News Manager
Milforums News Bot
By Byron Kaye PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Hopes that a deep sea drone scouring the Indian Ocean floor might soon turn up a missing Malaysian jetliner were fading on Friday, as the remote-controlled submarine embarked on a fifth mission with still no sign of wreckage. Sonar footage by the U.S. Navy owned Bluefin-21 has become the focal point of the search some 2,000 kms (1,200 miles) west of the Australian city of Perth, where authorities believe Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 hit the ocean after disappearing from radars on March 8 with 239 people on board. The search has centered on a city-sized area where a series of "pings" led authorities to believe the plane's black box may be located. But after four missions to depths of about 4.5 kms (2.8 miles), two of those aborted early for technical reasons, Australian search authorities said on Friday that the drone had yet to turn up a meaningful lead.More...