Malaysia releases satellite data used to trace the final hours of flight MH370
The data, provided by a British satellite operator, is raw and described as “highly technical”.
Image: AP/Press Association Images
MALAYSIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE released raw satellite data used to determine that missing flight MH370 went down in the southern Indian Ocean, information demanded by passengers’ relatives who are frustrated over the failure to find any wreckage.
The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) said in a statement it had worked with Inmarsat to provide 47 pages of data communication logs recorded by the British satellite operator, as well as explanatory notes for public consumption.
Analysts said it would take time to draw any conclusions from the raw, “highly technical” data.
The families of the 239 passengers and crew on board the Malaysia Airlines plane had demanded the information be made public after a massive and costly search for the flight, which mysteriously diverted from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route 11 weeks ago, found nothing.
Officials, relying in part on the Inmarsat data, have said they believe the plane ended up over the southern Indian Ocean, where it crashed into the sea.
Australia, which is leading the hunt in the Indian Ocean, has committed up to €61 million towards the search operation over two years.
The numerical data used the Doppler effect — the change in frequency of waves from a moving object — to decipher the Boeing 777′s final flight path.
Inmarsat’s interpretation of the data was subsequently verified by the international investigation team, which includes the DCA, the US National Transport Safety Board, Britain’s Air Accidents Investigations Branch, and China’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Department.
But, with no sign of the plane found since its disappearance on March 8, relatives were sceptical.
“There is no mention on why they are so sure the Inmarsat data is highly accurate and reliable, to the extent that they have thrown all resources there,” the families said in a May 20th report to the governments of Malaysia and Australia, which is coordinating the search efforts.
The DCA has previously stressed that satellite data was just one of several elements being examined by investigators.
Read: Australia, Malaysia and China to meet to make sure MH370 search “doesn’t stop” >
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Comments (3 Comments)
- I wouldn’t call them idiots, the simple fact is that the plane has not been located. Perhaps it will never be located, but there are a lot of positives and lessons learned from the way the search was coordinated, together with new ideas emerging about how to satellite track aircraft in future.
- Ok rephrase it to fools then. Im sure lessons have been learned. They forced themselves into corners many times. Im sure there is massive pressure to release details but that’s the problem.Plane is lost.We are reviewing data and radar.
We have identified possible flight paths but not final position.
We believe the flight followed a path south to the indian ocean and will focus efforts accordingly. The cause of this course correction is speculation and we will not comment untill we retrieve the flight data recorders.That’s completely it no other information should be released at all.
- I think at this stage with all the false starts that they really dont know more then its gobe south and lost in a vadt ocean never to be found.Tragic for family but shambles of investigation so far. Pandering to the families and media and releasing information that was not verified. Now they look total idiots.
- The Stats simply don’t add up and are being used by the British as a cover-up ! The answers to the cover up start at RMAF Butterworth, Penang. The Five Power Defence Arrangement there needs to be investigated properly. I live in this general area and investigating it further is more than my life is worth.
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