Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Update: Two Ships Searching For Missing Plane Damaged

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 remains missing, and, making matters worse, the search for the plane faced a pair of setbacks this week.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Update

This week, not one, but two of the ships searching for the missing jet sustained significant damage, according to the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) responsible for the search

The lesser of the two incidents occurred to the Havila Harmony. While navigating the waters, the Havila Harmony sustained damage when the underwater communications equipment got tangled in a fishing net and bent.

“Upon arrival at Henderson, divers confirmed that the pole was bent and fouled with fishing net. The vessel was subsequently dry-docked at the BAE Systems ship lift facility to allow the pole to be replaced,” reads a report on the JACC website. “The vessel is expected to depart Fremantle for the search area on 28 January and recommence search activities around 2 February 2016.”

The other incident involved the Fugro Discovery, which was carrying a deep tow sonar vehicle. While searching the ocean floor, it struck an undersea volcano, causing it to separate from the vessel. The Fugro Discovery was forced to return to port to get a spare towfish attached to it so that it may continue its search for MH370.

“There were no injuries to crew and it is believed it will be possible to recover the towfish at a later date,” the JACC said in a statement.

Last year, a flaperon from the downed Flight MH370 was discovered on Reunion Island. By finding and identifying the flaperon as a part of MH370, authorities were able to give closure to the families of the 239 people who perished aboard the ill-fated flight that took off on March 8, 2014.

The search for the bulk of the plane is ongoing.  It is believed that the aircraft is somewhere at the bottom of the Indian Ocean off the coast of western Australian.