Perth: Australian officials mo-ved the search area for the lost Malaysian jetliner 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) to the northeast on Friday following a new analysis of radar data, and planes quickly found multiple objects in the new zone.
Five out of 10 aircraft hunting for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 found objects of various colors Friday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. It said it was not clear whether the objects were from the plane, and photos of them would be analyzed overnight.
AMSA said the items included two rectangular objects that were blue and grey among the colors of the missing plane. A Chinese patrol ship in the area will attempt to locate the objects on Saturday, it said.
The three-week hunt for the jet has been filled with possible sightings, with hundreds of objects identified by satellite and others by plane, but so far not a single piece of debris has been confirmed.
Aussie officials said they turned away from the old search area, which they had combed for a week, because a new analysis of radar data suggests the plane had flown faster and therefore ran out of fuel more quickly than previously estimated. The new area is closer to land and has calmer weather, which will make searching easier.
“We have moved on” from the old search area, said John Young, manager of AMSA’s emergency response division.
The radar data that was reanalysed was received after the jet vanished.
