Bluefin-21 covers two thirds of underwater search area

Bluefin-21 has searched approximately two thirds of the focused underwater search area to date with nothing found, the Joint Agency Coordination Center ( JACC) said in its latest update Monday.[Special coverage]

According to the JACC, this morning, Bluefin-21 AUV completed mission eight in the underwater search area and its ninth mission will commence later Monday morning. "Bluefin-21 has searched approximately two thirds of the focused underwater search area to date. No contacts of interest have been found to date,"the JACC confirmed.

The focused underwater search area is defined as a circle of 10 km radius around the second Towed Pinger Locator detection which occurred on April 8.

In addition, 10 military aircraft and 11 ships will assist in Monday's search. But the weather forecast has conditions deteriorating, particularly in the north of the search area, as Tropical Cyclone Jack continues its track southwards. Wide spread showers are developing with isolated thunderstorms to the north and east south-easterly winds.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has planned a visual search area totaling approximately 49,491 square kilometers for Monday. The centre of the search area lies approximately 1,741 kilometers northwest of Perth.