Missing Flight MH370 Was on Autopilot Before Crashing: Official

SYDNEY -- The missing Malaysia Airlines jet was likely flying on autopilot when it crashed, an official said Thursday. Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, told reporters in Canberra that "certainly for its path across the Indian Ocean, we are confident that the aircraft was operating on autopilot until it ran out of fuel."

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Truss said officials have not attempted to fix a moment when the plane was put on autopilot. Authorities also unveiled a new search area based on fresh analysis of existing satellite data from Flight Mh370. The Boeing 777 vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew aboard.

• New Jet Search Could Stretch Past a Year: Australia
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- The Associated Press