THE POLITIC GAMES

MH370 Tragedy: RM14.2m compensation paid to next-of-kin of passengers, crew

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 May 2014 15:11:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Life Insurers had paid over RM14.2 million in compensation payouts to the next-of-kin of the ill-fated MH370 passengers and crew members.

President of Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) Vincent Kwo said payments had been and was being made to several next-of-kin over the past two weeks without having to go through the normal process.

"We understand the grief of the family members and are ready to make payouts faster and make it easier for the next-of-kin to claim.

"We had waived the requirement of death certificates, and setting this as a top priority, we had put in our best efforts to pay out claims within a week from the receipt of full documentations.

"The total amount of claims paid to the next-of-kin to date stands at approximately RM14.2 million out of a total exposure of RM18.7 million.

"A total of 184 policies were issued by life insurance companies in Malaysia. The balance of RM4.5 million claims are pending the official submission of documentation by the next-of-kin," he said.

Malaysia is generous enough!!!

MH370 Tragedy: Europe to toughen black box rules for tracking, after tragedy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 May 2014 17:01:00 +0000

PARIS: The European Aviation Safety Agency has drawn up proposals to make it easier to find black boxes from missing aircraft, in the strongest official reaction so far to the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines jet, sources familiar with the matter said.

The proposals will bring into force some recommendations that were put forward by France after the loss of an Air France jet in the Atlantic in 2009, but which were never implemented.

These include the addition of a new pinger frequency making it easier to locate the recording devices under water.

An opinion due to be published by the agency also calls for an increase in the minimum amount of recording time on cockpit voice recorders to make it easier to understand plane crashes.

Flight MH370 is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean some seven hours after it went missing on March 8, meaning the standard two-hour recording loop would not cover conversatins during the crucial early stages of the flight. -- Reuters

Obama in KL: Royal welcome for Obama on historic Malaysia trip

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 May 2014 02:19:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: President Barack Obama is opening the first visit to Malaysia by an American president in nearly half a century, underlining the important role that Southeast Asia plays in the president’s efforts to forge deeper ties to the Asia-Pacific region.

Excited by the occasion, Obama’s hosts treated him to a truly royal welcome.

After changing into a Tuxedo following his arrival Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, Obama was taken to the Istana Negara, the National Palace, where he was the honored guest at a 600-person state dinner in a banquet hall inside the king’s massive, gilded residence.

Trumpets blared as Obama was escorted into the room and led to a tufted, high-backed chair that sported the royal seal and seemed almost too large for him.

During a brief toast, Obama expressed his deep gratitude to the Malaysian people for including some of his late mother’s artwork in a museum exhibit two years ago.

He also spoke of Lyndon B. Johnson, the last American president to visit Malaysia.

Obama recalled how Johnson had been impressed during his 1966 visit by the “extraordinary vitality and eagerness he saw on the faces of the people of Southeast Asia.”

“I’m eager to see that same spirit tomorrow,” Obama said.

The king, in his toast, said Obama’s visit illustrated “the excellent state of the longstanding relations between our governments.”

Earlier Saturday, Obama stepped off of Air Force One and onto a red carpet at the Royal Malaysian Air Base.

He was whisked by limousine to Parliament Square, where he was greeted with a 21-gun salute as he watched from beneath a yellow awning, flanked by the king and prime minister.

A military band played the U.S. and Malaysian national anthems — twice — and Obama inspected an elaborate honor guard in crisp green and white before the ceremony ended.

During Obama’s two-day visit, which follows stops in Japan and South Korea, the president will also meet with citizen leaders and hold a town hall-style forum with young leaders from across the region.

But Obama will not meet with a prominent Malaysian opposition leader despite appeals from human rights groups.

Trade, defense and maritime security are among the issues Obama and Najib were expected to discuss during talks scheduled for Sunday.

Malaysia is one of a dozen countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations, a top priority for Obama’s global economic agenda.

Last month’s disappearance of a commercial airliner carrying 239 people put Malaysia in the international spotlight as Obama was preparing to head to the region. The U.S. is assisting in the massive and widening search effort.

Absent from Obama’s itinerary in Malaysia: A meeting with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who presents the most potent political threat to Najib amid a decline in Najib’s popular support over the past two elections.

The U.S. spurned calls from human rights groups for the president himself to meet with the 66-year-old former deputy prime minister, but was instead sending Susan Rice, his national security adviser and former U.N. ambassador, to meet with him.

Anwar was recently convicted for the second time on sodomy charges that the U.S. and international human rights groups have claimed are politically motivated. Anwar is appealing, and could be forced to give up his seat in parliament and go to prison if he loses.

Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, told reporters traveling with Obama that the president typically does not meet with opposition leaders during foreign visits, but felt the issue was important enough to dispatch Rice instead.

Obama and other top officials have raised Anwar’s case in past meetings with Malaysian officials, Rhodes added.

Halfway through the eight-day, four-nation trip, Obama has started showing signs of weariness from the mileage and the 12- to 13-hour time shift from Washington while traveling in Asia.

He normally jogs up the stairs to Air Force One, but on Saturday slowed to a walk instead.

Before departing Seoul on Saturday, Obama addressed U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and received a military briefing focused on North Korea.

Obama will spend Monday and Tuesday in the Philippines before returning to Washington.--AP

U.S. President Barack Obama, Yang DiPertuan Agung Tuanku Abdul Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, and Datuk Seri Najib Razak, step down the dias during the state welcoming ceremony at the Parliament Square in Kuala Lumpur. NSTP/Effendy Rashid

Obama in KL: Obama leaves Malaysia after 'milestone' visit

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 May 2014 02:17:00 +0000

SUBANG: United States President Barack Obama left Malaysia today after completing a three-day state visit, a historic milestone nearly 50 years after the trip by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Air Force One carrying the American president took off about 10.20 am from the Subang military base in the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Among those present to bid him farewell were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Obama is headed for the Philippines, the final stop of his four-nation tour of Asia. He had visited Japan and South Korea, prior to Malaysia.

In his final engagement, Obama witnessed the signing of several commercial deals between Malaysian and American companies worth US$2 billion in the aviation, biotechnology and insurance sectors.

Also present at the event in a Kuala Lumpur hotel today was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Both leaders held bilateral talks in Malaysia's administrative capital Putrajaya on Sunday, which saw both nations agreeing to upgrade their bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership.

The US has also pledged to continue providing Malaysia with whatever search and investigation assistance needed in the mission to locate the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 aircraft.

Other highlights of Obama's visit was his town hall session with youth leaders from across Southeast Asia and a visit to the National Mosque.

The president also attended a state banquet with the Malaysian King, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, at Istana Negara a few hours after his arrival Saturday. --BERNAMA

US President Barack Obama on board Air Force One departs from RMAF base in Subang at 10.20am. Pix by Khairull Azry Bidin.

MH370 Tragedy: MAS to pay compensation soonest possible: Jauhari

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 May 2014 02:13:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: Following is the statement by Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Group Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia Airlines on Flight MH370.

MH370 Incident

55 days since Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH370’s disappearance on 8 March 2014, a multi-nation search is still ongoing for the missing aircraft, its passengers and crew.

This enormous search mission was carried out with the support from more than 20 states, firstly in the South China Sea, in the Malacca Straits, and on land along the Northern Corridor, and since mid-March when specialised assets were deployed in the air, on the sea and underwater in the southern Indian Ocean, where top experts concluded the aircraft’s last known position was.

Despite such an intensified search operations, probably the largest one in human history, we have to face the hard reality that there is still no trace of the aircraft, and the fate of the missing passengers and crew remains unknown till this day.

Malaysia Airlines is acutely conscious of, and deeply sympathetic to the continuing unimaginable anguish, distress and hardship suffered by those with loved ones on board the flight.

We share the same very feelings and have been doing whatever we can to ease the pain of the families and to provide comfort for them.

The Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) in Australia has announced early this week that the search operation in the southern Indian Ocean will be moving to a new phase in the coming weeks, and it is certainly not ending.

In this new phase, the Malaysian Government, working together with Australia and Chinese governments, other international partners and specialised companies, plans to intensify the undersea search by deploying more technologically advanced assets in the search zone.

The Malaysian Government recently announced its decision to establish an international investigation team led by Malaysia. The members will include accredited representatives from the US, UK, Australia, China, France and Singapore. Also included are representatives from relevant international organisations and the civil aviation industry.

This investigation is an independent process in accordance with ICAO standards and recommended practices. Malaysia Airlines commits itself to fully support this independent investigation and provide full information and assistance as required.

From past experience, we understand the continuing search and investigation would be a prolonged process. While Malaysia Airlines is committed to continuing its support to the families during the whole process, we are adjusting the mode of services and support. Instead of staying in hotels, the families of MH370 are advised to receive information updates on the progress of the search and investigation and other support by Malaysia Airlines within the comfort of their own homes, with the support and care of their families and friends.

In line with this adjustment, Malaysia Airlines will be closing all of its Family Assistance Centres around the world by 7 May 2014.

Malaysia Airlines will keep in close touch with the families on news updates through telephone calls, messages, the Internet, and face-to-face meetings. With the support of the Malaysian Government, the airline’s Family Support Centres will be established in Kuala Lumpur and in Beijing. The detailed plan of follow-up support and services will be informed in person to the families.

Malaysia Airlines will make advanced compensation payments soonest possible to the nominated next-of-kin who are entitled to claim compensation, in order to meet their immediate economic needs.

Such advanced payments will not affect the rights of the next-of-kin to claim compensation according to the law at a later stage, and will be calculated as part of the final compensation.

Immediately after the next-of-kin have returned home, our representatives will be in touch with them at the earliest opportunity to initiate the advanced compensation payment process.

At this very difficult time, we wish to once again thank everyone for their understanding and support, especially from the families of the passengers and crew on board.

Malaysia Airlines’ thoughts and prayers remain with the families of all those onboard MH370.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airlines Ahmad Jauhari Yahya. Pix by Fariz Iswadi Ismail.

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MH370 Tragedy: Two C-130 Hercules aircraft to return home

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:13:00 +0000

PERTH: Two Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) C-130 Hercules aircraft are scheduled to return to Malaysia today night after aerial searches for a missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane were suspended following an announcement on the intensification of the underwater search.

RMAF 20th Squadron chief Major Muhammad Jafri Suboh said the two planes would depart at 9 pm while another RMAF C-130 would for the time being remain here until further notice.

Muhammad Jafri, who is the detachment commander of the RMAF search operation here, said that 53 air, ground and support crew from the total 78 RMAF personnel involved in the operation would leave Base Pearce tonight.

"Personally I see that all my personnel have shown a high level of commitment and professionalism whether they are undertaking flight duties or the maintenance crew.

"They work hard 24 hours to ensure the aircraft is ready to fly," he told Bernama and RTM when met at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Pearce in Bullsbrook.

The two RMAF planes along with the 53 crew are expected to arrive at the RMAF base in Subang around 10 am on Wednesday.

The involvement of RMAF personnel in the search operation in the Indian Ocean for the MAS Flight MH370, missing since March 8, began on March 29.

On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told a media conference in Canberra that the search mission would enter a new phase with more focus to be given over a much larger area of the ocean floor.

He said the decision was made after considering, among others, that it was highly unlikely at this stage that any aircraft debris would be found on the ocean surface.

However, he pointed out that a few vessels from Australia, Malaysia and China would continue with the maritime search and that RAAF P3-Orion aircraft would be put on standby.

Commenting further on the overall RMAF mission here, Muhammad Jafri said it was a proud for moment for RMAF and the crew to have been able to join the multinational search mission.

He said although the aerial search had stopped at this stage, the RMAF personnel were ready to return to action if needed.

Meanwhile, RAAF group commander Craig Heap thanked and praised the RMAF team for their "tremendous job" delivered with a high level of dedication and professionalism as the three RMAF planes undertook 43 missions and overcame numerous challenges, particularly extreme weather conditions.

Heap noted that all the six nations involved in the air search operation had to battle long hours of visual searching amid challenging conditions, including those posed by the weather.

"But we were tremendously motivated to arrive at an outcome and bring closure for the families of those aboard the Malaysian plane," he said.

Heap said that cooperation with RMAF, which had been going on long before the search operation was initiated, would continue although the aerial search mission in the Indian Ocean had ceased.

The six nations involved in the aerial search were Malaysia, Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

Heap pointed out that the Australian P3-Orion would be put on standby at Base Pearce while the aircraft from other nations would return to their home countries in stages over the next few days.

They might rejoin the search operation if required, he added.

Flight MH370 with 239 people onboard disappeared from radar screens about an hour into its flight while over the South China Sea.

A multinational search was mounted for the plane, first in the South China Sea and then, after it was learnt that the plane had veered off course, in the southern Indian Ocean.-- BERNAMA

In this April 17 file pic, a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) C-130 Hercules aircraft takes off from Pearce Airbase in Perth, Australia. AP Photo

MH370 Tragedy: Japan requests to join expert panel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:12:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: Japan has requested to take part in the international panel of experts looking into the Malaysia Airlines MH370 tragedy, said Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said Japan was welcomed to join in as the panel was transparent and credible.

"We have no problem getting people to come onboard because the whole world wants to know about MH370 and, like I said before, probably what we find out about MH370 will change the history of aviation," he told reporters.

Hishammuddin had earlier received a courtesy visit from his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera at the Defence Ministry in Jalan Semarak, here, today.

He noted that Malaysia and Japan were keen to continue working on issues like ensuring peace and stability in the region, disaster relief, sharing information on counter-terrorism and the defence industry.

On reports that Japan had withdrawn from the search operation for the missing aircraft, Hishammuddin said: "It's very far from the truth. It's defence minister came just now to ask what more they could do to help.

"This shows their commitment to the search effort is still strong."

This was the first meeting between Hishammuddin and Onodera since the latter became Japan's defence minister in December, 2012.

Flight MH370 with 239 people onboard disappeared on March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

An undersea search operation headed by Australia is currently being conducted in the waters off Perth, Australia.-- BERNAMA

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein receives a courtesy call from his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera at the Defence Ministry in Jalan Semarak. Pix by Yazit Razali

MH370 Tragedy: Ex-DCA DG to lead international investigation team

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:10:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has hired Datuk Kok Soo Chon, a former director-general at the department of civil aviation, to lead the international investigation team tasked to find the cause of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the government said today.

Other team members are from the U.S. National Transport Safety Board, Britain's Air Accidents Investigations Branch, China's Aircraft Accident Investigation Department, France's Land Transport Accident Investigation Bureau, the Australia Transport Safety Bureau, aircraft manufacturer Boeing and British satellite communications company Inmarsat.

The team also has representatives from Singapore and Indonesia.

"The main purpose of the international investigation team is to evaluate, investigate and determine the actual cause of the incident so similar incidents could be avoided in the future," Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said.

The investigation, he said in a statement, "is not aimed at apportioning blame or liability with regards to the incident".

The search for Flight MH370, which vanished while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 with 239 people on board, has so far failed to turn up any trace of wreckage from the plane.

Efforts have focused on a vast expanse of water in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia. It remains unclear what caused the Boeing 777 to veer sharply off course and disappear from radar as it prepared to cross into Vietnamese airspace.

Malaysia will discuss with other countries involved in the search, the deployment of equipment with deep sea search capabilities, the cost of the operation and how best to keep next of kin informed. It is also verifying reports of potential wreckage sightings in the Bay of Bengal, the statement said. --REUTERS

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein speaks during a press conference held in Kuala lumpur on April 23. Pix by Asyraf Hamzah

MH370 Tragedy: Press statement by Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:08:00 +0000

ACTING MINISTER OF TRANSPORT

YB Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said:

“The fact that MH370 has still not been found underscores the complexity and difficulty of this search operation.

We are tremendously grateful for the effort the Australian authorities have made, leading the search for MH370 off the coast of Perth.

“Malaysia will discuss with our international counterparts, including Australia, how the new search operation, as announced by Prime Minister Abbott on Monday, will proceed.

This discussion will include issues such as the deployment of assets with deep sea search capabilities, the cost of the operation and how best authorities can ensure the next of kin of those onboard MH370 are properly informed of the latest developments.

“In line with Malaysia’s consistent stand of verifying and corroborating any new lead since Day 1 of the search operations, we are aware of a report citing the detection of potential aircraft wreckage in the Bay of Bengal.

China and Australia are also aware of this report. Malaysia is working with its international partners to assess the credibility of this information.”

We have also appointed the Investigator in Charge for the International Investigation Team – Dato Kok Soo Chon.

He is the former Director General of the Department of Civil Aviation and also a former permanent representative to the ICAO Council in Montreal.

The International Investigation Team, which has already commenced its work, has accredited representatives from the US National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), the UK Air Accident Investigation Bereau (AAIB), China’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) of The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), France’s Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA), the Austrialia Transport Safety Bereau (ATSB) and representatives of ASEAN from Singapore and Indonesia.

Included in the team are also Boeing, who is under the US Accredited Representative and Rolls Royce and Inmarsat, who are under the UK Accredited Representative.

The main purpose of the International Investigation Team is to evaluate, investigate and determine the actual cause of the incident so similar incidents could be avoided in the future.

I would like to stress that this investigation is not aimed at apportioning blame or liability with regards to the incident.

It is imperative for the government to form this independent team of investigators which is not only competent and transparent but also highly credible.

This investigation will be carried out in accordance with Annex 13 - Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) as implemented by the Civil Aviation Regulations 1996, which requires each party to investigate air accidents independently with full powers in their respective countries.

FILE PICTURE. Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein during a press conference of the Missing MH370 flight at Royale Chulan Hotel. NSTP/Yazit Razali

MH370 Tragedy: Info on potential plane wreckage being verified

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:06:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and its international partners are verifying the credibility of information that the wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 plane could possibly be in the Bay of Bengal.

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said this was in line with Malaysia's consistent stand of verifying and corroborating any new lead since day one of the search operation.

In a statement Monday, he also announced the appointment of former Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Kok Soo Chon as the investigator in charge of the international investigation team looking into the MH370 tragedy.

Elaborating, Hishammuddin said Malaysia was aware of a report citing the detection of potential aircraft wreckage in the Bay of Bengal while China and Australia were also aware of it.

"Malaysia is working with its international partners to assess the credibility of this information," he said.

Flight MH370 with 239 people aboard left the KL International Airport at 12.41 am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later while over the South China Sea. It was to have arrived in Beijing at 6.30am the same day.

A multinational search was mounted for the Boeing 777-200 aircraft, first in the South China Sea and then, after it was learnt that the plane had veered off course, in the southern Indian Ocean.

Hishammuddin added that Malaysia would discuss with its international counterparts, including Australia, how the new search operation as announced by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday, would proceed.

"This discussion will include issues such as the deployment of assets with deep sea search capabilities, the cost of the operation and how best authorities can ensure the next-of-kin of those onboard MH370 are properly informed of the latest developments," Hishammuddin said.

He noted the fact that MH370 had still not been found underscored the complexity and difficulty of the search operation.

"We're tremendously grateful for the effort the Australian authorities have made, leading the search for MH370 off the coast of Perth," he said.

On the appointment of the investigator in charge of the international investigation team, he said that Kok was also a former permanent representative to the International Civil Aviation Organisation Council (ICAO) in Montreal.

He said the team, which had already commenced its work, had accredited representatives from the United States National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) and the United Kingdom Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

Others on the team include China's Aircraft Accident Investigation Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (DEA), Australia Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and representatives of Asean from Singapore and Indonesia.

"Included in the team are also Boeing, who is under US Accredited Representative, and Rolls Royce and Inmarsat, who are under UK Accredited Representative," he said.

Hishammuddin said the main purpose of the international investigation team was to evaluate, investigate and determine the actual cause of the incident to avoid similar incidents in the future.

"I would like to stress that this investigation is not aimed at apportioning blame or liability with regards to the incident. It is imperative for the government to form this indipendent team of investors which is not only competent and transparent but also highly credible," he added.

Mystery of MH370 : Armed forces chief regret foreign media reports

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 14:00:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: The armed forces chief has expressed regret over some foreign media reports in connection with the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370, which appeared to have a fixed agenda to project Malaysia in a negative light.

General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin noted there were several untrue media reports while others were extreme and did not take into account the real situation or constraints faced by the Malaysian authorities in providing information on the incident.

“We have been accused of delay in providing information when each piece of information we get must be corroborated (with various national and foreign authorities), before taking any action.

"Only in certain situations, do we (Armed Forces) take action or respond to information on our own," he told reporters after the closing ceremony of the Warrior Exercise 15 Series 2014 here today.

He said some information could not be disclosed to the public because of the implications on ongoing investigations.

"Maybe, they (the foreign media) have their own agenda, which is why we have been so badly criticised," noted Zulkifeli.

Malaysia had prepared all the necessary responses, including providing information, based on existing regulations and guidance.

"We have done everything, including coordinating all sources. All information on the incident and the necessary action (taken) to search (for the aircraft) have been disclosed," he said. - BERNAMA

Mystery of MH370 : I never believed foreign media's negative reports

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:46:00 +0000

PUTRAJAYA: The father of a Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 passenger, Zamani Zakaria, says he had never believed speculation by the foreign media about the missing aircraft since the first day of the mishap.

Zamani, 56, father of Mohd Razahan, 23, said his family only relied on information from the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and the Malaysian authorities.

"But sometimes the speculation affected our emotion, they should not accuse the Malaysian government without any proof," he said when asked to comment on several foreign media reports on the aircraft which went missing on March 8.

He stressed that the foreign media should not arbitrarily make accusations in the current situation whereby the search and rescue (SAR) operation was being rigorously conducted by Malaysia and 26 other countries.

Zamani said SAR which had entered the 24th day also showed MAS was always in contact with them to inform the latest development.

A local newspaper reported today that the eldest child of the pilot of MH370, Aisyah Zaharie, 28, had expressed anger and disappointment over the report by a foreign portal, Daily Mail, which she claimed slandered her father.

The newspaper report quoted Aishah's Facebook as saying 'Slander is worse than murder. I will not forgive you', when referring to the report.

Meanwhile, Zamani, when asked about his wife Kamariah Sharif's condition said, she believes her son-in-law and daughter Norli Akmar Hamid, 33, were still alive because there was no proof to link the objects found at sea, to MH370. -BERNAMA

Mystery Of MH370 : Search intensifies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:35:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: The search for the missing Malaysian Airlines (MAS) jetliner in the remote Indian Ocean has been intensified with the deployment of 10 aircraft and 10 ships.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), in a statement said, the aircraft included a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orion, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion, a Japanese P3 Orion, a Japan Coast Guard Gulfstream jet.

A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force Ilyushin IL-76, a South Korea P3 Orion, a United States Navy P8 Poseidon, two Royal Malaysian Air Force C-130 Hercules, and a civil jet acting as communications relay.

AMSA said the ships comprised HMAS Success and HMAS Toowoomba, seven Chinese ships and a merchant vessel.

"Some parts of the search area will experience low cloud and rain throughout the day," it said.

Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, left the KL International Airport at 12.41 am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later while over the South China Sea. It was to have landed in Beijing at 6.30 am on the same day.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak then announced on March 24, seventeen days after the disappearance of Flight MH370 that it "ended in the southern Indian Ocean".

On Sunday, the Australian authority said a number of objects retrieved by HMAS Success and Haixun 01 on Saturday had been examined and were believed to be not related to the missing airliner.-- BERNAMA

Leaders of the international forces currently based in Perth to search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 stand in front of a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft before a visit by Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott at RAAF Base Pearce. REUTERS Photo

Mystery of MH370 : Capt denies Daily Mail report

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:33:00 +0000

SHAH ALAM: Malaysian Pilots Association vice-president Captain Abdul Manan Mansor today denied a report by Daily Mail online allegedly quoting him saying that the missing MH370 pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah was "psychologically unstable" after a marriage break up.

Abdul Manan not only denied claiming Zaharie was mentally unstable, he also clarified that he has never spoken to Daily Mail"I didn't speak to Daily Mail, I didn't say that Zaharie was psychologically unstable.

"You can disregard the entire article," he said.

The Malaysia Aviation Management College chief executive asserted that he did not know Zaharie personally and would not have known of any marital problems he might or might not have had.

"I don't know Zaharie personally, there are so many pilots registered in Malaysia, it is not unusual for some of us to not cross paths," he said, adding that he also did not know Zaharie's wife or children.

Mystery of MH370 : Lost In Indian Ocean

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:32:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be visiting the MH370 search operations centre in Perth, Australia on Wednesday.

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today Najib will be making a working visit to the Pearce Air Force Base to see the operations firsthand and to thank all personnel involved in the multinational search effort, including the Malaysian crew.

Hishammuddin said Najib had also been given a full update on the search operations during a conversation with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott earlier this morning.

Speaking to reporters at the daily press conference here, Hishammuddin said five objects had been retrieved by the ships HMAS Success and the Haixun on Saturday.

"However, it was found that none of these objects were related to MH370."

He said on Sunday, an Australian aircraft had sighted seven potential objects, while a Korean P3-Orion had made visuals of three potential objects. The Haixun, a Chinese ship, has been tasked to retrieve these objects.

Malaysian Airlines aircraft MH370, carrying 239 passengers and crew, first went missing on March 8. It is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean.

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein today Najib will be making a working visit to the Pearce Air Force Base to see the operations firsthand and to thank all personnel involved in the multinational search effort, including the Malaysian crew. Pix by NSTP/Mohamad Shahril Badri Saali

Mystery of MH370 : Search ops in Indian Sea resume

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:51:00 +0000

Below is a media release from Australian Maritime Safety Authority

*All times are expressed in Australian Eastern Daylight Saving time. Please note departure times are approximate.

Search operations in the Southern Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft will continue today in the Australian Search and Rescue Region.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) reiterates this is a challenging search operation and continues to hold grave fears for the passengers and crew on board the missing flight.

Several small objects of interest were identified by air observers on a civil aircraft in yesterday’s search.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion aircraft with specialist electro-optic observation equipment was diverted to the location, arriving after the first aircraft left but only reported sighting clumps of seaweed.

The RNZAF P3 Orion dropped a datum marker buoy to track the movement of the material.

Further attempts will be made today to establish whether the objects sighted are related to MH370.

Yesterday, China provided a satellite image to Australia possibly showing a 22.5 metre floating object in the southern Indian Ocean. AMSA plotted the position and it fell within yesterday’s search area.

The object was not sighted during yesterday’s search.

AMSA has used this information in the development of the search area, taking drift modelling into account.

Today’s search has been split into two areas within the same proximity covering 59,000 square kilometres about 2500 kilometres south-west of Perth.

These areas have been determined by drift modelling.

A total of eight aircraft have been tasked by AMSA’s Rescue Coordination Centre to undertake today’s search activities.

The civil aircraft are two Bombardier Global Express, a Gulfstream 5 and an Airbus 319.

One civil aircraft departed Perth for the search area just after 9am. Three other civil aircraft departed for the search area between 11am and midday.

The United States Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft departed for the search area about 11am.

Source: AMSA website

Mystery of MH370 : Pallet, belts sighted in search

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:50:00 +0000

PERTH: Australian officials said Sunday that a wooden cargo pallet along with belts or straps have been spotted in the remote Indian Ocean by one of the aircraft deployed in the hunt for a missing Malaysian jet.

The objects were seen by a civilian aircraft assisting in the search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 on Saturday in what the Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed was the “first visual sighting in the search so far”.

“Part of the description was a wooden pallet and a number of other items which were nondescript around it and some belts of some different colours around it as well, strapping belts of different lengths,” AMSA aircraft operations coordinator Mike Barton said.

“We tried to refind that yesterday, one of the New Zealand aircraft, and unfortunately they didn’t find it. That’s the nature of it — you only have to be off by a few hundred metres in a fast-travelling aircraft,” he told a press briefing.

Barton said Sunday’s search, which will involve four military and four civilian aircraft, would return to the area to try and zero in on the objects again.

Aviation experts had advised that wooden pallets were quite commonly used to pack goods in planes, Barton added, describing it as a “possible lead”.

Such pallets were usually packed into another container loaded into the belly of the aircraft he said, adding however that they were also used in the shipping industry.

He cautioned that the nearby straps “could be anything” and “until we refind these items and have a good look at them it’s hard to say whether they are associated with this or not.”

A “methodical search” would also continue of a 59,000 square kilometre (22,800 square mile) expanse of sea to try and locate large items captured by satellite imagery on March 16 and 18.

Barton said the operation had shifted away from an earlier emphasis on radar to focus on visual examination “of a more defined area based on the satellite imagery.”

He said looking into the sun and through haze from a much lower altitude than a satellite was making things difficult for search crews.

Sunday’s weather was not as good as the previous day’s, with sea fog and low cloud hampering visibility early in the day, though Barton said it appeared to be clearing and he was hopeful of a “full search in with some good conditions.”

But the major challenge was the site’s remoteness.

“The aircraft are operating at extreme ranges... At 2,500 kilometres away they’re operating at the limits of their endurance and only having a short period of one to two hours in the search area and back again,” he said. -- AFP

Mystery of MH370 : Ocean hunt focuses on pallet

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:47:00 +0000

PERTH, Australia: Planes and ships scrambled Sunday to find a pallet and other debris in a remote patch of the southern Indian Ocean to determine whether the objects were from the Malaysia Airlines jet that has been missing for more than two weeks.

The pallet was spotted by a search plane Saturday, but has not been closely examined. Wooden pallets are commonly used in shipping, but can also be used in cargo containers carried on planes.

It was the latest in a series of clues experts and searchers are trying to run down to solve the mystery of what happened to Flight 370 when it disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.

ike Barton, chief of Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s rescue coordination centre, told reporters in Canberra, Australia, that the wooden pallet was spotted by a civilian search aircraft on Saturday , and it was surrounded by several other objects including what appeared to be strapping belts of different colours.

A New Zealand P3 Orion military plane was then sent to find it but failed, he said.

“So, we’ve gone back to that area again today to try and re-find it,” Barton said. A merchant ship in the area has also been sent to try to identify the material.

“We went to some of the expert airlines and the use of wooden pallets is quite common in the industry,” Barton said.

“They’re usually packed into another container which is loaded in the belly of the aircraft. ... It’s a possible lead, but we will need to be very certain that this is a pallet because pallets are used in the shipping industry as well.”

Malaysia Airlines asked The Associated Press to submit questions via email for comment on whether Flight 370 had wooden pallets aboard when it disappeared. There was no immediate response.

When Brazilian searchers in 2009 were looking for debris from Air France Flight 447 after it mysteriously plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, the first thing they found was a wooden pallet.

The military first reported that the pallet came from the Air France flight, but then said six hours later that the plane had not been carrying any wooden pallets.

In Australia, eight search planes departed from a military base near Perth on Sunday to scour an area about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) away in an extremely isolated part of the southern Indian Ocean.

Satellite images, the most recent released by China on Saturday, have showed large objects floating in the area that experts want to check to see if they came from the jet.

Air and sea searches since Thursday have not produced any results.

John Young, manager of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s emergency response division, said Sunday’s search was mainly relying on human eyes.

“Today is really a visual search again, and visual searches take some time. They can be difficult,” he said.

Barton said while the weather was not as good at the start of the day with sea fog and low cloud, it was clearing up later Sunday.

Despite the frustrating lack of answers, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was upbeat.

“Obviously we have now had a number of very credible leads and there is increasing hope — no more than hope, no more than hope — that we might be on the road to discovering what did happen to this ill-fated aircraft,” Abbott told reporters in Papua New Guinea.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it had refined the search based on the latest clue from the Chinese satellite showing an object that appeared to be 22 meters (72 feet) by 13 meters (43 feet). It said the object’s position also fell within Saturday’s search area but it had not been sighted.

Sunday’s search has been split into two areas within the same proximity covering 59,000 square kilometers (22,800 square miles). These areas have been determined by drift modelling, the AMSA said.

Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein put a message on his Twitter account Sunday asking those in churches around the country to offer a “prayer please” for the passengers and crew on Fight 370.

More than 300 Malaysian cycling enthusiasts rode their bikes to the Kuala Lumpur airport to remember the people onboard the jet. The cyclists decorated the bikes with small Malaysian flags and stickers that read “Pray for MH370.”

The latest satellite image is another clue in the baffling search for Flight 370, which dropped off air traffic control screens March 8 over the Gulf of Thailand with 239 people on board.

“China hopes that these data will be helpful for searching and rescuing efforts,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement.

The missing plane, which had been bound for Beijing, carried 153 Chinese passengers.

After about a week of confusion, Malaysian authorities said pings sent by the Boeing 777-200 for several hours after it disappeared indicated that the plane ended up in one of two huge arcs: a northern corridor stretching from Malaysia to Central Asia, or a southern corridor that stretches toward Antarctica.

The discovery of the initial two objects by a satellite led several countries to send planes and ships to a stretch of the ocean southwest of Australia.

Two military planes from China have arrived in Perth, and the AMSA said they would join the search on Monday. They join Australian, New Zealand and U.S. aircraft. Japanese planes are also expected soon.

Because the search area is a four-hour flight from land, some of the planes can search for about only two hours before they must fly back. Others may be able to stay for up to five hours before heading back to the base.

Malaysian authorities have not ruled out any possible explanation for what happened to the jet, but have said the evidence so far suggests it was deliberately turned back across Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca, with its communications systems disabled.

They are unsure what happened next.

Police are considering the possibilities of hijacking, sabotage, terrorism or issues related to the mental health of the pilots or anyone else on board. --AP

Mystery of MH370 : Anger, Desepration In 3rd Week.... Be Patient, Still...there is a hope!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:54:00 +0000

Australian rescuers stepped up the search for missing Malaysian Flight MH370 as frustration at two weeks of fruitless efforts boiled over Saturday in Beijing with police having to restrain angry relatives of the passengers.

Six planes, including four Orion anti-submarine aircraft packed with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, joined the search for debris from the aircraft over a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean, 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) southwest of Perth.

Chinese, British and Australian naval ships were all steaming to the same area where two floating objects -- possibly plane wreckage -- were picked out on grainy satellite pictures.

With planes from China and Japan also expected to join the hunt, the sudden concentration of resources on the basis of such inconclusive evidence reflects growing desperation after 14 days of piecemeal progress.

There have been no sightings of interest since Thursday, when Australia released the satellite photos taken on March 16.

Two-thirds of the 227 passengers on board were Chinese and growing anger among their family members over Malaysia's handling of the crisis exploded Saturday during a meeting with Malaysian officials at a Beijing hotel.

Police were forced to intervene as relatives rushed towards the officials, demanding answers which they accuse the Malaysians of withholding.

"Government of Malaysia, tell us the truth! Give us back our loved ones!" they shouted.

After the police stepped in, the Malaysian officials left the room.

"We can't bear it any longer," one of the relatives said later. "They're offering us compensation, but we've lost our entire families.

Australian and Malaysian officials have described the satellite images released Thursday as the most "credible" lead to date, but failure to find anything soon will be a body blow to a search operation already weakened by false leads and dead ends.

"At this stage we are planning to continue indefinitely," Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said during a visit to the Perth air force base where the search planes are flying from.

The distance from Australia's west coast allows the Orions only about two hours of actual search time before they must turn around with enough fuel to get back to Perth.

Britain's Telegraph newspaper published what appeared to be the full transcript of communications with Flight MH370's cockpit crew up until the moment it dropped off civilian radar.

The transcript, which ended with the final words "All right, good night" -- believed to have been spoken by the co-pilot -- contained no fresh clues to what diverted MH370 from its intended flight path from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

Malaysian investigators have stuck to their assumption that it was the result of a "deliberate action" by someone on board.

Three scenarios have gained particular attention: hijacking, pilot sabotage, and a sudden mid-air crisis that incapacitated the flight crew and left the plane to fly on auto-pilot for several hours until it ran out of fuel and crashed.

Finding wreckage in the remote southern Indian Ocean would undermine the hijacking theory, which many of the relatives continue to cling to.

Sarah Bajc, the partner of American passenger Philip Wood, voiced concern that the sudden focus on a particular section of the Indian Ocean was happening at the expense of a land search along a northern route the plane may have taken over South and Central Asia.

"I believe, and I think many people believe, the passengers are being held for some other purpose. But so far that doesn't seem to be listened to," Bajc told CNN

"If there's a chance it was taken by an abductor of some sort, then we should be putting at least some of our resources towards looking on land," she added.

As it enters its third week, the search for MH370 has become one of the longest -- and certainly largest -- in modern aviation history.

No confirmed wreckage was ever found of a Korean Air jetliner that exploded in mid air over the Andaman Sea in 1987 as the result of a bomb placed on board by North Korean agents.

Expectations based on advances in technology, coupled with the modern era's relentless 24-hour media coverage, would seem to rule out public acceptance of the idea that MH370 will never be found.

"This is going to be a long-haul effort," Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Friday.

Scott Hamilton, managing director of US-based aviation consultancy Leeham Co., said the investigation would simply continue for as long as it takes.

"This is, in all probability, a criminal act, and thereby presumed murder of more than 230 people," Hamilton said.

"Worse, if this is some kind of terror event that is a precursor to something bigger in the future, authorities will presumably do all they can to make this determination and work to prevent it -- whatever 'it' is," he added.

Malaysia has asked the FBI to help recover data it said was deleted from a home flight simulator belonging to the plane's chief pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, but otherwise no evidence has emerged to implicate him.

Australian Defence personnel keeping guard in front of the RAAF Orions, extensively used in search of the missing airliner -- AFP photo

Mystery of MH370 : China Is Now Released A New Satellite Image (Hopes are there!)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:52:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: China has released a new satellite image of a large floating object in the Indian Ocean that could be related to missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, officials said Saturday.

Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein announced the news during his daily press briefing when he was handed a note by an aide.

“The news that I just received is that the Chinese ambassador received satellite images of floating objects in the southern corridor and they will be sending ships to verify,” Hishammuddin said.

In a later press statement, the transport ministry clarified that there was one “suspected” object with an estimated size of 22.5 metres by 13 metres (74 by 43 feet).

Hishammuddin had provided different dimensions which the statement said was the result of a telephone miscommunication.

Chinese state television later released a copy of the undated, grainy satellite image.

Attached coordinates suggested it was in roughly the same area of remote ocean as two possible objects spotted on satellite images taken March 16 and released by the Australian government on Thursday.

China’s Xinhua news agency said the object was spotted 120 kilometres from those spotted by Australia.

Australian and US spotter planes have been scouring the area for the past three days, but without finding any sign of the suspected wreckage. -- AFP

This image provided by China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense shows a floating object seen at sea next to the descriptor which was added by the source. The image was captured around noon, on March 18, 2014 (Tuesday) by a Chinese satellite in S44’57 E90’13 in south Indian Ocean. It shows what is suspected to be a floating object 22 meters long and 13 meters wide. It is about 120 km south (slightly to the west) of the suspected objects released by Australia. (AP Photo/ China State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense) -- AP photo

Mystery of MH370 : US may give sonar gear to M'sia for search Read more: UPDATE 4 (Day 15) MISSING MH370: US may give sonar gear to M'sia for search

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:48:00 +0000

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is weighing a request from Malaysia for sonar equipment to bolster the so-far frustrated search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, as concerns grow that any debris may have sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Malaysia's Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein asked for undersea surveillance equipment in a phone call with US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, as the Pentagon tallied US$2.5 million in costs so far in the nearly two-week-old search.

"No specific request was made for any particular type. It was just a general request for us to help them locate the wreckage and/or the black box," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told Reuters on Friday.

"The Secretary said he would consider the request, that he would examine whether we had anything that was both available and potentially helpful and that he would get back to the minister in the very near future."

The US Navy has a variety of active and passive sonar systems, some of which search the ocean for objects by emitting sound "pings" and monitoring the echoes that bounce back and others that listen for sound like an undersea microphone.

One system, called a "Towed Pinger Locator", is towed behind ships and is used to listen for downed Navy and commercial aircraft at depths of up to 20,000 feet (6000 metres, according to the US Navy's website.

The US military loaned this technology to France during its two-year effort to locate the black box from an Air France jetliner that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in June 2009.

The P-8 and P-3 spy planes, which the United States is already deploying in the Malaysian jetliner search, also carry "sonobuoys" that can be dropped into the sea and use sonar signals to search the waters below.

"Sound actually travels a long distance under water, depending on the conditions," Kirby said.

"Temperature, current, the underwater topography, all of these things change the way sound travels underwater. But sound can travel a long, long way."

One big question will be where to drop any sonar equipment.

Investigators suspect Flight MH370, which took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing shortly after midnight on March 8, was deliberately diverted thousands of miles from its scheduled path.

They say they are focusing on hijacking or sabotage but have not ruled out technical problems.

There has been no confirmed sign of wreckage so far and Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss cautioned on Friday that anything once floating "may have slipped to the bottom."

Hishammuddin, who is also acting transport minister, has acknowledged that the clock was ticking.

The plane's "black box" voice and data recorder only transmits an electronic signal for about 30 days before its battery dies, after which it will be far more difficult to locate.

"We've got three more weeks to find those pingers on the black boxes -- or else this plane may never be found," said Alan Diehl, who spent 40 years investigating aircraft accidents for the US National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration and US military.

He said the Pentagon should send submarines and more aircraft.

In its first disclosure of the cost of the US search, the Pentagon estimated about US$2.5 million had been spent so far. It added the US Defence Department had set aside about US$4 million -- enough to cover operations through early April. -- Reuters

Mystery of MH370 : 'I will not give up hope', says Hisham Read more: UPDATE 27 (Day 15) MISSING MH370: 'I will not give up hope', says Hisham

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:44:00 +0000

SEPANG: Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein today said there was no giving up on the search for the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which has been missing for the past two weeks.

"I will not give up hope and I will continue as from day one and I am giving more hope to get the closure to this by the support that we are receiving," he told reporters at the daily media briefing on the updates of missing MH370 here,

today.

Hishammuddin, who is also Defence Minister, said as more assets had been deployed and more countries came on board, it would give more hope to continue.

"But personally, I am not looking back," he stressed.

He also described the search and rescue (SAR) operation as the biggest in history as 26 countries were giving their support and assistance without even mentioning the costs involved.

"This is the best part. Nobody, not even Malaysia, not even our partners have talked about dollar and cents. It never cross our minds. The priority is to find the aircraft," he said.

Describing the challenges during the SAR in the southern Indian Ocean, he said the vessels that were deployed to the area would face possible strong current and rough seas.

He also said that the vessels had been warned of possible cyclone category one, which currently at Christmas Island area, heading towards the search area.

On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott revealed satellite images of two objects about 2,500 km south west of Perth, which could possibly be linked to the missing aircraft with 239 people on board.

The Boeing 777-200ER was en route to Beijing when it vanished mysteriously from radar screens on March 8. It was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30 am the same day. - BERNAMA

Mystery of MH370 : Hope The Spotted Images for Real....Keep Pray!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 17:13:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR: One of the two objects spotted on the satellite imagery by Australian authorities could be the tail section of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight.

“If that piece of the plane is that big maybe it's the tail section,” David Gallo told CNN.

David Gallo co-led the search for Air France Flight 447 which crashed in the Atlantic Ocean in 2009.

In the report, he warned that the size gave him a degree of concern.

“It's a big piece of aircraft to have survived something like this,” he said.

The tail height of the missing Malaysian Boeing 777-200ER aircraft is 60 feet.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority Emergency Response general manager John Young said today the largest object he's seen in satellite imagery has been judged to be about 24 meters (79 feet) in size.

He said they were probably awash with water and bobbing up and down and described the object as "a blob" on the satellite image.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott first announced the discovery to the House of Representatives in Canberra earlier today.

The satellite imagery has shown two objects that could be related to the MAS aircraft that disappeared on March 8, according to Reuters.

The news agency quoted Abbott as saying "the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has received information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search".

This combo of handout images taken on March 16, 2014 and released on March 20, 2014 by the Australian Government's Department of Defence via the Australian Maritime Safety Authority show satelite images of objects in the Indian Ocean which may be from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 which disappeared en route to Beijing early on March 8. Australia said on March 20 that the two objects -- the largest estimated at 24 metres (79 feet) long -- spotted in the Indian Ocean were the "best lead we have" in the search for the missing Malaysian passenger jet. AFP PHOTO/Australian Government's Department of Defence

Mystery of MH370 : Hope This Is True for A Hope : Norwegian ship 'reaches area of suspected debris'

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 17:05:00 +0000

OSLO: A Norwegian ship on Thursday reached an area of the Indian Ocean where possible debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane was spotted, shipping company Hoegh Autoliners said.

“The ship has arrived at the site to take part in the search,” said Cecilie Moe, spokeswoman for the Norwegian company.

No object likely to have come from flight MH370 has been recovered at this stage, said Christian Dahll, another spokesperson for Hoegh Autoliners.

Dahll added that the search window for Thursday was limited since sunset was at around 1300 GMT.

“The ship will travel along a route provided by Australian authorities until nightfall,” he told AFP.

“After that, we will assess the situation with the Australian authorities.”

Sturla Henriksen, director general of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, said that the search area extends over a distance of “60 nautical miles, around 100 kilometres”.

The St. Petersburg, a vehicles carrier, will travel “back and forth (along the route) in the hope of finding what has been identified as debris”, Henriksen told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, adding that the ship does not have any capacity to retrieve objects from the sea.

The vessel was on its way from Port Louis in Mauritius to the Australian city of Melbourne, when it was requested by the Australian authorities to reroute in order to identify debris spotted by satellite in the southern Indian Ocean.

After two weeks of false leads, Australia revived the investigation on the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370 when it announced the detection of two “objects” in the southern Indian Ocean, some 2,500 kilometres (1,553 miles) southwest of Perth in western Australia. -- AFP