The Chinese ship Haixun 01 has detected pulse signals, possibly from the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
The Chief Coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston (Ret’d), said that the pulse signals could not be verified at this time.
“I have been advised that a series of sounds have been detected by a Chinese ship in the search area. The characteristics reported are consistent with the aircraft black box. A number of white objects were also sighted on the surface about 90 kilometres from the detection area. However, there is no confirmation at this stage that the signals and the objects are related to the missing aircraft,” Air Chief Marshal Houston (Ret’d) said.
“Advice tonight from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is that they cannot verify any connection to the missing aircraft.
“The deployment of RAAF assets to the area where the Chinese ship detected the sounds is being considered.
“I will provide further updates if, and when, more information becomes available.”
China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported that the black box detector deployed by Haixun 01, picked up a signal at 37.5 kilohertz the same frequency emitted by the two flight recorders.
Malaysia’s civil aviation chief, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, confirmed that the frequency emitted by Flight MH 370’s black boxes were 37.5 kilohertz.
