SYDNEY (AP) – After nearly three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration Tuesday, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a trace of the plane.
The Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia, which has helped lead the $160 million hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia, said the search had officially been suspended after crews finished their fruitless sweep of the 46,000-square mile search zone.
“Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft,” the agency said in a statement. “Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended.”
The Boeing 777 vanished March 18, 2014, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board. The plane was on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing was in the air for 40 minutes before traffic control lost contact.