Mysteries of our time. Flight MH370. Part 2: The timeline of search & rescue missions*

The search radius is extended to 27 000 nautical miles. It was confirmed that plane was heading off course. Malaysian police began to check passengers’ background boarded on the plane. Authorities got desperate. Australian government shared satellite images where they indicated some unknown objects Later, Chinese plane found 2 white square objects, which could have been parts from the missing plane…

Read also: Mysteries of our time: Flight MH370. Part 1

On March 9, 2014 U.S., China, Singapore and Philippines joined rescue operation. Analysis of radar data showed that plane changed its direction. Therefore, the search area was expanded from 20 to 50 nautical miles. Nothing was there. Malaysian police began to check passengers’ background boarded on the plane. After some time, they learned that two passengers had forged passports, but it did not give answers what has happened to the plane?

Fig 1. MH370 rescue operation from March 8, 2014 to March 19, 2014

On the next day, on March 10, 2014 search area was expanded even wider to 100 nautical miles, but there was no evidence that plane crashed somewhere near the area. It just disappeared. Therefore, rescue operation focused on any debris or oil stains that could be seen on the water. After a while, near the coast of Vietnam they found some oil stain, but it turned out that it was trace left by ship. Authorities got desperate.

On Tuesday, March 11, 2014 the Interpol has learned that 2 men from Iran used fake passports. At this time, the Malaysian army started to investigate the concept of possibility that plane changed course above the southeast coast of Malaysia, near Kota Bharu. It did not give any results!

Fig. 2. MH370 rescue operation from March 20, 2014 to March January 28, 2015

On Wednesday, March 12, 2014, search radius is extended to 27 000 nautical miles. Thus the search operation has become one of the largest in the world. Twelve countries came to help. In operation attended 42 ships and 39 aircraft. It did not lead to vanished plane or its debris. No one knew where wreckage was. This was a starting point of various rumors and speculations.

On Thursday March 13, 2014, the Wall Street Journal shared the idea that perhaps the plane drifted away about 2200 miles from search area. But it was another unconfirmed reflection.

On Friday, March 14, 2014 the White House has provided information that after the disappearance a satellite was getting weak signals from the plane. It lasted during a few hours, which proves that communication on the aircraft was functional. At this time, the USS Kidd has searched the area near Strait of Malacca, around the Gulf of Thailand.

On Saturday, March 15, 2014 it was confirmed that plane was heading off course. Unexpectedly, new facts appeared. Signals transmitted from the plane have been receiving by the satellite during 7.5 hours after disappearing! For Malaysian authorities it seemed that it could be a case for some kind of terrorist act. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that, it was somebody’s well planned operation… But it was just a political statement that didn’t help to find the wreckage.

Fig. 3. MH370 rescue operation from March 7, 2015 to March 8, 2015

Sunday, March 16, 2014. Eleven countries joined the search and rescue mission. This was a new stage of the search operation. Meanwhile, Malaysian police continued the investigation and checked the identities of all passengers and crew members.

On Monday, March 17, 2014 operation continued. Australia and Indonesia were searching in certain corridors indicated on the satellite maps.

On Tuesday, March 18, 2014, China confirmed that its citizens did not belong to the terrorist groups. It was an important issue, because there were some speculations that separatists from the province of Xinjiang could be connected to larger group and had something to do with plane disappearance.

On Wednesday, March 19, 2014 the FBI officially joined the investigation. The Malaysian government dismissed rumors that someone saw the plane on the Maldives Islands.

On Thursday, March 20, 2014 Australian authorities shared satellite images where they indicated some unknown objects that could have been parts of missing plane, such as wreckage and debris. Four planes sent to the area, overcame 1553.43 miles (2500 km) and arrived to marked location near the south-western part of Perth. It turned out that it was not plane’s debris.

Friday, March 21, 2014. It becomes clear that rescue efforts were ineffective. Representatives of the Australian Government made an assumption that the wreckage could be already under the water. Therefore, the authorities started new search in the Andaman Sea.

Saturday, March 22, 2014. China unveiled a new series of satellite images. There were some objects drafting on the water surface. So, it gave a hope that finally authorities found debris of flight MH370, but it wasn’t it. Information updated again. Chinese authorities reported that 74,56 miles (120 km) to south from previous area marked by Australian authorities, they’ve found an object. Its side was 22 by 13 meters, but it wasn’t a part of vanished plane.

On Sunday, March 23, 2014 the search continued. French experts shared satellite images made above the southern part of Indian Ocean. There were another drifting objects. However, it was very unlikely that it could be a wreckage. In that point, search efforts based on previous Chinese satellite images were in south-west area, near the Perth. There was a hope to find the plane and those who survived.

On Monday, March 24, 2014 appeared an official statement from Malaysian Government, which indicated that it is very likely the plane crashed somewhere in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. This information is permanently dispersed the hope that anyone survived (if there was a crash). Later, Chinese plane found 2 white square objects, which could have been parts from the missing plane. But as previous, these elements weren’t connected to the flight MH370.

On Tuesday, March 25, 2014 a storm on the Indian Ocean caused a suspension of the search. After weather conditions became better they continued the operation. But in that point, there was no hope to find passages alive.

In April 2014 began underwater search. It covered an area 430 miles (692 km) wide and 50 miles (80 km).

In June 2014, Australian Government published a report. Investigation authorities assumed there was a possibility of cockpit decompression and because of oxygen starvation crew members couldn’t do their duties. Therefore aircraft was controlled by autopilot…

On Thursday, August 28, 2014, Australian authorities said that perhaps the plane changed course of flight earlier than investigators thought earlier.

On Friday, September 19, 2014 after 4 month suspension of underwater search, authorities announced resumption until the end of the month.

In October 2014 sonar equipped ships commenced an active search operation.

On Wednesday, January 28, 2015 Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) made a statement that this event was a precedent in modern aviation. However, the search will continue.

On Saturday, March 7, 2015, Malaysian authorities said that obtained data will be analyzed again.

On Sunday, March 8, 2015 was published an official report of Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation but plane still remains missing.

Sources:

1. http://www.cnbc.com/id/101485972 (Retreived 2015-07-03)
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10714907/Revealed-the-final-54-minutes-of-communication-from-MH370.html (Retreived 2015-07-03)
3. http://www.livescience.com/44228-photos-missing-malaysian-flight-370.html (Retreived 2015-07-03)
4. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/10898385/13-planes-vanish-from-radars-over-Europe.html (Retreived 2015-07-03)
5. http://mh370.mot.gov.my/download/FactualInformation.pdf (Retreived 2015-07-03)
6. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/07/flight-mh370-disappearance-timeline (Retreived 2015-07-04)

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*Warning. This is not an official statement neither from responsible authorities or official investigation reports. This is a fact build reflection based on information from listed sources. It made by enthusiasts who want to know, what really happened. The information can be uncompleted or inaccurate in some point, because some of hidden information that was unreachable to the authors.