Nearly a year after embarking on a multi-million dollar search to solve one of aviation's greatest unsolved mysteries, authorities and search teams are being questioned over their approach to finding Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the remote southern Indian Ocean.
The Australia-led search, already the most expensive in aviation history, has found no trace of the Malaysian Boeing 777 or its 239 passengers and crew, prompting calls for a rethink into the way the mission is being conducted.
Experts involved in past deep water searches say the search to find MH370 could easily miss the plane as Dutch company Fugro, the firm at the forefront of the mission, is using inappropriate technology for some terrain and inexperienced personnel in the hunt for man-made objects.
Heightening concerns, Australian authorities said that another search vessel, the Go Phoenix, which is using the world's best deep sea search equipment and crew provided by US firm Phoenix International, would pull out within weeks. No reason was given for withdrawing the vessel from the search.
"Fugro is a big company but they don't have any experience in this kind of search and it's really a very specialised job," said Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a former French naval officer who was hired by France's air accident investigation agency BEA to co-ordinate the search and recovery of Air France flight AF447 in 2009.
"This is a big job," Nargeolet told Reuters news agency. "I'm not an Australian taxpayer, but if I was, I would be very mad to see money being spent like that."
Fugro, which was contracted by the Australian government to operate three ships pulling sonar across the vast 60,000-km search zone, has rejected claims it is using the wrong equipment, saying its gear is rigorously tested.
Still, Nargeolet's concerns are echoed by others in the tightly held deep sea search and rescue industry, who are worried that unless the search ships pass right over any wreckage the sonar scanning either side of the vessels won't pick it up.
Experts also question the lack of data released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on the activities of the Fugro ships.
Three of the bidders rejected for the MH370 contract, US firm Williamson, France's ixBlue and Mauritius-based Deep Ocean Search, have taken the unusual step of detailing their concerns - months down the track - directly to Australian authorities.
Several other experts are also critical, including some who requested anonymity, citing the close knit nature of the industry which has just a few companies and militaries capable of conducting deepwater searches.
"I have serious concerns that the MH370 search operation may not be able to convincingly demonstrate that 100 percent sea floor coverage is being achieved," Mike Williamson, founder and president of Williamson & Associates said.
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