Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: 2 new signals in search area buoy hope
By Ed Payne and Greg Botelho, CNN
updated 3:22 AM EDT, Wed April 9, 2014
(CNN) -- In a sea of uncertainty, two bits of good news emerged Wednesday.
Searchers picked up fresh signals that officials hope are locator beacons from the data recorders of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
The Australian ship Ocean Shield had first picked up the underwater pulses Saturday. But then, for the next three days, nothing.
Could the pings be from MH370?
On Tuesday, the ship once again reacquired the signals. That's four signals in the same broad area: two on Saturday; two on Tuesday. All of the signals are within 17 miles of one another.
"I believe we are searching in the right area, but we need to visually identify wreckage before we can confirm with certainty that this is the final resting place of MH370," said Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who's coordinating the Australian operation.
The second piece of good news? Authorities analyzed the signals picked up Saturday and determined they weren't natural occurrences, but likely came from specific electronic equipment. Some marine life make similar sounds.
"They believe the signals to be consistent with the specification and description of a flight data recorder," Houston said.
"I'm now optimistic. We'll find the aircraft or what's left of the aircraft in the not too distant future."
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: 2 new signals in search area buoy hope - CNN.com