Update 02 Feb '18:
Looks like Higgins is not going to let HVH & CSIRO Griffo off the hook now that the IO search has all but concluded the CSIRO/ATSB higher probability 'best guess' for MH370 -
Via 'that man' & the Oz:
No finds in hunt for MH370
![[Image: 1102e707aa66e0bc3fbb29bff3b6680b]](https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/thumbnail/1102e707aa66e0bc3fbb29bff3b6680b)
12:00amEAN HIGGINS
![[Image: 2db6d2143f9b17eeb222be7bd466a8c0?width=650]](https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/2db6d2143f9b17eeb222be7bd466a8c0?width=650)
The new underwater hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has covered the area in the southern Indian Ocean scientists predicted with “unprecedented precision and certainty” the Boeing 777 would be, without finding the aircraft.
But the CSIRO scientist who led the drift modelling studies that determined the new target zone, David Griffin, told The Australian it was early days and the sonar imagery data gathered thus far had to be fully assessed.
The Malaysian government yesterday issued its first report on the progress of the new search being conducted on a “no find, no fee” basis by the Houston-based, British-financed Ocean Infinity maritime survey company. The report says the vessel, Seabed Constructor, leased by the company for the project, began searching on January 22, and has covered the 4500sq km “Phase 1” section of the overall 25,000sq km primary target zone. The Malaysian statement said there had been “no significant contacts identified to date”.
The “Phase 1” area was the eastern section of two parallel arms of the southernmost part of the new search zone where Dr Griffin’s team and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau determined it was most likely MH370 came down after it disappeared on a scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.
In August, Dr Griffin and his team issued a report that analysed new satellite images of an apparent surface debris field taken soon after the aircraft disappeared, adding to earlier “reverse drift modelling” of pieces of MH370 found washed up on the other side of the Indian Ocean.
The report said: “We think it is possible to identify a most likely location of the aircraft, with unprecedented precision and certainty. This location is 35.6 [degrees south], 92.8 [degrees east].”
Dr Griffin yesterday confirmed that position was part of the “Phase 1” area and had now been covered in the new search.
He said while he had no independent information on the conduct of the search, if Ocean Infinity was following the guidance he and his colleagues provided, the Seabed Constructor would move to the parallel arm to the west to search next.
That area contained two other highly promising likely positions of the aircraft, he said.
Dr Griffin said the initial Malaysian report of “no significant contacts” did not necessarily mean no MH370 debris had been detected by the eight unmanned mini-submarines launched by the Seabed Constructor. Unlike a large sunken ship in one or two parts, the plane might be in several hundred pieces difficult to identify at first glance because “they all look like bits of rock”, requiring further analysis of data.
Senior airline pilots and crash investigators believe the new hunt is flawed because, like the first ATSB search, it relies on the bureau’s theory the aircraft was unpiloted at the end and went down rapidly after fuel exhaustion. Critics say the evidence points to a rogue pilot hijacking his own aircraft and ditching it outside the search area.
ATSB spokesman Paul Sadler would not say whether the ATSB still held to its “ghost flight” and “death dive” theory, referring questions to the federal government’s Joint Agency Coordination Centre.
The head of the JACC, senior public servant Judith Zielke, did not respond when The Australian referred those questions to her.
The hunt for MH370 has covered the area scientists predicted it would be, without finding the aircraft.
"...ATSB spokesman Paul Sadler would not say whether the ATSB still held to its “ghost flight” and “death dive” theory, referring questions to the federal government’s Joint Agency Coordination Centre.
The head of the JACC, senior public servant Judith Zielke, did not respond when The Australian referred those questions to her..." - Hmm...wonder why not? -
MTF...P2
Looks like Higgins is not going to let HVH & CSIRO Griffo off the hook now that the IO search has all but concluded the CSIRO/ATSB higher probability 'best guess' for MH370 -
Via 'that man' & the Oz:
No finds in hunt for MH370
12:00amEAN HIGGINSThe new underwater hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has covered the area in the southern Indian Ocean scientists predicted with “unprecedented precision and certainty” the Boeing 777 would be, without finding the aircraft.
But the CSIRO scientist who led the drift modelling studies that determined the new target zone, David Griffin, told The Australian it was early days and the sonar imagery data gathered thus far had to be fully assessed.
The Malaysian government yesterday issued its first report on the progress of the new search being conducted on a “no find, no fee” basis by the Houston-based, British-financed Ocean Infinity maritime survey company. The report says the vessel, Seabed Constructor, leased by the company for the project, began searching on January 22, and has covered the 4500sq km “Phase 1” section of the overall 25,000sq km primary target zone. The Malaysian statement said there had been “no significant contacts identified to date”.
The “Phase 1” area was the eastern section of two parallel arms of the southernmost part of the new search zone where Dr Griffin’s team and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau determined it was most likely MH370 came down after it disappeared on a scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.
In August, Dr Griffin and his team issued a report that analysed new satellite images of an apparent surface debris field taken soon after the aircraft disappeared, adding to earlier “reverse drift modelling” of pieces of MH370 found washed up on the other side of the Indian Ocean.
The report said: “We think it is possible to identify a most likely location of the aircraft, with unprecedented precision and certainty. This location is 35.6 [degrees south], 92.8 [degrees east].”
Dr Griffin yesterday confirmed that position was part of the “Phase 1” area and had now been covered in the new search.
He said while he had no independent information on the conduct of the search, if Ocean Infinity was following the guidance he and his colleagues provided, the Seabed Constructor would move to the parallel arm to the west to search next.
That area contained two other highly promising likely positions of the aircraft, he said.
Dr Griffin said the initial Malaysian report of “no significant contacts” did not necessarily mean no MH370 debris had been detected by the eight unmanned mini-submarines launched by the Seabed Constructor. Unlike a large sunken ship in one or two parts, the plane might be in several hundred pieces difficult to identify at first glance because “they all look like bits of rock”, requiring further analysis of data.
Senior airline pilots and crash investigators believe the new hunt is flawed because, like the first ATSB search, it relies on the bureau’s theory the aircraft was unpiloted at the end and went down rapidly after fuel exhaustion. Critics say the evidence points to a rogue pilot hijacking his own aircraft and ditching it outside the search area.
ATSB spokesman Paul Sadler would not say whether the ATSB still held to its “ghost flight” and “death dive” theory, referring questions to the federal government’s Joint Agency Coordination Centre.
The head of the JACC, senior public servant Judith Zielke, did not respond when The Australian referred those questions to her.
The hunt for MH370 has covered the area scientists predicted it would be, without finding the aircraft.
"...ATSB spokesman Paul Sadler would not say whether the ATSB still held to its “ghost flight” and “death dive” theory, referring questions to the federal government’s Joint Agency Coordination Centre.
The head of the JACC, senior public servant Judith Zielke, did not respond when The Australian referred those questions to her..." - Hmm...wonder why not? -
MTF...P2