The first Chinese plane heading to Australia to join the hunt for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet landed at the wrong airport on Saturday, underscoring the difficulties facing the increasingly complex multinational search effort.
The Chinese IL-76 military aircraft made an unexpected stop at Perth International Airport before heading to its correct destination at RAAF Base Pearce outside Perth, where search and rescue operations for Flight MH370, which has been missing for two weeks, are now being coordinated. "They landed at Perth and then they landed here," RAAF Corporal Janine Fabre told Reuters.
"We don't know why." RAAF Base Pearce, a dusty collection of runways and low-slung buildings about 21 miles north of Perth, is taking on the feel of a model United Nations as aircraft and ships - not to mention journalists - from at least six countries descend on the region.
But as the number of search vehicles and nationalities increases, so too do the challenges including security sensibilities, language and operational and command issues.