Sightings boost search for missing Malaysia plane

[Omaha Steve]

Source: The News

PERTH: A vast international hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 resumed at dawn in the southern Indian Ocean on Monday, buoyed by a cluster of weekend sightings that have fuelled hopes of a breakthrough.

A Chinese military plane set off from Perth at first light to search for "suspicious debris" floating in the remote waters and captured by Chinese and Australian satellite imagery, China´s state news agency Xinhua said.

The sighting of a wooden pallet and other debris that may be linked to a Malaysian passenger jet gave the sense Sunday that the hunt was finally on the right track after more than two weeks of false leads and dead ends.

It was reinforced by new French satellite data indicating floating objects in the southern search area.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-142174-Sightings-boost-search-for-missing-Malaysia-plane

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[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I sure hope they'll find it, if only for the families...n/t

[shireen]

2. i really hope that families have realistic expectations

and have not had their hopes raised by the non-stop media reports.

That stuff could be anything. It could just as easily be items tossed overboard from ships. Robert Francis, who impressed many of us with his leadership in the TWA 800 salvage, was on MSNBC this weekend, and cautioned that the kind of debris that floats, like seat cushions and baggage, is too small to be seen in satellite photos. Large parts of the plane would have sunk.

If they find any debris, even a big chunk of the aircraft afloat, it will be due to dumb luck. Then comes the arduous task of backtracking based on currents and wind history, as well as the size, shape, and density of the floating objects. It is going to be a very very difficult job.

[MicaelS]

3. The families think they are being lied to by authorities.

They believe their relatives are alive and being held hostage somewhere. They call their phones and ring without being picked up. They believe this is evidence they are alive.

[Ex Lurker]

4. The partner of one of the three Americans was interviewed yesterday

she believes they're still alive somewhere. It was painful listening to her.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. I've seen her, too, was first interviewed by Rachel Maddow

And she still believes the passengers are alive. It really is heartbreaking...

[DallasNE]

5. If The Plane Was Travelling At 300 MPH As Reports Speculate

I can't imagine a wooden pallet not being crushed on impact. The closest impact to this that I can think of would be the 9/11 plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. As I recall, there wasn't much to be found there -- just a hole in the ground -- so there may not be that much debris that would survive to float. Sadly, I think the odds are long that a debris field will ever be found let alone the plane.