A SAILOR from Wellington is involved in the mass search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight which vanished last month.

Sub Lieutenant William Dobson is on Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo, which was redeployed to assist in the search for missing airliner MH370.

He is aboard the vessel, which had been carrying out survey work in the Middle East before receiving instructions to join the international search effort in the Southern Indian Ocean.

He said: “As Young Officer onboard, being involved in this multi-national search and rescue operation has not only provided exciting challenges, but has demonstrated the flexibility of the Navy by being able to change tasking and provide assistance to those on the other side of the world in a timely and seamless manner.”

S/Lt Dobson, 23, attended Wellington School and is a graduate of Southampton University. Still in the early stages of his career, he joined the Royal Navy in 2012.

He added: “I hope we are able to find some information to help the relatives of those on flight MH370.”

His parents, Richard and Emma, still live in Wellington and are proud of the work being undertaken by the crew.

A massive search operation has been launched to find the plan, which disappeared without trace on March 8.

Some 239 people were on board and backgrounds of both passengers and crew have been scrutinised as officials consider hijacking, sabotage, pilot action or mechanical failure as possible causes.