MH370: Malaysia releases satellite analysis

On 26/03/2014 23:51, Daryl wrote:
On 3/26/2014 4:19 PM, Keith Willshaw wrote:
On 26/03/2014 20:23, Daryl wrote:
On 3/26/2014 1:15 PM, george152 wrote:
On 27/03/14 07:21, Keith Willshaw wrote:

Especially given that the average depth of water in that area is
around
4 km. Finding it will require a towed array.

Keith

First find the debris field.
Then work your way back to begin scanning the ocean floor.
It'll take time and surface ships.
Nukes have other duties than looking for downed aircraft

The debris will have floated for about 100 miles riding the currents. No
help from that.


As it happens you do get some help from that. The winds and currents can
be used to estimate the position of the crash. That technique was used
to find the remains of Air France 447. They combed the likely area using
a towed sidescan sonor until they found the submerged debris field.

Keith

How deep was the area that 447 went down in.

More than 4,000 metres, it was the South Atlantic


This one went down in one
of the deepest oceans. You pretty well have t be right on top of it to
pick up anything. And it has to be done fast before the battery runs
down on the black box. Once the battery is gone, it will never be
located unless some Scifi things creap up. Now I know that the Seaview
could probably find it.


They found AF-447 in similar water depths AFTER the battery had run out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26680633

However it will certainly be harder than for AF-447 if for no other
reason than the location being so remote and if the debris is in a
topologically complex area such as a ravine they may never find it.

Keith