PERTH, Australia, March 21 -- The lead Royal Australian Air force (RAAF) search plane has returned from the remote Southern Ocean on Friday with a squadron captain reporting no trace or possible sightings of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370.

Landing at Pearce Airbase, 50 km south of Perth, RAAF Flight Lieutenant Russell Adams stepped directly off the AP-3C Orion search and rescue aircraft at 7.30 p.m. AEST and told the gathering journalists that despite improved conditions, his squadron had made no progress in the withering search for signs of the Malaysia airlines flight that vanished without trace two weeks ago.

Adams, the aircraft captain of crew 310 squadron on-station for the Malaysia MH370 (Boeing 777-200 SER) mission, expressed hope that the search would be quickly resolved.

Adams said after zero visibility in the wild southern ocean earlier in the week his team now had a good opportunity "to see anything" visual. "We got on station today, actually, had really good weather compared to yesterday - 10kms visibility, no rain..," He said. "Unfortunately conditions back here (some 2500 km's north-east of the search area) precluded us staying on the station as long as we liked," Adams added, referring to unexpected gale wind conditions off Perth.

He said the search was continuing with "fellow P3 Orion's" and the U.S. Navy nigh-tech P8 Poseidon joining merchant vessels in a widening search vector but a narrowing timeframe.

Gathering assets now involved in the southern ocean search include the 310 squadron from Pearce airbase made up of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orion's, the U.S. Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft and another Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion.

Three Chinese navy vessels tasked near Sumatra have also volunteered to join the search off Western Australia.

There are now rotating RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft assigned to the search task being coordinated by AMSA.

Five merchant ships responded to a broadcast to shipping issued by the RCC Australia this week with another four merchant ships having transited through the area over the past two days with a fifth ship expected to arrive in the area.

The Norwegian car-carrier the St Petersburg has been in the area for several days with no sightings yet of the 24 meter long object that has so raised hopes around the world.

Adams told reporters that his squadron was "still searching." "I've got a lot of hope and if the conditions remain as they are, hopefully we'll find something soon."

Hopes have been riding high with the announcement in Perth Friday morning that the Xue Long (Snow Dragon), the Chinese ice- breaker, will join the search.

The Snow Dragon has been refitting in Perth and is now taking on fuel to prepare for a 20-day search mission.