Fresh hopes for a major discovery in the decade-long hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 have been quashed, following speculation around the movements of a key search vessel.
Search Vessel Movements Spark False Hope
Private marine robotics company Ocean Infinity resumed the search for the missing Boeing 777 late last year, in a renewed 55-day operation commissioned by the Malaysian government. The aircraft, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, vanished during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in 2014.
Online enthusiasts tracking the mission noted what they believed was unusual activity this week. The vessel Armada 86 05 appeared to return to a location it had searched just days prior. This led to widespread speculation that the ship had deployed Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to investigate a potential target on the seabed.
Expert Sets the Record Straight on Misinformation
However, leading science journalist and MH370 commentator Jeff Wise has publicly addressed and dismissed these claims. Speaking to the Press News Agency, Wise sought to correct the misinformation circulating online.
“I feel like it’s necessary to address some misinformation that’s been circulating on the internet,” Wise stated. “There have been claims that the ship had stopped because it was deploying ROVs to take a closer look at something on the seabed. The reason for the ship holding tight was given quite clearly by Ocean Infinity itself, that it was waiting out bad weather.”
He further clarified a critical detail about the ship's equipment: “Also, we know that the ship does not have ROVs onboard, that’s another piece of misinformation that has been circulating.”
The Reality Behind the 'ROV' Speculation
Wise explained that objects mistaken for ROVs were, in fact, refrigeration units. “They are not ROVs, they are refrigeration units. Why do they have refrigeration units? One of the things they can do is store food. Maybe the crew wants to stay out for longer than they otherwise could, but we don’t really know,” he said.
The company has maintained minimal communication regarding the sensitive operation, a void that has often been filled by online sleuths with unverified theories. While understanding the public's “desire to wish for the best possible outcome,” Wise emphasised that the recent interpretations of events were incorrect.
Ocean Infinity, famed for locating Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance in 2022, is conducting this latest search after an unsuccessful attempt in 2018. A spokesman for the firm noted that due to the operation's sensitive nature, any official communications would be issued by the Malaysian government.
Flight MH370 remains the deadliest incident involving a missing aircraft in aviation history and its disappearance continues to be the field's greatest unsolved mystery.
