MH370 'Identical' Cockpit Pulse Detected, Diego Garcia Region

Chinese newspapers are reporting Saturday morning that one of its shisp found a ‘pulse signal’ in southern Indian Ocean, consistent with the same frequency of flight MH370’s cockpit black box.

According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese ship, Haixum 01 detected a signal with a frequency of 37.5 kilohertz per second. 

The signal reported — 37.5 kHz — “is the standard beacon frequency” for the plane’s cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder, said Anish Patel, president of pinger manufacturer Dukane Seacom. ”They’re identical.”

A Chinese patrol ship searching for signs of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean says it discovered Saturday the pulse signal used by so-called black boxes, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The pulse signal has not been confirmed, China’s Maritime Search and Rescue Center reported, according to China Communications News, the Ministry of Transport’s official newspaper.

The reported discovery comes as the batteries powering the black box from the plane are estimated to reach its expiration date as early as Monday.

The president of pinger manufacturer Dukane Seacom confirmed what has been detected is the “standard beacon frequency” of both black boxes on MH370 — the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.

Haixun 01 picked up the signal at about 25 degrees south latitude and 101 degrees east longitude, the official Xinhua news agency said.

That is due south of Malaysia, southeast of Diego Garcia, in line with Western Australia.

Diego Garcia coordinates are 7.3133° south latitude and 72.4111° east longitude. 

Xinmin Evening News in Shanghai cited its reporter on board the patrol ship said the ship’s crew had “basically confirmed” the signal was from the missing Boeing 777-200.

“It could be a false signal,” oceanographer Simon Boxall told CNN. “We’ve had a lot of red herrings, hyperbole on this whole search.”

The Joint Agency Coordination Centre media centre said they cannot yet say anything about the signal nor whether it came from MH370: “We are unable to verify any such information at this point in time.” 

CNN aviation analyst David Soucie is less skeptical than others.

“This is a pinger,” the airplane accident investigator said. “I’ve been doing this a lot of years, and I can’t think of anything else it could be.”

Xinhua said the detector, deployed by the Haixun (pronounced “high shuen”), 01 patrol ship picked up the signal around 25 degrees south latitude and 101 degrees east longitude. “It is yet to be established whether it is related to the missing jet,” it said.

China’s Liberation Daily reported three people on board the ship heard the signals, that had not been recorded because they came suddenly.

Australian defence minister David Johnston said he had not received a report on the signal and warned that it may not be from the plane.

“This is not the first time we have had something that has turned out to be very disappointing,” he told ABC television.

It would not be very difficult to place a black box where the signals were detected, especially considering the two massive military Search and Rescue exercises, conducted by the U.S., Thailand and Singapore, are being conducted in that exact same region, even as early as when the MH370 went missing on March 8.

The former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s top aide has asserted the probablity that during thse training exercises, using the most sophiticated surveillance euipment for Search and Rescue misison, that the United States is using those to spy on China during these massive exercises to determine what type of spy equipment China has.

In this case, Matthias Chang, prominent Malaysian lawyer, author and former PM Mohamad’s political secretary and adviser said the fact that the super power has refused to reveal where the missing plane and passengers are violates international treaties and is “unforgivable.” 

One month ago, Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappeared en route to Beijing on March 8 with 239 people on board.

Experts have warned that electronic beacons designed to guide searchers to flight data and cockpit voice recorders will stop emitting signals within the next two weeks, perhaps even within the next few days when they run out of power.

Another Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, MRQ, also has been found to be involved in what experts concur was a sophisticated plan and execution of a crime.