MH370: Plane wreckage found in Indian Ocean tested

[lap82]

Hope this piece of the wing gives a clue where this plane is

[Anthony5]

whether airliners should be required to transmit their locations continually via satellite, especially when flying long distances over the ocean.

im surprised they even need to think about

Would locating where the plane crashed have saved any lives in any crash over any ocean?

Maybe not in this case, but possibly in a future event, and for sure it would have saved a lot of grieve for the families of the victims and hundreds of million dollar for the taxpayer.

[webfact]

US official: Plane debris in Indian Ocean same type as MH370
KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press
ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press

SYDNEY (AP) — A sea-crusted wing part washed up on an island in the western Indian Ocean may be the first trace of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 since it vanished nearly a year and a half ago, and a tragic but finally solid clue to one of aviation's most perplexing and expensive mysteries.

Air safety investigators — one of them a Boeing investigator — have identified the component found on the French island of Reunion as a "flaperon" from the trailing edge of a Boeing 777 wing, the U.S. official said. Flight 370, which disappeared March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board, is the only 777 known to be missing.

"It's the first real evidence that there is a possibility that a part of the aircraft may have been found," said Australian Transport Minister Warren Truss, whose country is leading the search for the plane in a remote patch of ocean far off Australia's west coast. "It's too early to make that judgment, but clearly we are treating this as a major lead."

Flight 370 had been traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, but investigators believe based on satellite data that the plane turned south into the Indian Ocean after vanishing from radar. If the wing part is from the Malaysia plane, it would bolster that theory and put to rest others that it traveled north, or landed somewhere after being hijacked.

The wing piece is about 2 meters (6 feet) long. Investigators have found a number on the part, but it is not a serial or registration number, Truss said. It could be a maintenance number, which may help investigators figure out what plane it belongs to, he said.

A French official close to an investigation of the debris confirmed Wednesday that French law enforcement is on Reunion to examine it. A French television network was airing video from its Reunion affiliate of the debris. U.S. investigators are examining a photo of the debris.

The U.S. and French officials spoke on condition that they not be named because they aren't authorized to speak publicly.

Flaperons are located on the rear edge of both wings, about midway between the fuselage and the tips. When the plane is banking, the flaperon on one wing tilts up and the other tilts down, which makes the plane roll to the left or right as it turns.

The piece could help investigators figure out how the plane crashed, but whether it will help search crews pinpoint the rest of the wreckage is unclear, given the complexity of the currents in the southern Indian Ocean and the time that has elapsed since the plane disappeared.

A massive multinational search effort of the southern Indian Ocean, the China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand has turned up no trace of the plane.

The last primary radar contact with Flight 370 placed its position over the Andaman Sea about 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of the Malaysian city of Penang. Reunion is about 5,600 kilometers (3,500 miles) southwest of Penang, and about 4,200 kilometers (2,600 miles) west of the current search area.

It was well understood after the aircraft disappeared that if there was any floating debris from the plane, Indian Ocean currents would eventually bring it to the east coast of Africa, said aviation safety expert John Goglia, a former member of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. But the debris is unlikely to provide much help in tracing the ocean currents back to the location of the main wreckage, he said.

"It's going to be hard to say with any certainty where the source of this was," he said. "It just confirms that the airplane is in the water and hasn't been hijacked to some remote place and is waiting to be used for some other purpose. ... We haven't lost any 777s anywhere else."

In a statement Thursday, the prefecture of Reunion emphasized that the source of the debris has not been identified, nor has it been definitely found to be from a Boeing 777. Reunion authorities have asked France's aviation investigative agency, known as the BEA, to coordinate with international investigators, notably the Malaysian and Australian authorities. A BEA official said there were no current plans to send a team from mainland France to Reunion. The official was not authorized to be quoted publicly.

Malaysian Deputy Transport Minister Aziz Kaprawi, however, said the debris was "almost certain" to be from a Boeing 777 plane, and that a Malaysian team of four experts was leaving Thursday night for Paris, where he said the wing fragment would ultimately be taken to be examined.

"The shape and size of the flaperon is similar to that of a Boeing 777. It will take less than two days to verify if it is so and whether it is from MH370," Aziz said.

The discovery is unlikely to alter the seabed search, said Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan, who is heading up the hunt. If the find proved to be part of the missing aircraft, it would be consistent with the theory that the plane crashed within the 120,000-square-kilometer (46,000-square-mile) search area, 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) southwest of Australia, he said.

"It doesn't rule out our current search area if this were associated with MH370," Dolan told The Associated Press. "It is entirely possible that something could have drifted from our current search area to that island."

Dolan said search resources would be better spent continuing the seabed search with sonar and video for wreckage rather than reviving a surface search for debris if the part proved to be from Flight 370.

Robin Beaman, a marine geologist at Australia's James Cook University, said there is precedence for large objects traveling vast distances across the Indian Ocean. Last year, a man lost his boat off the Western Australia coast after it overturned in rough seas. Eight months later, the boat turned up off the French island of Mayotte, west of Madagascar — 7,400 kilometers (4,600 miles) from where it disappeared.

"I don't think we should rule anything out, that's for sure," Beaman said.

Beaman believes experts could analyze ocean currents to try to determine where the plane entered the water, though given the time that has elapsed and the vast distance the debris may have traveled, it would be very difficult.

If the part belongs to Flight 370, it could provide valuable clues to investigators trying to figure out what caused the aircraft to vanish in the first place, said Jason Middleton, an aviation professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. The nature of the damage to the debris could help indicate whether the plane broke up in the air or when it hit the water, and how violently it did so, he said.

The barnacles attached to the part could also help marine biologists determine roughly how long it has been in the water, he said.

A comprehensive report earlier this year into the plane's disappearance revealed that the battery of the locator beacon for the plane's flight data recorder had expired more than a year before the jet vanished. However, the report said the battery in the locator beacon of the cockpit voice recorder was working.

Over the past 16 months, hopes have repeatedly been raised and then dashed that the plane, or parts of the plane, had been found: Objects spotted on satellite imagery, items found floating in the sea and washed ashore in Western Australia, oil slicks — in the end, none of them were from Flight 370.

The most infamous false lead came in April 2014, when Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said officials were "very confident" that a series of underwater signals search crews had picked up were coming from Flight 370's black boxes. The signals proved to be a dead end, with no trace of the devices or the wreckage found.
___

McGuirk reported from Canberra, Australia. Associated Press writers Joan Lowy in Washington, Lori Hinnant and Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Edith Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-30

[tukkytuktuk]

Picture of the suitcase found http://twitter.com/a_forestier/status/626666179512401920/photo/1

[retell]

so the tags matched?

[empireboy]

Hopefully (soon) concerned persons can get closure!

[Jupiterjim]

Certainly the sea current experts will be working this one back and plotting new search areas.

[Jdiddy]

If and when more parts are found, at least it will stop these crazy Conspiray Theorists from causing distress to families, and to stop some jumping on the bandwagon to write a book about how the americans stole it, ludicrous. The mindset about everything is a conspiracy makes me sick, and baffles me how some people brains work.

You have no imagination, this wreckage is obviously recycled parts collected from the MH17 crash site and planted near the coast by submarine

Edited July 30, 2015 by Jdiddy

[fish fingers]

either there was a fire after take off and the pilot tried to land at Langkawi before falling unconscious

or the pilot hijacked the plane and flew in the direction of diego garcia and was shot down

[DavisH]

If the suitcase proves to be luggage from the plane, along with the flaperon, it seems likely that more debris could be found in the general area. I doubt they could trace back to the original location of the crash though.

[balo]

I guess Reunion island is the place to visit now to look for debris.

[manarak]

either there was a fire after take off and the pilot tried to land at Langkawi before falling unconscious

or the pilot hijacked the plane and flew in the direction of diego garcia and was shot down

Draw a line from the plane's last location to La Réunion and then look what lies on the path... DG

I wonder what range the radar on DG has?

[than]

I guess Reunion island is the place to visit now to look for debris.

Don't worry Reunion island not need this to have tourist....

[Bulldozer Dawn]

When I first read this news article the only thing that came into my mind was:

"Thank god this new evidence didn't wash up onto a beach at Koh Tao".

[webfact]

Wing part could help solve what happened to MH370
By ANDREW MELDRUM and SYLVIE CORBET

SAINT-ANDRE, Reunion (AP) — A barnacle-encrusted wing part that washed up on a remote Indian Ocean island could help solve one of aviation's greatest mysteries, as investigators work to connect it to the Malaysia Airlines flight that vanished more than a year ago.

The surprise discovery of the debris on a rocky beach stirred hopes and emotion among families of the missing, after a year and a half of grieving and frustration at a lack of answers, despite a wide, deep and expensive multinational search effort in the southern Indian Ocean, the China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

Even if it is confirmed to be a long-awaited first clue to the disappearance of Flight 370, there's no guarantee that investigators can still find the plane's recorders or other remains a year and a half later.

The coming hours and days will be crucial. French authorities moved the plane piece from the beach to the local airport on Reunion, and will send it next to the city of Toulouse, where it may arrive Saturday morning, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.

Toulouse is the hub of Europe's aerospace industry, with the headquarters of Airbus and a network of hangars and plane facilities. The plane part will be analyzed in special defense facilities used for airplane testing and analysis, according to the Defense Ministry.

Air safety investigators, including one from Boeing, have identified the component found on the French island of Reunion as a "flaperon" from the trailing edge of a Boeing 777 wing, a U.S. official said. The official wasn't authorized to be publicly named.

Flight 370, which disappeared March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board, is the only 777 known to be missing. The unsuccessful search for the plane has raised concerns worldwide about whether airliners should be required to transmit their locations continually via satellite, especially when flying long distances over the ocean.

"It's the first real evidence that there is a possibility that a part of the aircraft may have been found," said Australian Transport Minister Warren Truss, whose country is leading the search for the plane in a remote patch of ocean far off Australia's west coast.

"It's too early to make that judgment, but clearly we are treating this as a major lead," Truss said.

If it turns out to be part of the Malaysian plane, that could bolster the theory that the plane deviated from its path between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing and turned south into the Indian Ocean. And it would put to rest speculation that it could have traveled north or landed somewhere after being hijacked.

The discovery has changed the life of Reunion environmental worker Johnny Begue. He told The Associated Press that he stumbled across the plane part on Wednesday morning, while collecting stones to grind spices.

"I knew immediately it was part of an aircraft, but I didn't realize how important it was, that it could help to solve the mystery of what happened to the Malaysian jet," Begue, 46, told The Associated Press.

He said he called several of his workmates and they carried the wing fragment out of the water so that it would not be battered by the surf against the volcanic rocks that make up most of the beach.

Begue also discovered a piece of a suitcase about 2.5 meters away, he said, though it's unclear whether there is any link to the plane wing.

Authorities wouldn't comment Thursday on whether Begue was the first to report discovering the component. Colleague Teddy Riviere corroborated his account, and praised him for the discovery. Members of Begue's soccer team kidded him on his new fame in local media.

The wing piece is about 2 meters (6 feet) long. Investigators have found a number on the part, but it is not a serial or registration number, Truss said. It could be a maintenance number, which may help investigators figure out what plane it belongs to, he said.

Malaysian authorities also headed to Reunion and Toulouse.

"We have had many false alarms before, but for the sake of the families who have lost loved ones, and suffered such heartbreaking uncertainty, I pray that we will find out the truth so that they may have closure and peace," Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a statement.

French law enforcement authorities are on Reunion island to examine the piece, according to an official close to the investigation of the debris. A French law enforcement helicopter is scouring the waters around the island in hopes of spotting more debris, and U.S. investigators are examining a photo of the debris.

The wing part was found on a desolate, rocky beach in the small town of Saint-Andre and was transferred to the civil aviation authority's offices in the island's main airport, a local police official said.

Flaperons are located on the rear edge of both wings, about midway between the fuselage and the tips. When the plane is banking, the flaperon on one wing tilts up and the other tilts down, which makes the plane roll to the left or right as it turns.

The piece could help investigators figure out how the plane crashed, but whether it will help search crews pinpoint the rest of the wreckage is unclear, given the complexity of the currents in the southern Indian Ocean and the time that has elapsed since the plane disappeared.

The last primary radar contact with Flight 370 placed its position over the Andaman Sea about 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of the Malaysian city of Penang. Reunion is about 5,600 kilometers (3,500 miles) southwest of Penang, and about 4,200 kilometers (2,600 miles) west of the current search area.

It was well understood after the aircraft disappeared that if there was any floating debris from the plane, Indian Ocean currents would eventually bring it to the east coast of Africa, said aviation safety expert John Goglia, a former member of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. But the debris is unlikely to provide much help in tracing the ocean currents back to the location of the main wreckage, he said.

"It's going to be hard to say with any certainty where the source of this was," he said. "It just confirms that the airplane is in the water and hasn't been hijacked to some remote place and is waiting to be used for some other purpose. ... We haven't lost any 777s anywhere else."

The discovery is unlikely to alter the seabed search, said Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan, who is heading up the hunt. Dolan said search resources would be better spent continuing the seabed search with sonar and video for wreckage rather than reviving a surface search for debris if the part proved to be from Flight 370.

There is precedence for large objects traveling vast distances across the Indian Ocean. Last year, a man lost his boat off the Western Australia coast after it overturned in rough seas. Eight months later, the boat turned up off the French island of Mayotte, west of Madagascar — 7,400 kilometers (4,600 miles) from where it disappeared.

If the part belongs to Flight 370, it could provide valuable clues to investigators trying to figure out what caused the aircraft to vanish in the first place, said Jason Middleton, an aviation professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. The nature of the damage to the debris could help indicate whether the plane broke up in the air or when it hit the water, and how violently it did so, he said.

The barnacles attached to the part could also help marine biologists determine roughly how long it has been in the water, he said.

But the sister of a Flight 370 passenger says she is skeptical of the new find.

"It has been more than one year, and now they claim to have found debris of MH370 on an island? We don't accept this. We do not believe what they claim. The finding does not constitute anything," Dai Shuqin told The Associated Press. Her sister Dai Shuling and five members of her family were on the plane.

Over the past 16 months, hopes have repeatedly been raised and then dashed that the plane, or parts of the plane, had been found. In the end, none of them were from Flight 370.
___

Kristen Gelineau in Sydney, Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, Joan Lowy in Washington, Lori Hinnant and Greg Keller in Paris, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, contributed to this report.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-31

[Jupiterjim]

Now they know where the crash debris is heading dozens of pieces will be found in the next weeks.

The conspiracy nuts will have to do some re-figuring.

[Carmine6]

To get things more up to speed from info available elsewhere. This is very likely to be from a 777, as the media is reporting. Lots of comparisons available. One of the better threads is on airliners.net. An employee from a parts supplier posted pictures of a 777 flaperon which is very compable. Plus if the report of a number and a photo of "657-BB" on a part is true, it is a panel location on the 777 flaperon in question. Though it is not clear that the location 657-BB is not also used on other wings. Someone stated that the general designations of 600 being the right wing are also used by Airbus, with the other digit being a little more specific, so 670, which is another reported number stamped somewhere is a subzone of the right wing, "Wing Trailing Edge Flap Fairings".

Starting at post 138, picture of the known flaperon, but left wing. Post 157 is for the right wing. Post 217 is a good comparison, but there are many others.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6462442/

One problem is the serial number plate is in an area where there is no apparent plate remaining on the found part. Someone later mentioned that this is the location per the Boeing specs. So the serial number plate might not be there anymore. It might take some search of the inside to find some manufacturers lot number or something like that on one of the components.

The follow up thread, has newer info, such as diagrams from the Boeing repair manual (see attached). Someone had posted a direct link to an online version of the manual, which seem to have been taken out. Likely way too much traffic.

Post 44 has some diagrams.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6463329/1/#1

Also of interest is the drift map (see attached) from the University of Western Australia. showing parts possibly getting to this island in 18-24 months. That is in reply 16, with the original source here, on 08.01, thought the content is updated continually:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/11772187/MH370-debris-found-live.html

Seems from the map, that working backwards 500+ days will have the same probablity problems, so likely not much help in estimating where the origin was. Oh, though I should add, post 195 has some interesting speculation regarding the possible type of barnacle attached. Though hard to tell from the photos. This part is reportedly going to arrive in France on Saturday, so it'll be days until there's something official anounced.

Edited July 31, 2015 by Carmine6

[Inepto Cracy]

I could give you ten scenarios where I could give you debris and suitcases, why even a body. Too many lies told by Malaysia airlines and the government. Never fly them again. Aircraft aren't bad, the lies from a government will certainly kill it's national carrier.

[canuckamuck]

If and when more parts are found, at least it will stop these crazy Conspiray Theorists from causing distress to families, and to stop some jumping on the bandwagon to write a book about how the americans stole it, ludicrous. The mindset about everything is a conspiracy makes me sick, and baffles me how some people brains work.

You forget that most theories included the later dumping of debris to make to mystery appear solved.

[Aforek]

The flaperon wil be sent to Toulouse today for examination : no Boeing 777 accident is known in this region, so it could be the Malaysian one

if it is the case , satelitte images of the south equatorial current ( SEC ), not deep current , between Australia and Réunion island , could locate the crash zone in a few days ( said an oceanograph expert ,not me )

Edited July 31, 2015 by Aforek

[EnglishJohn]

I think it would be better if they sent 4 experts from Boeing instead of Malaysia !.

Do they even have 4 experts over there ?.

[Stargeezr]

It would be nice for everyone if this is indeed a piece from the B777. I hope that there is more

debris found soon, if that is the case, and that the families affected by this tragedy can finally

get some closure.

Edited August 1, 2015 by metisdead
Font.

[Gillyflower]

The wing does have numbers on it. Also the shellfish stuck to it will tell how long it has been in the water. It is being flown to Toulouse for expert attention. Also the suitcase which was washed up near it.

[gchurch259]

The Serial Number Plates are generally held in place by four rivets and I doubt it would have come off, but you are right about other data being on the part, there will be Inspectin Stamps and other items to be found on the part.

To get things more up to speed from info available elsewhere. This is very likely to be from a 777, as the media is reporting. Lots of comparisons available. One of the better threads is on airliners.net. An employee from a parts supplier posted pictures of a 777 flaperon which is very compable. Plus if the report of a number and a photo of "657-BB" on a part is true, it is a panel location on the 777 flaperon in question. Though it is not clear that the location 657-BB is not also used on other wings. Someone stated that the general designations of 600 being the right wing are also used by Airbus, with the other digit being a little more specific, so 670, which is another reported number stamped somewhere is a subzone of the right wing, "Wing Trailing Edge Flap Fairings".

Starting at post 138, picture of the known flaperon, but left wing. Post 157 is for the right wing. Post 217 is a good comparison, but there are many others.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6462442/

One problem is the serial number plate is in an area where there is no apparent plate remaining on the found part. Someone later mentioned that this is the location per the Boeing specs. So the serial number plate might not be there anymore. It might take some search of the inside to find some manufacturers lot number or something like that on one of the components.

The follow up thread, has newer info, such as diagrams from the Boeing repair manual (see attached). Someone had posted a direct link to an online version of the manual, which seem to have been taken out. Likely way too much traffic.

Post 44 has some diagrams.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6463329/1/#1

Also of interest is the drift map (see attached) from the University of Western Australia. showing parts possibly getting to this island in 18-24 months. That is in reply 16, with the original source here, on 08.01, thought the content is updated continually:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/11772187/MH370-debris-found-live.html

Seems from the map, that working backwards 500+ days will have the same probablity problems, so likely not much help in estimating where the origin was. Oh, though I should add, post 195 has some interesting speculation regarding the possible type of barnacle attached. Though hard to tell from the photos. This part is reportedly going to arrive in France on Saturday, so it'll be days until there's something official anounced.

[gigman]

with so advanced technology they was unable to find whole plane...and now just suddenly a wing of plane...

Who dropped it there???

Just modern bull...t

[Carmine6]

The Serial Number Plates are generally held in place by four rivets and I doubt it would have come off, but you are right about other data being on the part, there will be Inspectin Stamps and other items to be found on the part.

To get things more up to speed from info available elsewhere. This is very likely to be from a 777, as the media is reporting. Lots of comparisons available. One of the better threads is on airliners.net. An employee from a parts supplier posted pictures of a 777 flaperon which is very compable. Plus if the report of a number and a photo of "657-BB" on a part is true, it is a panel location on the 777 flaperon in question. Though it is not clear that the location 657-BB is not also used on other wings. Someone stated that the general designations of 600 being the right wing are also used by Airbus, with the other digit being a little more specific, so 670, which is another reported number stamped somewhere is a subzone of the right wing, "Wing Trailing Edge Flap Fairings".

Starting at post 138, picture of the known flaperon, but left wing. Post 157 is for the right wing. Post 217 is a good comparison, but there are many others.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6462442/

One problem is the serial number plate is in an area where there is no apparent plate remaining on the found part. Someone later mentioned that this is the location per the Boeing specs. So the serial number plate might not be there anymore. It might take some search of the inside to find some manufacturers lot number or something like that on one of the components.

The follow up thread, has newer info, such as diagrams from the Boeing repair manual (see attached). Someone had posted a direct link to an online version of the manual, which seem to have been taken out. Likely way too much traffic.

Post 44 has some diagrams.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6463329/1/#1

Also of interest is the drift map (see attached) from the University of Western Australia. showing parts possibly getting to this island in 18-24 months. That is in reply 16, with the original source here, on 08.01, thought the content is updated continually:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/11772187/MH370-debris-found-live.html

Seems from the map, that working backwards 500+ days will have the same probablity problems, so likely not much help in estimating where the origin was. Oh, though I should add, post 195 has some interesting speculation regarding the possible type of barnacle attached. Though hard to tell from the photos. This part is reportedly going to arrive in France on Saturday, so it'll be days until there's something official anounced.

This part on the 777 is made of composites. Graphite if the attached drawing is accurate. Not sure if that makes a difference on whether they'll rivet something versus glue it on.

But per "Reply 138" in the first link I posted, from "Txspotter" the pictures he posted show a glued on serial number plate. Close up and location shot attached. I blacked out the serial number but his post does show it. The surface is not as smooth as I would think, but is some type of composite. Granted, this is a repaired flaperon, so not as it came from the factory, but do they drill holes in composite materials if they can help it at the factory?

Quoted from his post and section bolded:

I work for an aftermarket parts supplier who tears down all aircraft including B777's. I happen to work on the B777 product line.

Here are some pictures of a B777-200ER left hand Flaperon. This unit has been repaired. It is from a similar production line number as MH370.

PN 113W6100-9. I also have the right hand side flaperon, the -10

NOTE: The part number/ serial numbers ARE NOT ETCHED/STAMPED on the control surfaces. There is a DATA PLATE which is sometimes riveted, but often times, pressed on. This occurs after the unit has gone to a shop that updates the part number after adding an Service Bulletin and the shop simply "glues" the new data plate on.

It is very common for these data plates to fall

I cannot tell for certain if the part found is a B777, B747-200, or any other aircraft. Searching for a picture of a B747-200 flaperon.

At any rate, what is the likelihood that they would put a serial number plate in such a location that the French officals did not see it on the part when they looked? Looking at the best picture I could find, the plate doesn't seem to be there.

Also attached are the picture that someone edited to flip around the left wing part and block out the section missing from the found part. And the found part. The silver looking thing is the plate. The other two things that look like cutouts are stickers.

[Carmine6]

Slightly better photo to compare. And again the edited right side photo was done by someone at airliners.net since people were saying it looked thinner than the found part. It is a picture of a left side flaperon, flipped to be somewhat comparable to a right side. Does not appear to be any identifying info in the flat part where the repaired version has them.

[MaxYakov]

For what it's worth:

[simple1]

It would be nice for everyone if this is indeed a piece from the B777. I hope that there is more debris found soon, if that is the case, and that the families affected by this tragedy can finally get some closure.

Now confirmed the recovered piece came from a Boeing 777. Oceanographer experts have claimed being found on Reunion Island good fortune as a tiny landmass in the vastness of the Indian Ocean. At some time in the future potentially more debris will be found somewhere on the East African Coast / islands.

[JakeSully]

Considering the fact that the only floating debris is composite components of the plane.. it's very likely that whoever was in control of the plane de-pressurized the plane. If there were people still alive.. you'd have found someone floating with a life jacket already.

Regarding the fire in the cabin.. that doesn't make sense because a plane would not be able to stay in the air with a fire for 8 hour + flight.

It simply ran out of gas (a major testament to Boeing Engineering that a lunatic on the wheel couldn't just randomly descend like GermanWings.. I wonder if they took that precaution after 9/11 when 4 boeing planes were used as missiles.)