Phoenix Ends Search For MH 370
On 20 June 2015, on behalf of the government of Malaysia, DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (DEFTECH) directed Phoenix International (USA) to end its search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370) in the Southern Indian Ocean.
Since 5 October 2014, Phoenix and teammates from Hydrospheric Solutions, Inc. (HSI) and GO Marine had been working round the clock in the search to find MH370 which was presumably lost in the Southern Indian Ocean, approximately 1,500 miles west of Perth, Australia. Working aboard GO Phoenix, a DP2 vessel owned by GO Marine, Phoenix and Hydrospheric personnel deployed the highly capable and technologically advanced SLH PS-60 (ProSAS-60), a 6,000-metre depth-rated synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) towed system, in the search for MH370.
The Phoenix Team worked through severe weather conditions, and tropical cyclones that plague the Southern Indian Ocean area during the winter months in an effort to find MH370. Even while battling these severe weather conditions, the Phoenix search team was able to collect and analyse a significant amount of sonar data covering well over 90% of their assigned search area. The SAS technology used by the ProSAS-60 delivered a fully processed sonar image that provided an exceptionally clear picture of the seafloor – allowing the search team to effectively and efficiently cover the assigned search area with a high degree of confidence.
The entire MH370 international search team organisation, under the leadership of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), has searched more than 50,000km2 of seafloor and established an extraordinary record of hard work and focused commitment in the search for MH370.
Image (top): Launching the SLH PS-60 system. Image courtesy: Phoenix International, Paul W. Nelson.
Image (below): rough seas on the Indian Ocean.
