Latest information on search for Malaysian plane
3 imagesJason Reed
Japanese Commander Hidetsugu Iwamasa, second from left, walks with Japan's Disaster Relief Team leader Masahiko Kobayashi, left, after Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C Orion arrived to help with search operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at Royal Australian Air Force Pearce Base in Perth, Australia, Sunday, March 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool)
Ten planes were sent out Monday to search waters of the southern Indian Ocean any trace of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. A summary of the latest information in the investigation:
CHINESE PLANE SPOTS OBJECT
A Chinese plane crew spotted a white, square-shaped object in an area identified by satellite imagery as containing possible debris from the missing Malaysian airliner, Xinhua News agency said. A Chinese ship was headed toward the area to investigate.
BLACK BOX LOCATOR
The U.S. Pacific command said it was sending a Towed Pinger Locator to the region. The equipment, which is pulled behind a vessel at slow speeds, has highly sensitive listening capability that can detect pings from a plane's so-called black box down to a depth of 20,000 feet (6,100 meters).
FRENCH SATELLITE DATA
France said satellite radar data identified some debris that could be from the lost plane about 900 kilometers (550 miles) north of the spot where objects in the images released by the Chinese were located.
THE CONDITIONS
Rain was expected in the search area, about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) southwest of Perth, Australia, hampering visibility. A cyclone bearing down on the northwest coast of Australia could also stir up bad weather. Planes must fly about four hours just to get there, severely limiting their search time before returning home.
SEARCH EQUIPMENT
Australia, China, the U.S., Japan and New Zealand have all contributed planes or ships to the search effort. A total of 14 planes and five ships are involved.
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