search operations within the search area. Unfavourable weather conditions have hampered the deployment of the AUV with the vessel obliged to go on stand-by and wait for conditions to abate.
  
  

Underwater search

As noted in last week’s update, at a meeting of Ministers from Australia, Malaysia and the People’s Republic of China held in Kuala Lumpur on 16 April 2015, it was agreed that should the aircraft not be found within the current search area, the search will be extended by an additional 60,000 square kilometres to bring the search area to 120,000 square kilometres, thereby covering the entire highest probability area identified by expert analysis.

Ministerial communiqué of the MH370 Third Tripartite Ministerial Meeting.
In the event the aircraft is found and accessible, Ministers agreed to plans for recovery activities including securing all the evidence necessary for the accident investigation.

Click map to enlarge

[i]Click map to enlarge[/i]
 
The Search Strategy Working Group continues to review evidence associated with MH370 which may result in further refinement of the search area.

The decision by all three countries on 16 April 2015 to expand the search area has led to consideration of the best search plan to ensure continuous operations during winter in the southern hemisphere, and to ensure that the entire 120,000 square kilometre area is searched as quickly and effectively as possible. This work is expected to be finalised in the next few weeks. The onset of winter and generally unfavourable weather conditions means, however, that searching the entire area of highest probability will likely take around a year to complete.

Weather

Sea swells of three to five metres will impact upon the search area in the next couple of days. Although conditions will improve on Friday, the longer term forecast is set to impact upon the entire search area. The coming adverse weather systems are indicative of the unfavourable sea conditions that will affect search operations in the colder months.
 

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Previous versions:

• MH370 Operational Search Updates
  

Related: MH370
 

Okay we are now only a matter of weeks out from the '15-'16 Budget Estimates - & from an Australian perspective our government has committed millions more dollars(??) & resources to the planned expanded MH370 search area in the SIO. Like Brock states above...

"...But the time is long past due for grassroots ACTION – not mere complaining about search conduct, nor bickering amongst ourselves. We must direct our questions re: holes in the official story to those who have actually MADE the holes – in this case, primarily agencies of the Australian government, whether puppets or not. If we ask hard pointedly enough, they’ll have to give up who they’re shilling for.


And then we’ll ask THEM the questions.

And so on, until we get the ANSWERS.


Eventually, we’ll get to someone who knows something – no matter WHAT flag they wave...

..The ATSB has misled us, and misdirected the search. Repeatedly. It is time for the general public to whom they are accountable (you and your compatriots) to bring them in for further questioning. Even if they’re a patsy, intense questioning will prove very useful.

Don’t think of it as damning Eisenhower for Kennedy’s sins – think of it as grilling Dean to get to Nixon..."

...it is in the Australian public/taxpayer interest that the many outstanding questions (that he and many others) have put to the ATSB (that so far are being continuously obfuscated or blatantly ignored) be answered. 

IMO the RRAT Committee Senate Estimates is the perfect forum to get these answers. And from last Estimates with the attendance of Mr Peter Foley (Program Director, Operational Search for MH370) it would appear that the powers to be were expecting more QONs to be asked. As it was Foley only gave a very limited update to the MH370 search:

Refer - ATSB Hansard 24/02/15 or...

Note: From the latest off the Senate RRAT Committee Estimates page it would appear that Foley wasn't entirely as well briefed as he thought he was:

2.) Correspondence received 17 March 2015 from Mr Peter Foley, General Manager, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, correcting evidence given on 24 February 2015.

(PDF 61KB) 

We have, to date, according to my memory, had about eight level

2s. And we have had well over 100 level 3s. I would hazard a guess that some have the dimensions of a shipping container, but we do not know until we get photo imagery. You are not taking a picture with sonar.


I wish to clarify this answer. We have, to date, had 12 level 2s - not eight as referenced above.

So in order to facilitate the many pointed questions that the many concerned & intelligent individuals have in regards to the ATSB managed search for MH370 in the SIO, PAIN is offering to collate the QONs and forward to the RRAT Committee Senators that we feel will be best equipped to ask the questions. Also in order that the Senators are full bottle on all the technical aspects of certain QONs, PAIN will endeavour to ensure that the Senators are appropriately briefed by selected experts where required.

Therefore if anyone wishes to field a question to the ATSB on the MH370 SIO search etc. - at the Budget Estimates on the 25-28th of May - please go to Aunty Pru thread - Senate Estimates - 2015.

Ps I don't know about anyone else but I'd like to know who it is that sits on the SSWG??

Pps I'd also like to know the answer to Brock's question...

"...If the ATSB’s Oct. Flight Path Analysis Update is to be believed, there is no point searching SW of [S38, E88], because that was where the performance limit crossed the 7th arc (translation: they feel MH370 lacked sufficient fuel to make it to any point on the 7th arc further SW of that coordinate, as it would cover too much distance within the prescribed amount of time). In Nov. I pointed out on jeffwise.net what I saw as a flaw in that limit – and published it as Concern #7 in my Jan. report – but this seems not to have made an impression, as the fuel limit of record was never amended.


(Interestingly, the search HAS recently crept beyond this fuel-indicated limit: the Fugro Search Area above was itself extended out to the edge of the Wide Search Area [S39ish, E87ish] a few weeks ago. No explanation was given by the JACC for deciding to search beyond its own fuel limit.)



With this week’s update comes a hint that they are preparing – after 14 months (?!) – to revise their performance limit YET AGAIN – thereby justifying a further SW shift in the search area..."