French investigators confirm wing part is from Flight 370 (AP)

PARIS (AP) — French investigators have formally identified a washed-up piece of airplane debris found in July on a remote island in the Indian Ocean as part of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a Boeing 777 that disappeared more than a year ago with 239 people aboard.

French investigators confirm wing part is from Flight 370 GREG KELLER, Associated Press

Just started seeing alerts for this story but it doesn't seem to have much traction yet. The AP is running articles saying the French have issued a statement confirming the flaperon found on Reunion is from the missing Malaysia Air flight.

I don't expect this to close the story by any means. If anything, theories will abound as to how the part came to be on the island. I don't even really expect the families to get a ton of closure out of this, but hopefully at least some measure will be gained.

a reply to: Shamrock6

According to Flightglobal.com, they used a borescope and were able to identify three numbers on an inside piece of the flaperon that were specific to that aircraft.

I would guess they could backtrace the pattern of the tides and ocean currents from where the flaperon was found in order to follow a path of where the plane went down? Don't they keep all of that data on hand?

a reply to: Vasa Croe

They've been working on that. They won't be able to get to a specific point, but a general area.

German oceanographic analysis indicates that the aircraft component washed up on Reunion in July probably originated from the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean.

The analysis lends weight to the suspicion that the flaperon component – a section of the wing’s flight-control surface – was part of the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 which disappeared in March last year.

But the Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, based in Kiel, cautions that there are “very large” uncertainties which would work against attempts to narrow the area further.

www.flightglobal.com...

originally posted by: Shamrock6


I don't expect this to close the story by any means. If anything, theories will abound as to how the part came to be on the island. I don't even really expect the families to get a ton of closure out of this, but hopefully at least some measure will be gained.

The BBC had a ticket on it on the 5.00pm news here, slightly different wording, 'undoubtedly' Is that the same as positively I wonder.

a reply to: smurfy

I would say so, since it means without doubt. The part is from MH370, and they have a relative area it came from thanks to current models.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Shamrock6

According to Flightglobal.com, they used a borescope and were able to identify three numbers on an inside piece of the flaperon that were specific to that aircraft.

Nice that they have actual confirmation, but there really wasn't much of a question about it.

There are no examples of that model of aircraft missing, other than Flight 370.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Sure wish the NTSB would have investigated 9/11 with such fervor.

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

The NTSB wasn't in charge of that investigation, the FBI was. As soon as it was confirmed as terrorism, the NTSB was only a technical advisor to the FBI.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Vasa Croe

They've been working on that. They won't be able to get to a specific point, but a general area.

German oceanographic analysis indicates that the aircraft component washed up on Reunion in July probably originated from the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean.

The analysis lends weight to the suspicion that the flaperon component – a section of the wing’s flight-control surface – was part of the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 which disappeared in March last year.

But the Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, based in Kiel, cautions that there are “very large” uncertainties which would work against attempts to narrow the area further.

www.flightglobal.com...

Well, they were certainly looking in the wrong place initially.

I have a feeling somebody/country doesn't want it being found, so it will probably remain a mystery.

Well here is hoping that at least the families will get some closure in the matter. On a side note the flight recorders would be an interesting find, love to know why it actually went down. To many theories to pick just one...

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: smurfy

I would say so, since it means without doubt. The part is from MH370, and they have a relative area it came from thanks to current models.

But One..or rather several things , that German team are at odds with the given IMARSAT information for the search area, the Australians already doubled the search area after the flap was found, the Spanish company at Casa, now part of Airbus, would confirm nothing a few days ago, and it's not clear yet exactly what these ID markings allude to, a specific number/code of final assembly to MH370, an ID making it the Spanish company the assembler, (which it probably was) or just a batch assembly item, and perhaps more numbers to follow.

a reply to: smurfy

CASA was on vacation until the 1st. Obviously it had to be more than just a batch number, or it would have been traced to one of several aircraft. According to all the articles I've seen this was traced to this specific aircraft, so it had to have been a serial number specific to the flaperon from this specific aircraft.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Okay, technicality. The point is still the same.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: smurfy

According to all the articles I've seen this was traced to this specific aircraft, so it had to have been a serial number specific to the flaperon from this specific aircraft.

Funny enough I was following up on what I had written to see if the was actually more information on just that.
I found something to the effect that just one of the numbers was linkable, (by the Spanish tech) to the the actual Flaperon fitted on MH370,
So it seems that this single number among the three, was a pointer to the actual serial number of the MH370 Flaperon, and not the serial number/or part thereof in itself. I don't know what the other two numbers pertain to.
Just to add, It seems then that end is all sorted, and that the plane is down and out.

a reply to: smurfy

Sequential serial numbers. That one number was the number that tied it to this aircraft, while the others narrowed it down to this batch or parts.

Can they tell from the flaperon how it happened to come loose?

I imagine they will be able to reach some idea as to whether it was torn off at speed, or whether it was torn off slower. That is to say, did the plane fall from the sky, or was it in a controlled descent. Additionally, at what position it was in (up, down, flat) etc...

I suppose the confirmation gives some solace to those who lost family, so that's a plus.

a reply to: paraphi

The fact that it is intact points to being fairly low speed and altitude when it came off.

a reply to: Zaphod58

they have a relative area it came from thanks to current models.

I have a theory that the US defence people may know exactly where the plane went down but cant say to much as it would give capability away . It was just a thought .

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Shamrock6

According to Flightglobal.com, they used a borescope and were able to identify three numbers on an inside piece of the flaperon that were specific to that aircraft.

Is there a chasis number of sorts on all pieces of the aircraft?
Difficult to believe the French investigators tho.