The objects were picked up by commercial satellite on Sunday. Search planes were dispatched on Thursday but found nothing. Ships are there or on the way, and aircraft from Australia, New Zealand and the United States resumed the search Friday, officials said.
Authorities cautioned the
objects could be something else -- shipping containers that fell off a
vessel, for instance. But they said they represent the best lead so far
in the search for the missing airliner, which vanished 13 days ago with
239 passengers and crew aboard on March 8 while en route from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Read below for the latest, and check out our full story.
Authorities have spotted two objects in the Indian Ocean that are possibly related to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
The objects are indistinct but of "reasonable size" -- the largest about 24 meters (78 feet) in length. They were bobbing up and down the surface of the water, said John Young, general manager of emergency response for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
Australian authorities have spotted two objects in the southern Indian Ocean that are possibly related to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
The objects are indistinct but of "reasonable size" -- the largest about 24 meters long (79 feet), said John Young, general manager of emergency response for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. They were "probably awash with water and bobbing up and down," he said.
"If that piece of the plane is that big maybe it's the tail section" David Gallo, who co-led the search for Air France Flight 447 which crashed in 2009.
There have been so many false leads and so many starts and changes and then backtracking in the investigation. (Australian Prime Minister John Abbot) wouldn't have come forward and said if they weren't fairly certain -- Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The images of the objects were captured by satellite and were being assessed by the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation. The images were taken in the vicinity of the search area that has been scoured by search teams in recent days.
John Young, general manager of emergency response for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority cautioned the images may not be from the plane.
There can be other debris out there, from ships, for example.
The visibility in the area is poor, Young cautioned. "The weather is not playing the game with us," he said.
As the days drag on, tempers understandably begin to fray. For the relatives of those lost on Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, frustrations have been mounting for some time now, as criticism of Malaysian Airways' handling of the crisis piles up.
Those who have congregated in the Lido Hotel in Beijing, wearily trudging back time and again to official airline briefings where news trickles out, if at all, feel that not enough is being done to support relatives.
On Thursday, news that might be the break that the families are waiting for was broadcast from the Southern search zone.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Australia says possible objects in Indian Ocean
An Royal Australian Air Force Orion aircraft has already arrived in the area, John Young, general manager of emergency response for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said, and another three aircraft are being sent there, including a New Zealand Air Force Orion and U.S. Navy P8 Poseidon.
An Australian C-130 Hercules plane has been tasked by Australian authorities to drop market buoys in the area, he said.
"The first thing they need to do is put eyes on the debris from one of the aircraft," said aviation expert Bill Waddock. The buoys will mark the place and transmit location data.
The Malaysian Navy has six navy ships with three helicopters heading to the southern Indian Ocean to take part in the search, a Malaysian government source said.
The Malaysian military is checking the new information from Australian authorities, a source close to the investigation told CNN.
"Verification might take some time. It is very far and it will take some time to locate and verify the objects," the source said.
Malaysia's Acting Transportation Secretary Hishammuddin Hussein told CNN he couldn't disclose the information the Australians shared with Malaysia. He said he hadn't seen the images.
But he added, "Air and vessels are going there. You know how big the area is. Every lead is hope. We have been consistent with our process and we want to verify properly."
Royal Australian Air Force pilot, Flight Lieutenant Russell Adams from No. 10 Squadron, steers his AP-3C Orion over the Southern Indian Ocean during the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
Agonizing wait on news for #MH370 at Beijing hotel where 100s of families waiting http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BjJjCvdCEAApQVJ.jpg
Australian authorities have spotted two objects in the southern Indian Ocean that are may be debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
The objects are indistinct but of "reasonable size" -- the largest about 24 meters long (79 feet), said John Young, general manager of emergency response for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. They were "probably awash with water and bobbing up and down," he said.
"If that piece of the plane is that big, maybe it's the tail section" David Gallo, who co-led the search for Air France Flight 447 which crashed in 2009 in the Indian Ocean and remained out of sight for two years. The tail height of a Boeing 777 is 60 feet.
On reports than the objects seen in the Indian Ocean are 24 meters long (79 feet):
"If that piece of the plane is that big, maybe it's the tail section" David Gallo, who co-led the search for Air France Flight 447 which crashed in 2009 in the Indian Ocean and remained out of sight for two years. The tail height of a Boeing 777 is 60 feet.
Search efforts continue for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Photo provided by Australian Maritime Agency.
Just In: Images released of objects spotted by #Australian satellite which could possibly be #MH370 - Via @AMSA_News http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BjJvn88CAAAwgj6.jpg
Here's the press conference about the debris spotted in the Indian Ocean that may be from Malaysia Airlines' flight MH370. You'll hear from John Young, the general manager of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Emergency Response Division, and Air Commodore John McGarry from the ministry of defense.
#MH370 Satellite image from Australian government of objects in Indian Ocean. cnn.it/1qXJ0YH http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BjJ1xeDCYAAedBR.jpg
RT @ZyonVenice : RT @ZyonVenice : Another Incredible sand sculpture of missing #MH370 at Puri Beach, India. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BinRA0bCQAA34Tx.jpg
"It is probably the best lead we have right now," John Young, general manager of emergency response for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. "But we need to get there, find them, see them, assess them to know whether it's really meaningful or not."
The visibility in the area is poor, Young cautioned. "The weather is not playing the game with us," he said.
Australia says it may have found debris from #MH370 #5things #NewDay cnn.it/1ds8vs1 http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BjJ88UACMAE1Soc.jpg
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