Greg Philip, an NTSB expert serving as the accredited representative of the US team, said it was too early to speculate on reasons behind the crash, considering the evidence and information gathered so far.
"We just looked to see what was there and get an idea of what we are very working with," Philip said of the examination of the recovered debris, adding: "We'll stay as long as we are needed."
The ASC said on Sunday that the airliner, with 225 people aboard, had broken apart into four huge pieces at an altitude of more than 9,144m.
While some underwater search-and-retrieval companies from Taiwan joined the search yesterday, experts from the Massachusetts-based American Underwater Search and Survey Ltd are scheduled to reach Taiwan tomorrow, sources said.
The team, composed of veteran marine search experts such as John Perry Fish, will do a preliminary assessment of the situation in Penghu before determining the sort of equipment needed for the location and recovery efforts in the Strait, Yong said.
Meanwhile, over 350 relatives of the victims of the crash embarked on a navy ship yesterday, amid choppy seas, to call home the souls of the dead .
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