Malaysia on Friday said a piece of aircraft wreckage found in the Indian Ocean is “almost certainly” from a Boeing 777, raising hopes of solving the mystery of flight MH370 that disappeared with 239 people on board more than a year ago.
“The flaperon (found on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean) is similar to that on a Boeing 777 aircraft. It’s almost certain,” said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi.
Abdul Aziz said he was informed about this by MH370 chief investigator Datuk Kok Soo Chon, the Star online reported.
The ill-fated Malaysia Airlines jet was carrying 239 crew and passengers, including five Indians, when it disappeared on a flight from Kuala lumpur to Beijing on March 8 last year. The search operation has found no verified sign of the plane.
Abdul Aziz said a Malaysian team has been sent to Reunion Island which would conclude in few days if the piece of debris was indeed from the Malaysia Airlines plane.
“We have contacted the Office of Investigations and Analysis (BEA), which is the French investigation body for accidents in civil aviation, on this find. “We came to an agreement that they will bring the flaperon to Paris, so our team will work together with them in making (the) verifications in Paris,” Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency. A flaperon is a part of the wing used to manage the
lift and control the roll of an aircraft.