Inmarsat ping-arc data released today via the Malaysian authorities
https://twitter.com/IvanCNN/status/4...043520/photo/1
Very first fit to the data is shown in figure 1 using a great circle at constant speed, fitting the course and start point. No surprise perhaps, the course heads straight for the original search area, so that _was_ defined by the ping data. It's an excellent fit, with the last point only a bit wobbly, an error of 0.6degrees on elevation. The other fitted points are have errors around 0.1degree in elevation.
However, as mentioned a _long_ time ago, the ping-arc/elevation data cannot distinguish courses with smooth changes of heading - they look like other great circle routes. Since the search area changed, then this must be what happened. More to come.
Figure 1: Best fit to the Inmarsat ping-arc data.
First Fit To The Inmarsat Ping-Arc Data Released 29th April 2014 Photo by RichardC10 | Photobucket