Almost a year and a half since Flight MH370 mysteriously disappeared, a piece of debris believed to be from a Boeing 777 was found in La Réunion. The 2.7-meter object, found yesterday, is currently being investigated by French air transport officials.
According to the findings so far, the debris is a “flaperon” - a mix of a flap and an aileron.
La Réunion is more than 3,700 miles (6,000km) further west of the MH370's last known position. Different opinions have emerged so far. According a commentator, the debris' location is consistent with where the anticlockwise current of the Indian Ocean would possibly carry parts of the Boeing.
On the other hand, the debris could be from two different crashed – from 2006 when a plane crashed near La Reunion or from 2009 when an A310 crashed off the Comoros.
According to the French aviation expert Xavier Tytelman, the flaperon found has four key similarities to a Boeing 777's one. He highlighted them in a picture posted on Twitter.
Image: Twitter/ Xavier Tytelman
Reportedly, a code reading “BB670” appears on the debris which also is consistent to a code of a Boeing 777.
The Australia’s deputy prime minister, Warren Truss, explained that since the Réunion island is a French territory, France and Malaysia would be leading on this aspect of the search, while Australia would only assist. He could not confirmed that the part belongs to MH370, but he added that it is “not inconsistent with a Boeing 777” while not denying “other possibilities.”
Yannick Pitou, who is a journalist on La Reunion, has photographed the debris.
Photo: Yannick Pitou
He explained for BBC World Service:
“The debris is made of metal and is two metres by two metres, and as soon as they discovered it, the local workers of the beach called the police and the air transport officials were alerted.
The whole situation around this mysterious object developed quickly after that. The debris was taken out of the water and was brought to the local airport in Sainte-Marie to a secure location and a piece of it has been sent to France for further analysis and to confirm if it is aeroplane debris – although there is little doubt of that, but of course to check if it is indeed from flight MH370.”