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The Boeing 777 plane carrying 239 people vanished from radar shortly after taking off on March 8, 2014.(Representative Image: X)
The researchers recommend that authorities conduct controlled underwater explosions along the 7th arc and monitor the resulting signals at hydroacoustic stations in the surrounding area
The mystery behind the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 remains unsolved even after a decade. However, scientists have proposed a new method to locate the plane’s final resting place using ‘controlled underwater explosions.’
A new study led by researchers at Cardiff University in the UK, published in Scientific Reports, recommend that authorities conduct controlled underwater explosions along the 7th arc and monitor the resulting signals at hydroacoustic stations in the surrounding area.
The findings suggest that signals picked up by underwater microphones could be crucial for locating aircraft like MH370 when they crash into the ocean.
“Our analysis shows clear pressure signals from previous aircraft crashes were detected on hydrophones, even at distances exceeding 3,000km. In the case of MH370, official investigations concluded the aircraft must have crashed near the 7th arc — the point at which the last communication between the plane and INMERSAT occurred,” explained Dr Usama Kadri, a Reader at Cardiff University’s School of Mathematics, to The Sun.
“The main search area at the 7th arc lies less than 2,000km away from the hydroacoustic station at Cape Leeuwin, Australia, with no impediments to filter out the signal. However, within the time frame and location suggested by the official search, only a single, relatively weak signal was identified,” Kadri added.
Malaysia Airlines flight 370, a Boeing 777, disappeared from radar screens on 8 March 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite the largest search in aviation history, the plane and the whereabouts of the 239 people on board, including passengers and crew, remain unknown. The search operation was suspended in January 2017.
The report states that the research will focus on the Southern Indian Ocean, believed to be associated with the final stage of the journey. The study will search for signals generated near the 7th arc, following official search recommendations.
Additionally, data from the disappearance stage of the flight, particularly around the time of the last communication in the Gulf of Thailand, will be analysed for any unusual signals.
For this study, a comprehensive analysis was undertaken of 100 hours of data identified as having the potential to contain acoustic signatures of aircraft crashing into the sea. Ten historical aircraft accidents in open sea locations were selected for this analysis.
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