New equipment will be used to search for Malaysian Boeing

One of the search ships will be equipped with echo sounders to study the seabed at great depths. The other ship will be equipped with towed deep-sea remote-controlled side-scan sonars. Find out more from Kommersant FM correspondent Daria Gorstkina.

The new phase of the search for the missing plane will focus on a previously unexplored area in the southern Indian Ocean. In addition to the two ships with new equipment, a third ship, which has been engaged in search operations since April, will continue its work. It is surprising why deep-sea technology was not used in the search from the very beginning, said the commander of the underwater vehicle, researcher Evgeny Chernyaev.

“In principle, such searches should be carried out with a towed side-scan locator; it covers a much larger area. The search is most effective when using such locators, light outlines are drawn, and the vessel can be recognized,” said Chernyaev.

Earlier, the Prime Minister of Australia said that $60 million would be needed to continue the search operation. In addition to Australia, Malaysia, China and a number of other countries in Southeast Asia are taking part in it. Even the use of modern technology may not yield results, because there might not be large debris left from the plane that can be seen at the bottom. This is the opinion of Sergei Melnichenko, General Director of the Flight Safety consulting and analytical agency.

“The plane fell into the sea from a great height and no one knows what trajectory it fell along. It is impossible to say that all hopes are lost, but it is also impossible to say that thanks to this equipment it will be possible to easily detect this aircraft ", Melnichenko is sure.

A Malaysia Airlines plane disappeared on the night of March 7-8 over the South China Sea in Vietnamese airspace. Before losing contact with the airliner, it did not give an alarm or other messages about problems.

There were 239 people on board the liner, including one Russian citizen. According to the main version, the plane deviated from its course and then fell into the Indian Ocean after running out of fuel. All passengers were declared dead.

“It’s impossible to say that all hope is lost”