MH370 officials: Crash site could be north of search area

SYDNEY — A team of international investigators hunting for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 says it has determined the plane is unlikely to be found in the area search crews have been combing for two years, and may instead have crashed in a stretch of ocean farther to the north.

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The conclusion raises the prospect that the search for the Boeing 777 could continue beyond next month. That’s when crews are expected to finish their deep sea sonar hunt of the current search zone west of Australia in the Indian Ocean.

The latest analysis on the plane’s whereabouts comes in a report released Tuesday by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is leading the search for the aircraft.

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