[Peetwo]

Update via the Oz:

Photographs of debris a possible link to MH370

A Royal New Zealand Air Force image of debris taken during the search for MH370.

• The Australian
  
• 12:00AM December 5, 2017
  
• [size=undefined]RHIAN DEUTROM
  Reporter
  Sydney
  @Rhi_lani
  Aviation experts have called on authorities involved in the ­search for the missing MH370 plane to re-examine ­photo­graphs captured by the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the initial surface search in March 2014.
  Authorities are plotting locations for the next subsea search, to be conducted by private company Ocean Infinity next year, in a bid to locate the remains of the plane, which was carrying 239 passengers and crew when it disappeared over the Indian Ocean.
  
  US-based engineer Victor Iannello, who heads a group of scientists and aviation experts known as the MH370 Independent Group, said photographs of debris in the Indian Ocean were disregarded by original search teams and “demand a new level of attention in light of the prospect for restarting the search”.
  
  Dr Iannello said proposed plans to search a 25,000sq km area of ocean were misguided, pointing instead to an area just north of the site, where items were spotted by aerial cameras in the first 21 days after impact.
  
  “Many believe that ... it is possible that debris was missed during the surface search,” Dr Iannello said.
  
  The photographed items include two debris fields containing small fragments, an object resembling a suitcase, a large metal panel, an item containing wires and a cargo package.
  
  “As far as we know, none of the objects identified in the surface search on March 29, 2014, were recovered by ship, so the relationship to MH370 remains unknown,” Dr Iannello said. “As only 21 days elapsed between the impact of MH370 and the discovery of the debris, it should be possible to backtrack the objects to March 8 to determine a potential point of impact.”
  
  A spokesman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which assisted in the initial surface search for survivors, said any photographs taken from the air were referred to the expert working group for investigation.
  
  “During the search for MH370, many objects were ­observed by aircraft in the search areas,’’ the spokesman said.
  
  None of the objects recovered “were confirmed to be related to MH370”, he said.
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MTF...P2