CNN reported on Tuesday that after prodding authorities to release satellite data on MH370, the experts said their findings suggest the plane was in a tight cluster of spots in the south Indian Ocean – hundreds of kilometres southwest of the previous search site.
"We recommend that the search for MH370 be focused on this area," they said in a statement on Tuesday.
"While there remain a number of uncertainties and some disagreements as to the interpretation of aspects of the data, our best estimates of a location of the aircraft (are) near 36.02 South 88.57 East," according to the statement, which was approved by 10 named experts.
According to CNN, the group opted to release its statement on Tuesday ahead of the Australian government's announcement on the focus of the search, so that there would be no question about the independence of their findings.
One member of the group, American Mobile Satellite Corp co-founder Mike Exner, told CNN that “We wanted to get our best estimate out”.
CNN quoted Exner as saying that the group believed that after the Boeing 777-200ER (9M-MRO) circumnavigated Indonesia, for reasons that were still unknown, the plane travelled south at an average speed of 470 knots, probably at a consistent altitude and constant heading.
He added that all five computer models developed by the experts place the aircraft in a “pretty tight cluster... plus or minus 80km of each other”.
The plane and its 239 passengers on board dropped off radar March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
In a blog post, another group member Tim Farrar called the recommended search site “our best estimate – but not the only possible – location for a potential search.”
The group has yet to be consulted by search officials despite releasing its estimates way in advance of an announcement that a new search area for flight MH370 will be made known in the next two weeks.
Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein yesterday told reporters after a working visit to klia2 that he was confident a new search area would be announced within the next one to two weeks.
“Once the actual new search area has been identified and announced, then China, Australia and Malaysia will begin the full deployment of assets.
“This includes assets contributed by Petronas, Deftech and Sapura Kencana,” Hishammuddin said.
Exner, however, said he believed the authorities were narrowing in on the correct search site, but were thrown off course when searchers detected acoustic pings northwest of Australia.
"It's my personal opinion that the official search team weighed too heavily" on the acoustic pings,” he said.
Exner said the informal group of experts has volunteered to work with the US National Transportation Safety Board and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
But, while the government agencies have been polite, they have been reticent to release additional information that could further help the independent group, he told CNN.
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