The UK government’s Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) has agreed a search strategy with Blue Water Recoveries, after identifying a priority search area last week, maximising the chances of locating the aircraft wreckage.
The AAIB commissioned specialist vessel Geo Ocean III while Blue Water Recoveries commissioned FPV Morven, and the search area was divided between both vessels, where they began their search yesterday morning (February 3).
FPV Morven identified an object on the seabed last week, using the side-scan sonar equipment to clear the immediate area before the Geo Ocean III came in to use its underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to survey the area of the seabed—where the object was located.
According to the AAIB and based on analysed ROV video footage, investigators on board the vessel concluded that the object is wreckage from the missing Piper Malibu aircraft, registration N264DB. The ROV carried out a further search of the area overnight but did not identify any additional pieces of wreckage.
In video footage gathered from the ROV, there is one body visible within the wreckage, but it is yet confirmed whether this is either of the missing passengers.
Photo credit: Daily mail
