Plane part found on beach may be missing Malaysian Airlines flight
Jul 29, 2015, 1:26 PM | Updated: 2:21 pm
(Twitter Photo/@PeurAvion)
Investigators were examining pieces of an airplane Wednesday that could be linked to a Malaysian Airlines flight that went missing about one year ago.
Multiple outlets reported a piece of wreckage washed ashore on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. It appears to be a portion of a Boeing 777 wing, the same type of aircraft as MH370.
An aviation expert told The Telegraph that Reunion police believe the object had been in the water around one year.
“We can’t say for certainty, but we do think there is a chance that this is it,” Xavier Tytelman told the U.K.-based publication.
Similitudes incroyables entre le flaperon d'un #B777 et le débris retrouvé ce matin à #LaReunion… #MH370 ? pic.twitter.com/GDkzRLwi2h
— Xavier Tytelman (@PeurAvion) July 29, 2015
Translated, Tytelman’s tweet reads “The similarities between the flaperon of a Boeing 777 and the debris found this morning in Reunion are incredible. MH370?”
The wreckage had a code, BB670, on it. Experts said it could take a few days to conclusively prove the part is from the missing airliner.
The plane went missing March 8, 2014 on a scheduled flight between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. The flight was carrying 239 people, including crew.
The plane’s transponders were shut off midflight, though no one is certain why. It is believed the plane continued to fly for at least four more hours after flying in an erratic pattern.