Search area proves too deep for underwater drone hunting for missing jet

Pool/Getty Images

Search area proves too deep for underwater drone hunting for missing jet
(Image credit: Pool/Getty Images)

As the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 enters its 40th day, there are still no signs of the missing jet. Analysts report they didn't find anything of interest from a deep sea drone they deployed in the area of the Southern Indian Ocean where multiple "pings" — believed to be from the plane's black box — were heard last week.

On Monday, the Australian Defense Vessel Ocean Shield sent down an automated submarine capable of searching the deep sea for up to 24 hours, but it was pulled out after six hours of operation because it hit its maximum operational depth of three miles. The data was combed over by the U.S. military, who said "no objects of interest were found," and added that it might take up to two months for the drone to scour the 370-mile search area.

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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.