TL;DR
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, with 239 people aboard; after two unsuccessful searches, a US-based marine robotics firm will begin a fresh hunt in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean. The company will operate under a 'no find, no fee' arrangement that pays up to $100 million only if wreckage is located; investigators say improved seabed robotics and sonar are being used in the attempt.
What happened
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur for Beijing and later disappeared en route with 239 people on board. About 40 minutes after takeoff the last radio contact was made and the aircraft's transponder was switched off; military radar later tracked the plane departing its planned route and flying over northern Malaysia before heading out over the Andaman Sea and then south into the southern Indian Ocean, where contact was lost. Two major underwater searches that together covered well over 100,000 square kilometres and cost roughly $200 million did not locate the wreck. Pieces of suspected debris have washed ashore across the Indian Ocean, with three confirmed wing fragments. A US-based marine robotics company, Ocean Infinity, has secured a new 'no find, no fee' contract with Malaysia to search a remote southern Indian Ocean area for about 55 days using updated autonomous underwater vehicles and improved sonar and analysis tools; payment of $100 million will only be made if the wreckage is found.
Why it matters
- Locating the wreckage is essential to determining what happened and could provide technical evidence that investigators currently lack.
- Families of the 239 people aboard have sought closure for nearly 12 years; a successful search would address long-standing questions.
- Advances in seabed robotics, sonar and data analysis may improve chances of finding large debris that earlier searches missed.
- The outcome could influence aviation safety practices and inform recommendations already highlighted by prior investigations.
Key facts
- MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board from multiple countries.
- The flight's last routine radio contact occurred about 40 minutes after takeoff; the transponder stopped transmitting soon after.
- Military radar recorded the aircraft deviating from its flight path, flying back over northern Malaysia and then toward the southern Indian Ocean.
- Two major underwater searches (one from 2014–2017 and another operation in 2018) covered large areas of the southern Indian Ocean but found no wreckage.
- More than 30 pieces of suspected debris have been recovered around the Indian Ocean; only three wing fragments were confirmed as MH370 wreckage.
- A 2018 investigative report suggested the plane's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course, but investigators could not identify who was responsible.
- Ocean Infinity will conduct a new search lasting about 55 days using autonomous underwater vehicles, updated sonar and improved analysis.
- The contract with Ocean Infinity is 'no find, no fee' — Malaysia agreed to pay up to $100 million only if the wreckage is located.
What to watch next
- Results of the upcoming 55-day search by Ocean Infinity in the designated southern Indian Ocean area.
- The Malaysian investigation report due to be published online on July 30, which the transport minister says will include the full investigation record.
- Whether any debris located in this search can be positively identified as MH370 and whether that leads to a conclusive determination of the crash cause.
- Not confirmed in the source: whether a successful find would prompt new investigative or legal actions beyond recovery and identification.
Quick glossary
- Transponder: An aircraft device that transmits identification and position information to air traffic control and secondary radar systems.
- Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV): A robotic device that operates underwater without a tether to a ship, used to map and inspect the seabed.
- Sonar: Sound-based sensing technology used to detect and map objects and terrain beneath the water's surface.
- Drift analysis: A method of using ocean current models and recovered debris locations to estimate where wreckage may have originated.
- No find, no fee contract: An agreement where payment is contingent on achieving a specified result — in this case, locating the aircraft wreckage.
Reader FAQ
Has MH370 been found?
No—previous searches did not locate the main wreckage; only three wing fragments have been confirmed as MH370 debris.
Who is conducting the new search and who pays?
Ocean Infinity, a US-based marine robotics company, will conduct the search under a 'no find, no fee' agreement; Malaysia will pay up to $100 million only if wreckage is found.
Where will the new search take place and for how long?
The search will be in a remote section of the southern Indian Ocean off Western Australia and is expected to last about 55 days.
Did investigators determine a cause in earlier reports?
A 2018 report said controls were likely deliberately manipulated to divert the aircraft but investigators could not determine who was responsible; a definitive conclusion depends on finding the wreckage.
MH370 vanished in 2014. A new search aims to find answers families desperately want By Rudi Maxwell Topic: Disasters, Accidents and Emergency Incidents 10h ago 10 hours ago On March…
Sources
- MH370 vanished in 2014.New search aims to find answers families desperately want
- Search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight resumes …
- Last-ditch £50m search for missing flight MH370 to resume …
- New deep-sea search for MH370 begins as families hope …
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