Australian authorities are poised
to announce the next phase of the
underwater search for Malaysia
Airlines flight MH370 this week,
five months after the plane
vanished without a trace.
The Australian Transport Safety
Bureau (ATSB), which is leading
the search for the missing plane
at the Malaysian government’s
request, is expected to engage a
single, private contractor to
search for the Boeing 777-200ER,
and if successfully located, to
positively identify and map the
wreckage.
The operation, which the ATSB
says is likely to begin in early
September and will last up to a
year, will include a number of
underwater vehicles that will
slowly scan some 60,000 square
kilometers (23,000 square miles)
of the southern Indian Ocean,
looking for any sign of aircraft
debris.
It’s not yet clear exactly how the
deep-sea search, which Australia
has estimated will cost $56
million, will play out. While the
ATSB has developed the overall
search strategy, the independent
contractor will be responsible for
day-to-day operations in the
search zone.
“We have the shape of a plan
based on information we have
available to us,” says Martin
Dolan, the ATSB’s Chief
Commissioner. “It’s a concept we
need to test out with the
operation experts and come up
with the detailed plan… for the
conduct of the search.”


http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/08/mh370-australia-announce-next-phase-search-missing-malaysia-plane/

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