Originally Posted by
Centaurus
There is no "Devil's Triangle" in that area. That is nothing more than a journalistic dramatic beat up. Nothing is to be gained by re-visiting the search area. Quite the opposite in fact. There would be a real risk to life and limb of those hardy and well meaning volunteers who would willingly spend their time trying to locate long since deeply hidden wreckage in impossible country.
That is unfortunately correct, although people should still continue ground searches because it is good headbanging fun and there is always the chance of good fortune showing you a brief glimpse of folded metal in the undergrowth.
The search area planning has, I believe, pretty much narrowed it down to a couple of 5Km x 5Km blocks, but what 25Km2 blocks they are ! I've been on a couple of ground searches, one of which the team was in / ex by winching from POLAIR helo, and the terrain and vegetation was limiting. Adjacent to these areas are very different areas there with 40degree plus slopes and double+ canopy rainforest where foot searches are impossible without technical means, and I suggest MDX would be in one of these.
Eventually the wreck and remains will be found, but I suggest it will by remote imaging technology, probably military, that will sniff it out of the years of vegetation growth rather than foot searches.
The same applies to the far more forgotten A34-47, missing out the back of Warragamba Dam less than 50Nm from YSSY with two RAAF and three USMC on board.
https://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/nsw178.htm This one has a very linear search area under what was probably a big birdstrike that bowled them middle stump on the first ball.
One of these days I'm going to walk/rappel/climb a compass bearing right through the middle of these search areas and who knows !