KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — The probe on the missing Flight MH370 is not meant to find fault but to prevent future aviation accidents, the Malaysian investigation team said today on the first anniversary of the plane’s disappearance.

The Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for MH370, which was established by the Transport Ministry, said it has gathered information on the mysterious disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane, such as air traffic control radio and radar tape recordings and aircraft maintenance records, besides conducting interviews with more than 120 people from the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), MAS, and the crew’s next-of-kin among others.

“The sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident shall be the prevention of future accidents or incidents,” said the Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for MH370 in its interim statement.

“It is not the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability, as stated in paragraph 3.1 of Annex 13,” it added, referring to Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation on aircraft accident and incident investigations.

The agreement by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the United Nations’ aviation arm, establishes airspace rules, aircraft safety and registration, as well as signatories’ air travel rights.

Flight MH370, which carried 239 people on board comprising mostly China nationals, disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China, one year ago on March 8.

The Australia-led search team for the missing jet has reportedly covered about 40 per cent of a 60,000-square-kilometre priority area in the southern Indian Ocean off West Australia, but has yet to recover any wreckage or bodies.

The underwater hunt is due to conclude in May, but international news agency AFP reported Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as saying today that the search could be extended further “as long as there are reasonable leads”.

The Malaysian Flight MH370 investigation team said today that it comprises 19 members and consists of three committees, namely operations, airworthiness and medical or human factors.

Other team members include representatives of air accident organisations from Australia, UK, Singapore, France, China, the US and Indonesia.

“In the months ahead, the Investigation Team will need to analyse to draw conclusions and safety recommendations based on the factual information that have been gathered,” said the Malaysian Flight MH370 investigation team today.

“In addition to the analysis and the conclusion phase of the investigation, steps taken will also include further validation of the factual information on emergence of new evidence,” it added.