The location of the MH370 wreckage has not yet been determined. Besides satellite data, another direction being considered is hydroacoustic signals - data on sound waves transmitted through seawater - recorded under the ocean, which can provide more clues about the time and location of the plane crash.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said that this system can detect signals generated by major undersea events. After MH370 went missing in 2014, member states have requested CTBTO to provide data and technical support for search operations.
A study in Scientific Reports in 2024 showed that signals from plane crashes were recorded at a distance of 2,000-5,000km. Based on that, author Usama Kadri analyzed data at two stations H01W in Cape Leeuwin (Australia) and H08S in Diego Garcia, around the time of MH370's last satellite contact.
The study identified a signal with a coordinate of about 306 degrees, recorded at around 00:52-00:54 UTC on March 8, 2014. According to calculations, if this signal is related to MH370, it may have been created after the plane crossed the "seventh arc" and reflected an impact position further outside the arc.
The "7th arc" is determined from satellite communication data, in which the last contact was recorded at 00:19:29 UTC. BTO and BFO data from satellite communication are an important basis for determining possible aircraft location arcs.
The point that makes hydroacoustic signals noteworthy is that the study suggests that if MH370 crashed with high energy near the "seventh arc", a significant sound signature could have been detected by the stations. However, only one appropriate signal was identified at H01W and no corresponding signal was observed at H08S. The author himself also admitted that the amount of data and jamming factors make the identification of the signal source still uncertain.
Meanwhile, the search at the bottom of the Indian Ocean has not yet ended. The Malaysian Ministry of Transport said that the 2025-2026 campaign has conducted 28 days of searching and surveying about 7,571km2 of seabed without determining the location of MH370.
Malaysia has extended the agreement with Ocean Infinity until June 30, 2027. According to the plan, the search vessel and equipment will be deployed again from November 2026 to April 2027, when sea conditions are more favorable.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Beijing (China), lost contact on March 8, 2014 when carrying 239 people.
