Independent Analysis
Key Researchers
The analysts and investigators who have advanced our understanding of MH370
A significant amount of technical work on MH370 has been done outside official channels — by engineers, scientists, journalists, and aviation specialists who have devoted years to the case. Their peer-reviewed papers, drift models, and satellite analyses have materially shaped the search strategy.
Victor Iannello
Physicist · Independent ResearcherA PhD physicist and technology entrepreneur, Iannello has been one of the most prolific and rigorous independent analysts of MH370 since 2014. He runs the blog mh370.radiantphysics.com where he has published dozens of detailed technical analyses of the satellite data, flight path simulations, and drift modelling. He is a founding member of the Independent Group and has been consulted by official search bodies.
Richard Godfrey
Engineer · Independent ResearcherA UK-based aerospace engineer and founding member of the MH370 Independent Group, Godfrey has published over 59 papers and presentations on MH370 covering flight path modelling, drift analysis, and satellite data interpretation. He pioneered the use of WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter) radio data as a potential method to track the aircraft's path — a technique that remains contested but has attracted serious academic attention. He maintains a YouTube channel covering his ongoing research.
David Griffin
Oceanographer · CSIRO AustraliaSenior scientist at Australia's CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), Griffin led the oceanographic drift modelling work that traced confirmed debris back to its probable ocean origin. His work was formally incorporated into ATSB search strategy and represents the most rigorous scientific effort to narrow down MH370's impact location from the debris evidence alone.
Jeff Wise
Aviation Journalist · Podcast Host · AuthorScience journalist and private pilot Jeff Wise has covered MH370 since the day it disappeared. He authored The Plane That Wasn't There and The Taking of MH370, and hosts the "Finding MH370" podcast and "Deep Dive MH370" video series. While some of his earlier theories have been contested, his journalistic work has brought serious technical analysis to a wide public audience.
Geoffrey Thomas
Aviation Journalist · AirlineRatings.comEditor-in-chief of AirlineRatings.com and a veteran aviation reporter, Geoffrey Thomas has co-hosted the "MH370: The Untold Story" podcast and written extensively on the case. He has conducted interviews with investigators, search contractors, and family members, and has been a consistent advocate for a continued search effort.
Don Thompson
Telecommunications Engineer · Independent ResearcherA UK-based telecommunications engineer, Thompson has done extensive technical analysis of the Inmarsat satellite data, ADS-B records, and communications logs surrounding MH370. His detailed technical write-ups are widely cited in the independent research community and have helped establish a consensus understanding of the aircraft's final hours.
The MH370 Independent Group
The Independent Group (IG) is an informal coalition of analysts — including Iannello, Godfrey, Thompson, and others — who have collaborated since 2014 to apply rigorous technical analysis to the MH370 data. Their collective output has been submitted to official investigation bodies and has influenced search strategy. The group does not advocate for specific theories, but works to constrain the solution space using satellite data, drift modelling, and flight simulation.