Hopes for finding plane slowly withering

A potential lead in the desperate hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has slowly disappeared, taking with it much of the optimism that had built up over the last few days.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - An Australian navy ship detected pulses that were believed to be signals sent from the black box of the missing flight, but continuing efforts have no yielded any evidence.

The international search for the flight continues, but the optimism held by many searchers is draining away.

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U.S. Naval Commander William Marks is one of those who has become more restrained as the search drags on. "As hours pass our optimism is fading away."

April 5 saw cheers erupt when a team aboard Australia's Ocean Shield reported that it had detected a possible signal from the flight data recorder from the missing plane. A second signal was heard soon after about 1,000 miles west of Australia. Both were detected at a depth of about 15,000 feet. The first signal lasted about two hours and the second for just 13 minutes.

If searchers detect the signals again, then they may deploy an underwater drone to investigate. The drone could take a week to search the area but might be able to find out if the signal did originate from the black boxes.

"That the Ocean Shield has not reacquired the ping is a genuine setback," said Peter Goelz, former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board. "We're talking now an investigation that could go on months, if not years."

Since April 8 it has been 32 days since the flight disappeared. Searchers are looking for evidence of the plane in an area over 30,000 square miles within the Indian Ocean. This area is about a third of the size of the previous search area, and is based on data which deals with current movements and their effects on the debris field.

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