MH370’s underwater locator beacon had expired batteries

The first comprehensive report into the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Sunday revealed that one of the plane’s batteries — that of the Flight Data Recorder — had expired more than a year before its March 8, 2014 disappearance. The expired battery — unnoticed by maintenance crews due to a computer glitch — meant that searchers had less chance of locating the aircraft in the Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed, even if they were in its vicinity. The 584-page report by an independent investigation group went into minute details of the crew’s lives, the maintenance of the plane and many other details about the flight. It found that, aside from the expired batteries, MH370 should have been a normal flight.

I am angry. So many questions went unanswered. They need to investigate better and come up with answers. They cannot just call it an accident.

Li Yue Ha, whose 29-year-old daughter was on the doomed flight

The search for the missing plane is currently focused underwater on a 60,000 square kilometre patch of the southern Indian Ocean off Western Australia. The Guardian reported Australian deputy prime minister Warren Truss’s office as saying Monday that 40% of the priority search area has been covered so far. His office also reportedly said that Australia, Malaysia, China and possibly other countries will hold discussions on the “next steps” if the jet is not found at the end of the hunt.

Every day, I pray for their return and I take care of my wife. With her disappearance, there’s no meaning in my life.

Chinese national Zhang Yan Ming, whose only daughter was on Flight MH370

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