‘Catastrophic’: Experts issue MH370 search warning

New details have emerged about the renewed search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane – with experts issuing an urgent warning.

As a new search for Malaysia Airlines flight 370 kicks off, there are hopes it will be a case of third time lucky. However, experts have warned that one wrong step could be “catastrophic”.

It comes 11 years after the Boeing 777 vanished during a scheduled flight between Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March, 2014 with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on-board.

The plane, which was carrying six Australians and a New Zealander living in Western Australia, has not been seen since.

An initial search spanned three million square kilometres above the water and more than 120,000 square kilometres under the sea.

The Malaysian Transport Minister confirmed on Tuesday that a private firm was again searching for MH370, with the new search area about 1500 kilometres west of Perth.

This time, the search will use more advanced technology to map a comprehensive picture of the ocean floor.

British marine robotics company Ocean Infinity – which previously searched for the plane – has dispatched its mothership, the Armada 7806, for the fresh expedition. It will also use remote-controlled underwater drones in a bid to locate the wreckage.

The drones are capable of probing six kilometres down, and can scan the sea floor for up to 100 hours at a time.

The Armada 7806 scours the ocean floor for MH370. Picture: Channel 9

The hunt continues for MH370. Picture: Supplied

An area of 15,000 square kilometres will be explored, based on data collected by a number of independent researchers over the past 10 years. If any anomalies are found, a drone will be redeployed to capture sonar images.

Former Australian naval officer Peter Waring, who took part in the initial search for MH370 11 years ago, told 60 Minutes on Sunday night that Ocean Infinity is using sophisticated technology.

“What these new Ocean Infinity vessels represent frankly is as big a transition in maritime technology as the movement from sail to steam [was] in the 1800s,” Mr Waring said.

“It is a giant leap in maritime technology.”

US marine robotics company Ocean Infinity will search again for MH370. Picture: Ocean Infinity

Peter Waring said it’s a ‘giant leap’ in technology. Picture: Channel 9

The search is expected to take up to six weeks as several key areas are explored including one area that was missed previously due to its steep underwater terrain.

Electrical engineer Craig Wallace, from Deep Sea Vision, worked on the new technology used in the search and said the drones are crucial in the hunt.

“They are the best placed in the world just now to do this search,” Mr Wallace said. “You know, nobody has got better resources or better people right now to conduct this search and the best chance of success is with them.”

The red zone is what has been previously searched. Picture: BigOceanData/X

The company is sending drones underwater. Picture: Channel 9

Mr Wallace, who has spent 20 years in the maritime business, said a search of this magnitude can be wearing.

“The first thing is trepidation because you see a potential target and you’ll see so many targets that you’ll be let down over and over and over again,” he said.

“You get quite emotional. And it won’t be until people get those camera images that we actually believe they found the wreckage. Once you’ve confirmed it’s the wreckage, we then need to map out the debris field and that’ll be done in several stages.”

The new search for MH370. Picture: 60 Minutes

A part of the aircraft engine cowling from MH370. Picture: Schalk Luckhoff/ATSB/AFP

The search poses many challenges, covering such a vast and treacherous area.

“Make no mistakes, the Indian Ocean that they’re working in is among the worst in the world,” Mr Wallace said.

“They’ve recorded wave heights of 20 meters, so 60 feet. It’s extreme conditions and there will be a lot of times where they simply cannot launch or recover the vehicle.”

Mr Waring agreed, “There’s absolutely no shelter out there, and there’s nowhere to hide. You’re six or seven days away from the nearest port, which is Perth. These are dangerous conditions. If something goes wrong, it will turn catastrophic very, very quickly.”

And if the plane is found?

“There would be tears. It’s one of the biggest aviation mysteries, isn’t it?” Mr Wallace said. “If not the biggest. And to bring closure to all those people, I think it’s a great thing.”

Craig Wallace said it would be wonderful to bring closure to the families. Picture: 60 Minutes

One of Deep Sea Vision’s drones it plans to use to search for MH370. Picture: 60 Minutes/Nine

One thing remains a mystery about the search, however. Why this area? The new search zone is close to an area that’s already been explored.

Mr Waring says there should be more transparency over the selection of the new zone.

“I’d like to have seen all of the data that they’re using to base this new search on … [it] should have been published,” he said. “It should have been, I suspect to some degree it’s been peer reviewed, but it hasn’t been openly peer reviewed. I think that’s the level of transparency that we really should have had here.”

If the plane is located, what happens next is unclear.

“It’s a $70 million question,” Mr Waring said.

A large piece of debris found in Tanzania which was confirmed as a part of a wing flap from MH370. Picture: ATSB/AFP

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Tuesday that the contract between his government and Ocean Infinity was being negotiated, but the firm had proactively deployed ships.

An optimistic Mr Loke said, “They have gathered all the data and they are convinced that the current search area is more credible.”

The Malaysian government said the British firm would search for 18 months. Only if they found the wreckage, would they be paid $70 million.

The Australian government had offered funding last year on the 10th anniversary of the plane’s disappearance, however the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is not involved in this latest effort.

MH370 was last seen on military radar about 90 minutes after takeoff, heading west over the strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Indonesia. The airline announced it had lost contact with the plane half an hour after the last radar sighting.

Pieces of the plane have been located near Tanzania and Mozambique.

Australian authorities searched for almost three years for the missing airliner.