hello and welcome, everyone. i'm errol barnett. >> and i'm natalie allen. welcome to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world. we are following two stories today, to search for flight 370, a big change there, and the oscar pistorius murder trial where he could take the stand this hour. >> we will bring that to you live. more on the trial in a moment. first, the breaking news on the missing malaysian airliner. >> authorities focus on an entirely new area. it's 1,100 kilometers -- or about 700 miles northeast -- of

the previous search area. >> this move is based on analysis of radar data from before radar contact was lost with the plane. apparently the plane was going faster than previously thought and that means it burned fuel faster as well and didn't fly as far. >> the search operation is still based in perth australia and our andrew stevens is there live with the latest. and quite a surprise from the folks running the search there when they made this announcement a couple of hours ago, andrew. >> that would be an understatement, natalie. quite an extraordinary turn of events given that there was so much effort and energy being focused in that -- in an ever-narrowing area of the southern end of the southern corridor down there in the indian ocean. then to suddenly come out and say that, in fact, the real area of interest is some 700, 1,100 kilometers north is now due west

of perth so that is a major, major move and this is what they australian transportation investigation chief had to say about the reasons behind it. >> the new information is based on continuing analysis of radar data about the aircraft's movement between the south china sea and the strait of malacca before radar contact was lost. this continuing analysis indicates the plane was traveling faster than was previously estimated resulting in increased fuel usage and reducing the possible distance it traveled south into the indian ocean. now, the australians themselves are playing down the fact that the search area has moved in such a radical way saying that this is not an unchon event in an investigation of this type where there are so few facts on the ground, where there is a lot of analysis required of things like radar,

of the satellite images, of conditions, etc., etc. so this is just one of the frustrating things about investigations where it can move and move to an entirely different area as new information becomes available. but it does raise the question, for the families, i mean, they've been pinning their hopes on getting some sort of closure on this, to this area in the south -- far southwest. now they're being told, in fact, it was never there, we were looking in the wrong area which does bring in the whole question, what do they actually know at this stage? very frustrating for the families. also, though, for the searchers as well as they try to pinpoint this area. and when i talk about pinpoint, it's now size of poland, this new area they're investigating, natalie. >> what do we know about the conditions of this area? and isn't this part of the ocean expected to be a little bit less hostile as far as being a region

that is easier to search? >> that's a good way of putting it. it's far enough north for the seas to be a lot calmer. the area is sort of boxed in almost, there's africa and australia on either side and i was talking to an oceanographer this morning and he was saying the average wave height in the southern ocean was up to six meters, where they're going now it's about three meters. so better conditions generally. the conditions are said to be fine. there's about -- well, there's ten planes going out today, several of them are already on target. the other thing, too, which is important in this, natalie, it's much closer to this air force base where we are just outside perth which means they can get to the search zone quicker and, importantly, they can stay on the search zone quite a lot longer. one chinese search plane has returned from a sortie today. we're still waiting for any

information. but the searchers, again, are warning that it could take some time before we start getting more information on what is actually on the surface of the sea. the ships, which were in the southern area, have now been redeployed. all the assets have been redeployed but it's going to take until at least tomorrow for the first ship to arrive on that area, natalie. >> they are, in a sense, starting over. andrew stevens for us live in perth, thank you. let's continue that thought, the weather conditions now, and bring in karen mcguinness at our international weathercenter. karen, it was thursday when aircraft were grounded because visibility was zero in the previous search area. how much different is this snare glow this new space where they're focussing their efforts? >> it is dramatically different. the seas are lying down. we're not seeing that churning like a washing machine. the wind will be definitely much lighter, we had seen 60 to 75 kilometer per hour winds. now about 30 kilometers per

hour. there you can see kind of what lies to the west as we move into this search area that is closer to perth, it's further north so we get a little warmer water temperatures. with the seas being a little quieter, they're not going to be still, not luke they're close to the sure but at least it's going to allow them to have more eyeballs and looking at that ocean surface so if there is debris or an object because of their credible leads as we've heard over the last couple of hours, that's the good news. also, it used to take them about four hours to get to that search area. now it will take them approximately three. so they have about 12 hours give or take of aviation fuel on board so that allows them at least one or two more hours to take a look at what's going on across this portion of the quieter south central indian

ocean. >> there you can see this gyre, this big kind of ocean current and as it gets closer towards the coast of australia then we start to see that current pick up a little bit more. over the next several days the good news is winds lighter, surf lighter, flatter, and we're not looking at any storm systems across the area. so we've got several days of real good opportunity here. back to you guys. >> and that additional hour of time is desperately needed. still no confirmed debris from flight 370. karen, thanks very much. we'll have more on the search for flight 370 but first an update on our other top story today, the murder trial of oscar pistorius. he is in the courtroom now, he could testify soon and we'll have it for you live if he does. robin is live in pretoria next to our legal analyst kelly

phelps. robin? >> reporter: more than a year after oscar pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, today is the day he gets to tell his story more than likely. let's speak to kelly phelps and ask her why we still have no real confirmation if he'll take to the stand. >> well, there's a rule of south african law that says an accused person should take to the stand first if they choose to testify for themselves. it doesn't mean they have to take the stand first, it means if they choose not to that the judge is free to draw a negative inference from the fact that they chose to wait and see what the other witnesses said before giving their own testimony. >> confirming that they would tailor the testimony to the witnesses? >> that the testimony would be less fresh and potentially less honest. >> let's talk about that, honesty, sincerity, that will be key when he tells his story, isn't it? >> absolutely. essentially what the judge has to do in this case is decide which version of events she finds the most believable. that's because it's a

circumstantial case. there isn't one clear piece of evidence that gives us the answer so she's weighing out two versions of events and essentially deciding based on the evidence present which had one she believes more. >> and he's been very emotional the past month in court, not just crying, vomiting sometimes. at times people have said he's in a fragile state. is that a good thing or bad thing going on -- going to testify? >> it doesn't necessarily work against him because the sincerity, the the perceived sincerity of his testimony will be crucial and in a sense being in an emotional state does portray him in quite a sincere way. what would be more damaging for him would be if he lost his temper or became aggressive. but the overly emotional state he's in won't affect him in a negative way. >> so beyond the emotional state, this is also very important, consistency in his story. >> absolutely. he has unusually given a lot of details about his version of event from early on his bail. he's followed through with that in opening statement and through

cross-examination and now this is really the time where he has to be seen to be sticking to that version of events. >> now, when you compare his bail application and his plea a month ago, there are two small differences between the two. it's that kind of discrepancy that's going to matter? or is it? >> well, the two differences are small. in bail he said he bought in one fans and now he said two fans and another that they've spoken quite soon before the incident happened. that's not necessarily damming. a defense team as skilled as his should account for minor inconsistencies. but when you establish a track record of inconsistencies it starts to damage the fundamental believability of his story. >> and, of course, his defense team probably are going to want to keep him on the stand as short as possible. however, the state when they cross-examine, probably next week, is going to want to keep

him on the stand as long as possible. break him, essentially. >> the longer he's on the stand the more fatigued he gets and the less likely it is he'll keep a front up. so it's likely they'll be quite aggressive with him and second be quite sering in their cross-examination. >> kelly phelps our legal analyst who works at the university of cape town. so it's a big day for oscar pistorius, a big day for reeva steenkamp's family and friends because this is the start of his defense and, like i said, it's the first time we're really going to hear his version of events, more than likely, and it should start -- court normally starts at 9:30 local time so in the next 20 minutes things should kick off. >> keeping an eye on our watches. robyn and kelly, thank you very much. as we mentioned, oscar pistorius is inside the courtroom right now. he's expected to testify, he's chosen not to be in vision on camera. if that does happen, we'll bring you the audio live and bring you the latest on that. still ahead on cnn newsroom, a three-week-old mystery

continuing. >> what happened to malaysia flight 370? we'll take you live to kuala lumpur for the latest on the investigation from that part of the world. >> also the pilots continue to come under scrutiny but now the captain's son and others are coming to their defense.

welcome back. if you're just joining us, we want to update you on the search for malaysia airlines flight 370. >> that's because a short time ago australia authority say a credible new lead points to an area 1,100 kilometers -- 700 miles -- northeast of the previous search area. new analysis of radar data shows the plane was going faster than first thought, that means it burned fuel at a faster rate and didn't fly as far. >> let's get the latest on the investigation now that's headquartered in kuala lumpur where flight 370 originated. our jim clancy has been there

many days covering this story for us. jim, what are you hearing from there? >> well, you know, i look across the scene of what we have right now, natalie, in this investigation and it takes me all the way back to my arrival here on march 8. that's when the plane disappeared, the same day. it's been three long weeks and in many ways we're back where we started because much of this new data is based on the original radar data that was obtained by the malaysian military the night that this plane went missing. flight 370 made an abrupt turn out of the south china sea. it set a course toward the indian ocean. now, there were earlier reports that there were several twists and turns in that course. that has led investigators to believe that people inside the cockpit were deliberately steering the plane to evade detection. it cast more doubt on the pilots thinking that they might have

been responsible. and it would seem now that either based on that original data or enhanced by radar data from neighboring countries it has been tightly held toll their chest they aren't telling us what it really is, that we are now back to recalculating everything based on those original estimations. as a result, that is the course that they have plotted. that is the fuel used that they have plotted. and people are hoping that this time around we'll have more success. but i've got to say, we have been incredibly unlucky in trying to track flight 370 and what happened to it. we have been unable in any way, shape, or form to determine what may have happened aboard the aircraft, what went on inside the cockpit. everybody has been unanimous saying that we need to get those flight data recorders in order to understand that. and we're not going to understand it until and unless we locate a debris field and somehow, some way are able to track that to the aircraft

itself. it's a monumental, daunting task. but that's the one they've set out to do today and time, everyone knows, is running out. natalie? >> you certainly nailed it there. we have been unlucky and to think that all the world's resources are on this and right now there are airplanes and ships from so many different countries either headed to or over this new region, all the while it just has to be so disappointing to the families to hear that, nope, they weren't searching in the right area, they're off to a new area. what do you know about how they're doing? how they're holding up? >> you know, they're not well. some of them are physically ill. their emotions have run the gamut -- the highs, the lows, the promise, the disappointment, the anguish, the despair, the announcements that everyone is lost. all of these things have been ripping away at the families.

and really we must say affecting, too, those who work with them. now malaysia airlines is going to hold a separate press briefing. we'll get one at 5:30 eastern time at the regular hour here and then another one to immediately follow that for malaysia airlines and i think they're going lay out more of what they're doing for the families. they posted online a conversation with one of the people who's been working with the families. just listen to a little bit of this. >> we try to give them everything and everything we possibly can and it's still not good enough. the only thing they want is the one thing we can't give them which is answers. that's all they want. they didn't care for the lavish roomstor food. they really didn't care for those. they just wanted answers. >> all they wanted were the answers. where's my family? family members that took off from here in kuala lumpur supposed to be northbound on a

flight to beijing and now they're searching thousands and thousands of miles at the opposite end of the earth in the south indian ocean. an incredible story, an incredible mystery, one that people around the world want to see unravel. they want to see it solved. and that's why so many people continue to push this in the 24-hour news cycle, online, on social media, the whole world is interested in this. it's a mystery perhaps not seen in the aviation world since amelia earhart. natalie? >> absolutely. certainly hope the new region will lead to something. thank you so much, jim clancy for us yet again in kuala lumpur. errol? people who knew the pilots best are also speaking out saying they would have never done something to harm people on board. pam brown reports. >> reporter: the son of captain zaharie shah is breaking his silence, defending his father against claim he is might be

responsible for sabotaging flight 370. the captain's youngest son, 26-year-old achmed set spoke publicly, dismissing criticisms of his father in an interview with the "new straits times." "i've red everything online, i've ignored the speculation. i know my father better, we may not be as close because he travels so much but i understand him." and the former ceo of malaysia airlines said he knew shah well. >> he's an excellent pilot and i think also an excellent gentleman. i think we're going to wrong way pointing figure at him. >> reporter: and the current ceo of malaysia airlines also defended him and his co-pilot fariq hamid. >> based on their records, they have been quite exemplary. >> reporter: sources tell cnn that despite speculation of deliberate action to divert the plane, investigators haven't found any evidence to suggest a

premeditated act by either pilot. a u.s. official tells cnn that a preliminary review of the captain's simulator and both pilots' computers have not yielded a so-called smoking gun so far. the captain, seen here in a new trip cruet video posted online, did not leave a suicide note a source from malaysia tells cnn and no evidence was found in the home to suggest financial or marital problems. captain shah, seen here going through airport security, was a respected pilot who had been with malaysia airlines since 1981, flying more than 18,000 hours. the 53-year-old was married with three grown children. cnn is not showing the faces of his entire family. captain shah's daughter was reportedly a student studying in melbourne, australia. the family home was here in a gated community in malaysia, but a source close to the family says his wife routinely stayed somewhere else when he was flying. shah was a public supporter of the malaysia opposition party leader and attended

pro-democracy rallies. in his free time he posted videos like this one online showing him in front of his home flight simulator talking not about his job but about his interest in home improvement projects. less is known about shah's co-pilot fariq hamid. he was engaged to his high school sweetheart. after finishing his training of the 777, he was on his first flight in the cockpit unsupervised in the jumbo jet. pamela brown, cnn, washington. >> the mystery continues but we'll wait and see if these planes come back with anything in this new region. well, the crisis in ukraine is far from over. the u.n., of course, condemns russia's annexation of crimea. >> but there is a big question in the region -- are russian troops preparing to invade eastern ukraine next? we'll bring the latest on this straight ahead. hi, i'm terry and i have diabetic nerve pain.

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we want to get you up to date on the two major stories we're following. the search for malaysia airlines flight 370, a big change there, and the oscar pistorius murder trial where the so-called blade runner is expected to take the stand soon. australia authorities stay focus of the search has shifted 1,100 kilometers to the northeast in the indian ocean they say that's because of what they are calling a new credible lead. new analysis of radar data that appears to show the jetliner did not fly as previously thought. meantime, in pretoria, south africa, perhaps the most dramatic day in the murder trial of olympian oscar pistorius is about to get under way. you're seeing him there enter the courthouse within this past hour. now, it's not official but pistorius is widely expected to testify in his own defense, that could begin moments from now. we will, of course, bring that to you live. here's a look at some of the key events in the oscar pistorius murder trial. so far in 15 days of testimony

we've heard from 21 different witnesses, including a neighbor who testified she was awakened by what she described as petrifying screams followed by gunshots. the trial has included graphic details about reeva steenkamp's injuries. oscar pistorius has cried, covered his ears, even vomited during some testimony. in a key demonstration, an expert witness shows how oscar pistorius used a cricket bat to break down his bathroom door to get to his girlfriend. prosecutors and defense disagree about whether oscar pistorius was wearing his prosthetic legs. a police captain read text messages from steenkamp where she stated she was afraid of oscar pistorius and accused him of being jealous and possessive. and now the latest out of ukraine. right wing demonstrators mob it had outside of ukraine's parliament demanding the country's interior minister resign.

take a look at that video in to cnn. you can hear the protestors there in the background. they blame the interior minister for the killing of one of their leaders by security forces. a u.s. intelligence has concluded there is a greater chance russia will invade eastern ukraine than previously thought. we're going to pull up a map here and show you where russian forces are concentrated in the locations just east of ukraine. you see them highlighted there. just how many troops? well, it's unclear. ukraine estimates that number to be at about 88,000, the u.s. estimates that number to be closer to 40,000. so tension there is on the ukrainian/russian border. the oscar pistorius murder trial beginning any moment now. >> as we said, we could hear from the defendant himself today. we'll take you live to pretoria when we come back. also, new details about when exactly malaysia flight 370 lost communication with a satellite. could it narrow down the search area? stay with us. are you ready grandma? just a second, sweetie.

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welcome back, you're watching cnn newsroom, i'm natalie allen. >> i'm errol barnett. welcome to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world. the search for malaysia airlines flight 370 has taken on a whole new direction. australia said a credible new lead points to an area 1100 kilometers northeast of the previous search area.

>> we con sareconnaissance plan searching the area right now. new analysis showed the airline was going faster than first thought which means it didn't fly as far. william marks is a u.s. navy commander, he talked with us a short time ago about this new search. >> based on the current and the winds over a 20-day period the debris could have easily moved 60 to 80 miles from its original crash landing point. the reason that's so critically important is because the black box has about ten days or so of life left in its pinger, the signal it sends out. so if we want to be able to hear this we have to get really close to it. you have to get within about a mile or so. the strength of that pinger only goes about a mile and that's about how sensitive we can hear

it. so if we do want to a chance at finding the black box, at least through the pinger, we have to be very close to where that plane crash landed. >> we'll talk more about the search for the flight data recorder in just a moment. first we want to turn to the other story we're following closely. a murder trial that's already seen its share of drama could kick into another gear today. olympian oscar pistorius expected to testify as the defense begins presenting its case. pistorius, of course, admits he shot his girlfriend reeva steenkamp but he has steadfastly maintained it was an accident. that is him walking into court during this trial. cnn legal analyst kelly phelps joins us live from pretoria with more on what we can expect. kelly, this is the first time oscar pistorius is going to speak about what happened that night and it will be something that people will be watching closely to see how he holds up.

>> absolutely. we know that in his written statements that have been read out to the court he's managed to maintain a very high level of consistency with regard to his story so far. but it's a whole different story when you have to present that verbally yourself in court and be subject to cross-examination. and that's more so considering that he has found this very emotionally and physically challenging and times and he will now have to withstand the onslaught of cross-examination. >> we've seen him visibly shudder and get sick and cover his ears so far as they put out some pretty gruesome details about reeva steenkamp and being shot. what's important about his demeanor on the stand if he takes the stand today? >> well, there's two things, really, that are important. first of all, that hesper

received as sincere on the stand. in that respect his emotional state won't necessarily work against him. but equally, it's very important that he maintains his composure, particularly with regard to aggression. that if the prosecutor is cross-examining him in a persistent or aggressive way that he is not seen to lose his temper because that would play into the hand of the prosecutor because they've been trying to portray him as an impulsive short-tempered and angry man. >> what part of his story do you think that prosecutors on cross-examination will go after? >> well, the key point that they're going to go after is his core claim that he mistakenly believed it was an intruder. they're going to try to cast doubt as to that story. first of all by contrasting his supposed belief with his

apparently very safe environment. and they're going to try to paint him as trigger happy, impulsive and someone who was prone to jealousy with regard to reeva steenkamp interacting with other men. in order to essentially dissuade the judge that it is a realistic possibility that he could possibly have mistakenly believed she was an intruder. >> what, in your opinion, was the most surprising part of the trial so far as far as what the defense played out? -- excuse me, the prosecution. >> well, i don't think they're really -- yes. i don't think there've really been many surprises. we knew from the very the verye the state said that they had a circumstantial case s we didn't expect some huge surprise piece of evidence to be pulled out at the last minute that would conclusively decide this case. but i think what was certainly the most compelling was

essentially hearing reeva steenkamp's voice as such speaking through the text messages that were read out taken from beth of their cell phones. it's very different hearing about physical surrounding evidence and then suddenly actually hearing the words of the victim herself. >> i just want to let our viewers know that we are seeing a live picture from the courtroom. people have just taken their seat. the judge is speaking at the moment and, again, we will find out soon what the order of this day is, if oscar pistorius takes the stand. we're going to listen in for just a moment as the court proceedings began. >> we've made the necessary arrangements. we had the discussions with court personnel. the court will be available on the seventh and we will make ourselves available to proceed with this matter on the seventh during recess. >> tnk very much. >> my lady, we will also put plans in place.

>> thank you. >> this matter, then, will be postponed to the -- to monday the seventh of april, 2014 at 9:30 this the morning and i'm grateful to all counsel and the court staff for accommodating this. >> as the court pleases, myly di. >> court will adjourn. >> a surprise. right after the court began there has been for some reason a postponement, we just saw a quick shot of the steenkamp family there as she made the

announcement. it is -- will reconvene at 9:30 in the morning pretoria time on april 7. let's go back to our analyst. kelly, what are you making of this. >> well, apparently the news we're hearing from the courtroom is that one of the assessors has taken ill and they've therefore requested yet another week's postponement. this is really quite excruciating for everyone involved in the case and i'm sure no one more so than oscar pistorius himself who essentially has been watching the time tick away until he has to have this big moment and take the stand and yet again the goal line has been shifted. >> absolutely. a picture of his sister there, too, who has stood beside him throughout this and we wait. so what happens in the meantime, until that's more than a week away now.

>> well, both legal teams will decamp no doubt and reassess and restrengthen their cases and just simply prepare themselves to start on a strong note on the seventh. i think on the one hand for oscar pistorius it can be a benefit because it gives him a bit of time to catch his breath and center himself, but that can work the other way as well, where an accused person is essentially -- has that extra time to sit and allow their nerves to fester and grow. so this will be quite a challenge for him by the time he comes back to take the stand on the seventh. >> i can't imagine getting that news, yet preparing for a day and learning because one person is ill this much time is going to elapse before they can continue. you've got to feel for the families as well. have families from both the steenkamp and pistorius, have they been there throughout this trial, kelly?

>> oscar pistorius's family has consistently been by his side throughout the trial. for most days we've seen his brother and his sister as well as his uncle arnold sitting steadfastly beside him. june steenkamp, reeva steenkamp's mother, has been coming in and out and certainly some of the more graphic evidence, i think, has been much more difficult for her to sit through. today we did see her very good friend gina meyers in court along with gina meyers' mother and sister. gina meyers was the person that reeva steenkamp had been living with at this time this tragedy happened. so we've seen strong shows of support for both sides. >> all right, we thank you, kelly phelps. again, a surprise. on a day that was to be high drama, perhaps, in this case, the judge announcing that due to an illness, somebody involved in the case, that it will be postponed until april 7. we'll have more for you right after this. [ male announcer ] this is the cat that drank the milk... [ meows ]

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well, the breaking news is out of pretoria, south africa. we had expected a dramatic day in the trial of oscar pistorius but it is not to be. >> no, you see here oscar pistorius making his way into the courtroom over an hour ago. however, once inside both the prosecution and defense agreed that due to one of the assessors in the courtroom being ill and unable to attend today the hearing will be postponed for a week until april 7. so oscar pistorius was expected to give his version of events publicly for the first time since he shot his girlfriend reeva steenkamp on valentine's day last year. he and all the other people, relatives of reeva steenkamp, of course, desperate to know what

happened that night will have to wait even longer. the trial will resume april 7 and we are likely then to hear oscar pistorius explain his version of events for the first time. >> had to be disappointing for all parties to know that this has to just drag on a little bit longer. >> and they say that in a case like this, natalie, everybody loses. the oscar pistorius family, reeva steenkamp's family, of course, because it's so grueling and we are dealing with a death and this all hinges on what happened that night. he is the only living person who can explain his side of the story. so far we only have what he put in his initial document post-bail a year ago so everyone really waiting to hear from this man we see on the screen now but we will have to wait until april 7. and in the meantime, we'll get you up to date on other stories we're following for you here on cnn. cnn. the flight 370, this has been one of the greatest mysteries so far. >> of course, getting a firm fix on that timeline could help pinpoint where the flight ended.

suzanne malveaux tells us what we think we know about it so far. >> reporter: from the moment malaysia flight 370 took off it was communicating with a satellite orbiting more than 22,000 miles above earth, sending out pings or electronic hand shakes to say "i'm here and okay." >> the ping is really like your cell phone checking that it's connected with a cell phone network. >> reporter: the first three recorded pings come between 12:30 and 1:00 a.m. local time as the plane takes off from kuala lumpur an ascends, all normal stuff. >> the first three pings are messages which are carrying the data about the performance of the engines on the plane. >> reporter: at 1:19, a.m., the co-pilot send his final message to air traffic "all right, good night." then the transponder, which identifies the plane to civilian radar, stops communicating. between 1:121 and 1:28, a.m., radar shows the plane makes a sharp left turn then dips as low

as 12,000 feet. at 2:22 a.m., as the plane appears to be making another turn the satellite thehen picksp three more electronic pings. one right after the other in the span of just a few minutes. >> looks like they were initiated by the plane because the plane had lost contact with the satellite network. after that quick turn, maybe the plane banked sharply, i whatever happens is seemingly as malaysia 370 sends hourly pings or hand shakes. at 3:40, 4:40, 5:40, 6:40, and 8:11 a.m. >> the hourly pings are just the network checking that everything is going on. that sort of indicates that the plane is flying smoothly. >> reporter: but then something very unusual happens -- a partial ping, just eight minutes later, recorded at 8:19, a.m. the last electronic signal before the plane disappears. >> the plane wasn't able to

communicate back again and so the hand shaking wasn't completed. the plane must have turned sharply or stalled or dived, something to cause the terminal on top of the plane to be pointed away from the satellite and then to try and reestablish contact. >> reporter: that was suzanne malveaux reporting. >> finding the plane's voice and data recorders could resolve some key questions in this case. >> but locator pings being transmitted from the recorders will go silent the moment their batteries run out. unfortunately, and as athee that jones is about to show you, there's reason to believe those batteries may have already died. >> reporter: 30 days, that's how long the batteries on the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder are expected to last. they power the underwater locator beacons, or pingers, that help search teams find these crucial devices. and after 21 days, those batteries could soon run out if

they haven't already. that's what has cnn's safety analyst david soucy concerned. he talked to a mechanic who found problems with the way they store these devices. >> having them stored improperly against manufacturer's recommendations is extremely hard on them and it will reduce the battery life to close to half as much as it's intended to. so 15 days or so. >> reporter: duquesne c-comm, the company that makes the pingers for malaysian airlines said high temperature could affect battery life. the manual says they should be stored in a cool, dry environment. we don't know how the recorders on flight 370 were stored. we do know that it will be much harder to find the black boxes without the pingers. it took two years to find the recorders from air france flight 447 after it crashed off the coast of brazil in 2009. search teams told pinger locators near the debris field just days after the crash and heard nothing, suggesting the pingers had stopped working or

the signal was somehow blocked by rugged underwater terrain or other obstacles. >> even plant life, seaweed, plant life, coral, any of those things can detract from the signal and even temperature changes in the water, if you have a thermal layer, it can hide that pinging. it can hide any kind of detection that you might have. >> reporter: oceanographer david gallo helped find the recorders in the air france crash with the help of sonar, high-resolution cameras and deep-sea drones. >> we took 85,000 still images of the wreck site, handed those over to a company phoenix international and they took it from there and found the black box boxes. >> reporter: if the boxes are found investigators can still retrieve the vital information inside. >> the battery running out will not preclude the authorities from being able to extract that data. it is embedded into the system. >> reporter: athena jones, cnn,

washington. the official death toll from that devastating landslide in the western u.s. is increasing. authorities in washington state now confirm at least 17 people were killed when a rain-soaked hillside collapsed last saturday. there are fears the toll could rise much higher as searchers return to the disaster zone today. entire homes were dragged downhill and buried under rubble. at least 90 people by some reports are still missing. now, of course, the families of victims are grieving over the loss of their loved ones. the sister of one woman who died spoke to cnn's gary tuchman, she told him she has found some hope thanks to an unexpected delivery in the rubble. >> reporter: irene recommend ninss about her littler. >> i remember playing with her when she was a baby, like a doll. >> reporter: her sister was one of the victims of the landslide,

her body was found hours after the tragedy occurred. linda lived next door her niece and nephew who were out of their house when the landslide happened. this was wreckage of their house. linda's husband mack was hurt but will survive. what kind of sister was linda? >> oh, my gosh. she was such a great sister. she was always there if you needed anything. she was so non-judgmental. >> reporter: irene and husband ralph live 15 minutes away. they got the awful news in a phone call from their son. irene tries not to think about what her sister experienced. >> i don't think about it. in my darkest moments if that comes into my thoughts i -- i don't go there because i can't imagine what she went through. >> reporter: on the day after the landslide, family members went back to linda's nieces and

nephews home to try to recover a safe. it was there they found something else extremely valuable. i watched with irene the video a friend shot of the recovery of the family dog who was thought to have been killed. >> look, here he comes out. oh! >> hi, buddy! >> reporter: and this is buddy? >> this is buddy. >> reporter: a chocolate labrador buried under mud and rubble far day and a half whose survival is incredibly meaningful to family members who have suffered so much. like so many here in this part of washington state. >> he was saved because he's going to help us get through this. you know, seeing that dog, it's like life still is good. >> reporter: gary tuckman, cnn darrington, washington. >> one sweet moment.

that's really wonderful. >> nice to see. our coverage of the missing malaysian airliner will continue next. >> we'll bring you the latest on the new search area. it shock misdemeanor people when australia officials announced this a few hours ago. we'll give you all of the details after this short break.

we want to update you on what we thought was shaping up to be a dramatic day in pretoria, south africa. >> oscar pistorius was widely expected to testify in his own defense. he's charged, of course, with killing his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. >> soon after court convened for the day, court officials announced the trial had been postponed until april 7. if you've been what w us you watched this happen live. that's because one of the assessors has been hospitalized. you'll see the assessors sitting right and left to the judge. they are integral to the judge making her decision. there is no jury, there's no jury trial in south africa so the judge needs her assistants

by her side so the trial is now postponed until april 7. >> we'll wait until then and see if he takes the stand. the other story we've been following so closely, the latest on the hunt for the missing malaysia airliner. the first reconnaissance plane has now returned from the new search zone in the southern indian ocean. no word so far on whether anything was found. >> this was a shock a few hours ago as well when australia authorities shifted this zone about 1800 kilometers or 1200 miles straight west of pe australia, they cite analysis of radar data and say data indice e indicates that the plane may have been traveling faster than previously thought. >> the search for any sign of the malaysiaing airlines flight been shifted to an area north following advice from the australia transport safety

bureau. an international air crash investigation team in malaysia provided by updated advice top the atsb which has examined the information and determined an area 1,100 kilometers northeast of the existing search area is now the most credible lead as to where debris may be located. >> authorities are also disputing suggestions that they wasted time searching in the previous area saying it was based on information they had at the time. >> that does it for there hour of cnn newsroom. i'm errol barnett. >> and i'm natalie allen. for our viewers in the u.s., "early start" is next for you. for our international viewers, cnn "news room" continues next. .

breaking news overnight. the search for missing malaysia airlines flight 370 moved nearly 700 miles northeast from where investigators had been looking for days. new clues indicating the plane was flying much faster than previously thought and may have gone down sooner. now this morning, planes and ships still searching for that vanished jetliner. we, of course, have live, team coverage of all the latest breaking details. good morning, everyone. welcome to "early start." i'm poppy harlow. >> i'm christine romans. it's friday, march 28th, 4:00 a.m. in the east. let's begin with breaking news this morning, this major shift, major shift in the hunt for flight 370.