Oceanographer says Flight 370 could be north of search area

FILE - In this March 22, 2014 file photo, flight officer Rayan Gharazeddine on board a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion, searches for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in southern Indian Ocean, Australia. The oceanographer who led American adventurer Blaine Gibson to Madagascar where he found a potential debris field from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet says drift modeling suggests that Flight 370 could have crashed north of the current search area. The comments comes after Gibson on Tuesday, July 19, 2016, handed Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur pieces of debris and personal belongings found on Madagascar beaches in June, which he suspects came from the jet that vanished with 239 people on board in 2014. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File) (The Associated Press)

prev next

FILE - In this March 5, 2016 file photo, American adventurer Blaine Gibson speaks to The Associated Press during an interview at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia. Adventurer Gibson handed Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, July 19 2016, three pieces of debris and personal belongings that he found on Madagascar beaches in June, which he suspects came from the Boeing 777 that vanished with 239 people on board during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul, File) (The Associated Press)

A family member of a passenger on board the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that went missing March 8, 2014 holds up a placard during a special press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, July 21, 2016. The oceanographer whose calculations helped an American adventurer find potential debris from Flight 370 said Thursday that the Malaysia Airlines jetliner could have crashed slightly north of the current search area. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) (The Associated Press)

CANBERRA, Australia – The oceanographer who led American adventurer Blaine Gibson to Madagascar where he found a potential debris field from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet says drift modeling suggests that Flight 370 could have crashed north of the current search area.

The comments comes after Gibson on Tuesday handed Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur pieces of debris and personal belongings found on Madagascar beaches in June, which he suspects could have come from the Boeing 777 that vanished with 239 people on board in 2014.

Western Australian University oceanographer Charitha Pattiaratchi said Thursday that he had told Gibson that Flight 370 debris was likely to concentrate on Madagascar. Pattiaratchi's earlier advice had led Gibson to Mozambique where in February he found debris that experts later determined came from Flight 370.