Deep ocean search for Malaysia airlines flight 370

Abstract

On 21 March 2014, Phoenix International Holdings, Inc. (Phoenix) was tasked by the U.S. Navy, through a multi-year Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) contract, to provide undersea search services in response to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370). In support of this tasking, Phoenix deployed 9 personnel, the Navy's Towed Pinger Locator (TPL), and Phoenix's Bluefin 21 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) — a system called Artemis — to Perth, Australia. The initial phase of the search operation took place from 04–14 April and involved using the TPL to listen for the saltwater activated Underwater Locator Beacon (ULB) “pingers” mounted to the plane's Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (the black boxes). Working aboard the Australian Defense Vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield roughly 1600 km North West of Perth, Phoenix personnel deployed the TPL to depths ranging from 3000–6000 meters while listening for the black box pingers. TPL operations revealed several acoustic indications and, while not the same frequency as MH370 black box pingers, these acoustic indications were identified by crash investigators as worthy of further investigation. On 15 April Phoenix was tasked to commence AUV search operations in the area of the TPL identified acoustic indications. Over the next month and a half Artemis collected side scan sonar imagery of the seafloor in search of MH370 wreckage. At the conclusion of 70 operational days the Phoenix AUV had successfully searched 860 square kilometers, covering the prescribed search area, with no sign of aircraft debris. This result has since led crash investigators to conclude that the acoustic indications heard by the TPL were not from MH370 black box pingers. While this initial search did not result in the location of MH370, the operation did provide an exceptional demonstration of AUV technology. Throughout the search the vehicle provided high quality geo-referenced data containing clear imagery of the sea floor while working at depths as great as 5005 meters (a Bluefin 21 record). The search also included a 27 hour and 9 minute dive (another Bluefin 21 record). Despite not finding the aircraft, the successful collection of high quality data at extreme depths in a remote and unfamiliar part of the world is a noteworthy accomplishment and indicative of the future uses of AUV technology.