[Peetwo]

HVH tries to abscond ATSB from MH370 -

Via 'that man' in the Oz today:

ATSB active in MH370 search
12:00amEAN HIGGINS

Australia is still involved in the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.

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The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been forced to admit it is still involved in the investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, amid reports the Malaysian military has effectively taken over the inquiry from civilians.

The confirmation follows weeks of refusal by the ATSB and the federal government’s Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre to say whether or not it has an officer on the investigation team.

At a Senate estimates hearing yesterday, ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood at first tried to distance the bureau from the MH370 affair, saying “the ATSB’s formal involvement in the search concluded last year”.

The ATSB led the first, failed underwater search for MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean, which cost Australian taxpayers $60 million out of a total $200m, with critics saying its search strategy was based on the wrong theory of what happened to the aircraft.

Questioned by South Australian senator Rex Patrick, Mr Hood admitted the ATSB did have continued involvement in the investigation into “what happened on that flight”.

Under International Civil Aviation Organisation provisions for air crash investigations, Mr Hood told the hearing, a panel was established to inquire into the loss four years ago of the Boeing 777 with 239 people on board.

“Australia has an accredited representative on that investigation team,” Mr Hood said.

The ATSB appears to have been particularly sensitive on the matter, with its spokesman Paul Sadler referring questions to the JACC, whose chief co-ordinator, senior public servant Judith Zielke, did not respond.

Ms Zielke’s spokesman later referred inquiries to Malaysian government authorities.

This month, the ABC reported the Malaysian military had edged out civilians on the eight-member investigation team.

The ABC said a “power struggle” had emerged in the Malaysian-led investigation, with four civilian air crash investigators, including the lead authority on analysing black box flight data, reportedly sidelined over reported budget constraints and replaced with Malaysian air force officers.

Neither Mr Sadler nor Ms ­Zielke would comment further on the ABC report.

A new hunt for MH370 by the Houston-based Ocean Infinity underwater survey group is now in its fourth week, with no reported sign of the aircraft.

Considerable mystery has surrounded the latest search for MH370, a “no find, no fee” contract between Ocean Infinity and the Malaysian government in which the company will only get paid — up to $US70m — if it finds the wreckage.

The search vessel leased for the operation, the Seabed Constructor, turned off its transponder for three days, and there was speculation that a rendezvous between that ship and one from Fremantle, the Maersk Mariner, was to drop off ATSB operatives.

But following questioning from Senator Patrick, Ms Zielke told the Senate committee no Australian officials had been on the Seabed Constructor.

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MTF...P2