The data gathered so far will be re-analyzed and all the information assessed starting Wednesday.
“We've got to this stage of the process where it's very sensible to go back and have a look at all of the data that has been gathered, all of the analysis that has been done and make sure there's no flaws in it, the assumptions are right, the analysis is right and the deductions and conclusions are right,” Houston said.
Truss stressed that detailed mapping of the seafloor will be a key focus of the next phase of the search. It is not known how deep the water in the search area is.
“I don't know that anyone knows for sure, because it's never been mapped,” Truss said of the depth of water. He said he had “no idea” about when the plane wreckage would be found.
“So far our very, very best leads, and on days when we were quite confident that it was going to be the day, have all proved fruitless so it would be unduly optimistic to name a day or time,” he said.
The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200 plane - carrying 239 people, including five Indians, an Indo-Canadian and 154 Chinese nationals - had mysteriously vanished on March 8 after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.
