Hi,
Returning far away in the past .....
I still feel very frustrated when I look at this map ...
It shows the very first search (aerial) and then those incurred by the BEA
The abyssal plain where you found the wreck was known (from a hydrographic point of view)
I always wondered why the BEA has not started his research in this area .. that was easy enough to explore .. compared with the rugged surroundings.
Over the means used during the aerial search (detection signal pingers) was not very efficient.
The negative results of the aerial search in this area (other than find some floating debris) should not be considered conclusive IMHO