Debris spotted in airliner search

Debris spotted in airliner search

Key Points

• Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says objects have been spotted by satellite that may have originated from the missing Malaysian airliner.
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• A search aircraft is headed for the area off Western Australia, Mr Abbott told parliament in Canberra. Three additional aircraft are expected to follow.
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• The Australian PM said he had spoken with his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, and cautioned that the objects had yet to be identified.
• Teams from 26 countries are now trying to locate flight MH370, which went missing on 8 March with 239 people on board.
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• Earlier, the FBI confirmed it was helping the Malaysian government search for the Malaysia Airlines jet.
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• Investigators are probing two giant arcs of territory spanning the possible positions of the plane about seven hours after take-off.

• LIVE NOWMissing plane: Reports and reaction

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Live Text

Reporters: David Walker and Sitala Peek

Skip To Latest Live Text

1.  

   Philip Wen, China correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper

   tweets: Big flurry of activity on the WeChat group Chinese #MH370 passenger families have set up. Telling each other to keep calm.

2. 05:02: 

   John Young of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) couldn't give much detail but said the objects were "of a reasonable size and probably awash with water and bobbing up and down over the surface".

3.  

   Australian Broadcasting Corporation editor Jon Williams 

   tweets: Crew on @USNavy P-8 spotter tell (ABC correspondent on board P-8) @WrightUps: "significant radar returns" coming from site where possible #MH370 objects spotted.

4. 04:54:

   As the latest developments unfold, the families of those missing continue to endure an agonising wait for news. Here relatives prepare for a news briefing at a hotel in Beijing.

5. 04:49: 

   Mr Young added: "What we're looking for is confirmation that it does belong to the aircraft or does not." When asked whether specific items such as plane windows were visible he replied: "The imagery is not that precise."

6. 04:48: 

   Mr Young: "Weather conditions are moderate but poor visibility has been reported, which will hamper air and satellite efforts."

7. 04:47: 

   Mr Young: "The objects are relatively indistinct. Those who are expert say they are credible sightings."

8. 04:47: 

   Asked about the size of the objects, Mr Young said one piece was approximately 24m (78ft).

9. 04:44: 

   John Young, a spokesman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), tells a press conference that the objects were located in the southern Indian Ocean about 2,500km (1,550 miles) south-west of Perth on Australia's west coast.

10. 04:30: 

    More now on that statement from Malaysia Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. He said: "At 10:00 this morning, Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Razak received a call from Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia, informing him that two possible objects related to the search for MH370 had been identified in the southern Indian Ocean. The Australian High Commissioner has also briefed me on the situation."

11. 04:28: 

    Analysts have previously speculated that the southern maritime corridor is the most likely location for the missing aircraft, pointing out the unlikelihood of it passing undetected over nearly a dozen countries.

12. 04:25: 

    Reuters reports that Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has told reporters: "I can confirm we have a new lead."

13. 04:19: 

    To recap, the search for the plane is focused on two giant arcs of territory. Australia has been heading the search along a southern arc stretching from the Indonesian coast to the west of Australia.

14. 04:14:

    Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the task of locating the objects would be "extremely difficult", and cautioned: "It may turn out that they are not related to the search for flight MH370."

15. 04:07: 

    In his statement, Mr Abbott said: "I would like to inform the House that new and credible information has come to light in relation to the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has received information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search. Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified."

16. 04:04: 

    Mr Abbott told parliament in Canberra that a search aircraft had been diverted to try to locate the objects in the southern Indian Ocean.

17. 04:02: 

    Welcome to our live page on developments in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 after Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says two objects that could be debris from the jet have been seen off Western Australia.