Flight 370: Nothing found on day two of search

Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion on the tarmac at the Royal Australian Airforce Base Pearce near Perth after returning from a reconnaissance mission. Photo / NZDF

Searchers for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have spent a second fruitless day hunting for wreckage in the Indian Ocean.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force crew has been assisting the search for the missing plane, which disappeared two weeks ago with 239 people on board, including two New Zealanders.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said weather conditions had improved yesterday from the day before, but there continued to be no sign of the large plane in the 23,000 square kilometre search area.

The authority's focus continued to be on finding any survivors on board the flight and searching for possible objects that could be connected to the missing aircraft or discounting them.

As well as the Airforce Orion, there were a number of other military aircraft helping in the search, including four RAAF P3 Orions, and a US Navy P8 Poseidon.

The Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Success was also en route to the search area.

The large search effort as directed its attention to a large section of the Southern Indian Ocean following satellite images showing two large objects floating on the surface.

Air Commodore Mike Yardley, who heads up air force operations of joint forces New Zealand, said the crew had become emotionally vested in the search.

"They are hugely committed to the cause. Once you've flown on these P3 Orions for 20 years you take it very personally that you're trying to find this aircraft to help those people who are left behind,'' he said.

"You feel that it's your responsibility, you're doing it to help people. It's not a job, it goes past a job when you're doing search and rescue.

"They've seen those people [the families] on TV and they know how much it's hurting them and what it means just to be able to find these people.''

The Royal New Zealand Air Force was confident its equipment would pick up any debris if it was there.

"We have a very good aircraft to do this, we have very good sensors on board, so if we're put in the right place and there's something on the surface, I can guarantee that we'll find it,'' Air Commodore Yardley said.