Following months of technical analysis and seabed surveys, the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 is expected to start with three vessels that will carry sensitive sonar equipments and towing video cameras on lengthy cables.
Contracted vessel GO Phoenix will be the first to reach the priority search site along a defined arc in the south of the Indian Ocean. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said yesterday that the vessel would conduct a 12-day long-operation starting Sunday, reported News.com.au.
Phoenix will be joined by two more vessels soon. The three vessels will then focus on the area where the flight is thought to have run out of fuel before plunging into the ocean. Sonar equipments and towing video cameras will provide the crews with a "closer look" at any objects of interest.
Although ATSB information suggests that the probability of finding MH 370 is very high yet its Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan has refused to offer guarantees.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also been cautious in building up the hopes of the families whose members were onboard MH370.
Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777 flight went missing on March 8 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people onboard. Both Australia and Malaysia are jointly funding the $57 million search operation to locate the aircraft.
