Satellite pings could confirm flight path
Although the only data point that appears to be associated with an individual handshake between the Inmarsat satellite and MH370 is distance (or angle to the satellite), that information is quite useful. From most news accounts, Inmarsat had data for the entire time MH370 had power, with each successive handshake approximately 60 minutes apart. If that is the case, they should have one at about the same time the plane’s transponder stopped working (approximately 43°). From that point, you would have very different data depending upon the path the airplane took.
For example, if the plane did a 180 and turned around, you would have the following data:
2:11 44°
3:11 45°
4:11 46°
5:11 46°
6:11 45°
7:11 43°
8:11 40°
However, if the plane turned westward and crossed the peninsula and skirted the Northern part of Sumatra before turning South, you’d have something like the following:
2:11 49°
3:11 54°
4:11 54°
5:11 52°
6:11 49°
7:11 45°
8:11 40°
Obviously, I don’t have the actual data and the numbers are probably off a bit but you get the general idea. Knowing the satellite data will allow you to narrow down the potential flight paths. I’m sure that is what the NTSB has used (along with a lot of other data) to generate the paths shown on the maps the Australians are using to show the search areas.