Missing MH370: Air search activities suspended due to cyclone

KUALA LUMPUR - The planned air search activities have been suspended today due to poor weather conditions in the search area as a result of Tropical Cyclone Jack.

The Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) in a statement today, said the current weather conditions resulted in heavy seas and poor visibility.

“Poor visibility would make any air search activities ineffective and potentially hazardous,” it said.

It said the 10 ships involved in today's search however would continue with their planned activities as usual.

“The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has planned a visual search area totaling approximately 49,491 square kilometres. The centre of the search area lies approximately 1584 kilometres north west of Perth.” said JACC.

It said the Bluefin-21 AUV was currently completing mission nine in the underwater search area.

“The AUV  has searched approximately two thirds of the focused underwater search area to date with no contacts of interest found.”

“The focused underwater search area is defined as a circle of 10km radius around the second Towed Pinger Locator detection which occurred on 8 April,” said JACC adding that scattered showers with south easterly winds are expected to continue throughout the day.

The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airline flight MH370 disappeared with 239 passengers and crew members on March 8. It was last detected in the southern Indian Ocean.

NST