Could we have been searching for flight MH370 in the wrong part of the Indian Ocean for the last two years?
An alternative theory brought up by searchers of the Dutch engineering company Fugro seemed to suggest that this could’ve been the case, Reuters reported today.
The search area that was decided in 2014 – over 120,000 square kilometers of the southern Indian Ocean off Western Australia – was based on the fuel capacity of the Boeing 777 aircraft.
But now, it is said that if a pilot had been in control and glided the plane with care, the aircraft could’ve gone further beyond the search area, despite having an empty fuel tank.
"If it was manned it could glide for a long way," Fugro project director Paul Kennedy told Reuters. "You could glide it for further than our search area is, so I believe the logical conclusion will be, well, maybe that is the other scenario."
Previously, the search for the Malaysia Airlines aircraft, which went missing on March 8, 2014 during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board, was conducted based on the aircraft’s fuel capacity – how far it could go with the load of fuel it was carrying.
The theory was that, if the aircraft had ran out of fuel, the plane would have then dived into the water.
But Kennedy told Reuters that a skilled pilot could glide the plane approximately 120 miles (193km) from its cruising altitude after running out of fuel. One pilot Reuters spoke to for their report said it would be slightly less than that.
According to the pilot, someone must manually put the aircraft into a glide – nose down and with controlled speed – for the aircraft to continue gliding after fuel has run out.
"If you lose all power, the auto-pilot kicks out. If there is nobody at the controls, the aircraft will plummet down," the report quoted a captain with experience flying Boeing 777s.
Fugro reportedly said they are "95 percent confident" that the missing aircraft is not in the designated search area.
The search for MH370 is supposed to end in three months' time. As for the future of the search, it will be discussed by officials from Malaysia, China and Australia in a meeting tomorrow.
Astro Awani
Thu Jul 21 2016
A file photo of a member from the Australian search and rescue team during the search for MH370 in 2014. - AFP Photo
Kerajaan rangka hala tuju beri lebih banyak perlindungan kepada kanak-kanak
Kerajaan akan merangka hala tuju bagi memberikan lebih banyak perlindungan dari segi undang-undang kepada kanak-kanak di negara ini.
Tiada tepung di pasaran tempatan mengandungi benzoil peroksida melebihi kadar dibenarkan - KKM
Tiada mana-mana jenama tepung di pasaran tempatan mengandungi benzoil peroksida melebihi paras yang dibenarkan di bawah undang-undang.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Semua delegasi diminta pulang, FFC akan maklumkan tarikh baharu misi
Menurut Jawatankuasa Pemandu FFC, Ann Wright, pihaknya akan memaklumkan perkembangan terbaharu kepada semua delegasi terlibat sekiranya tarikh akhir pelayaran ditetapkan.
Bytedance enggan jual TikTok di Amerika Syarikat
BYTEDANCE kini mengatakan mereka tidak akan menjual perniagaan TikTok di Amerika Syarikat (AS).
Malaysia komited tingkat hubungan dua hala bersama Libya
Malaysia terus komited mempertingkatkan hubungan dua hala yang berterusan bersama Libya demi manfaat bersama dalam pelbagai sektor.
Cegah jenayah: Kerjasama komuniti kekang jenayah secara holistik
Jelasnya, program seumpama ini diharap dapat memberikan pendedahan tentang pencegahan jenayah dan menzahirkan aspirasi PDRM untuk penglibatan aktif warga komuniti dalam memerangi aktiviti jenayah.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Boon Lai tarik diri saat akhir
Hasrat Chng Boon Lai menjadi salah seorang calon Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu tidak kesampaian.
PRK N06 KKB: Kerajaan Perpaduan akan dibebani dengan isu semasa - Muhyiddin
Pilihan Raya Kecil Kuala Kubu Baharu kali ini akan menyaksikan Kerajaan Perpaduan ‘dibebani’ dengan isu-isu semasa yang dilihat membebankan rakyat, tegas bekas Perdana Menteri yang juga Pengerusi Perikatan Nasional, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
PRK N06 KKB: UMNO, BN dukung calon PH demi Kerajaan Perpaduan – Ahmad Zahid
UMNO dan Barisan Nasional berpegang kepada prinsip mendukung calon yang mewakili Kerajaan Perpaduan, iaitu Pang Sock Tao, biarpun beliau berasal daripada parti DAP yang pernah menjadi seteru mereka satu ketika dulu.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Isu akademik, Khairul Azhari mahu fokus pilihan raya
Calon PN bagi PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu, Khairul Azhari Saut enggan mengulas kontroversi melibatkan kelayakan akademiknya yang tular.