Initially, planes and ships from 14 countries searched areas of the South China Sea but ended in late April. Now, the search resumed. “It’s unprecedented in terms of doing a survey of this size and in this remote location.”, said Stuart Minchin, head of the Environmental Geoscience Division of Geoscience Australia, the agency overseeing the mapping process at low resolution which is necessary for guidance of the underwater sonar search in the upcoming phase.
The GO Phoenix, the first of three ships that will spend up to a year hunting for the wreckage far off Australia’s west coast. Two other ships, which have been provided by Dutch contractor Fugro are expected to join later this month. Sonar, video cameras and jet fuel sensors will be used on the new search. Sonar devices will be dragging through the water about 100 metres (330 feet) above the seabed to hunt for the wreckage. Australian Transport Safety Bureau Is leading the search.
Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan expressed cautious optimism that the plane will eventually be found.
