PUTRAJAYA: A maintenance record seal on the flaperon that washed up on Reunion Island turned out to be the conclusive proof that the aircraft part is from MH370, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said a Malaysia Airlines (MAS) maintenance expert identified the seal on the part which came from the wing of a Boeing 777.
“The part matches their maintenance records. The colour and other details also confirm it’s from MH370,” Liow said at his ministry here yesterday.
He said the Malaysian investigation team in Toulouse, France, where the flaperon was being studied for clues, agreed with the conclusion.
The team includes experts from MAS and the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).
Liow said that with the confirmation, the authorities had physical proof and were closer to finding out what happened to the plane which went missing on March 8, last year.
However, other investigators were continuing with the verification process and were conducting tests on the part, he said.
It has been reported that barnacles on the flaperon were being studied to gauge how long the part had been in the sea.
“We appreciate the support of the French authorities and respect that they have chosen to continue the investigation process,” said Liow.
He also said the place where the part washed up on was consistent with the drift analysis done by experts in ocean currents.
Asked about reports of more aircraft debris being found on the island, Liow said he has been told that these could be seat and window materials from a plane.
He said the debris was being studied, and it had yet to be confirmed whether these came from MH370.
“I can only ascertain that it’s plane debris,” he told foreign media.
Liow told reporters “there were many items collected” from the Indian Ocean island but added that he could not confirm that any of it was from MH370.
He was also waiting to hear from experts on whether the search area in the southern Indian Ocean where MH370 was suspected to have gone down, needed to be revised.
“Malaysia, China and Australia will have a meeting to discuss the next steps.
“I have called my counterpart in China, Yang Chuantang, and we are discussing a suitable date for the meeting,” Liow said.
The search, which is in its second phase now, could go on until the beginning of 2016, he said.
Two vessels are conducting the operation to find the main body of the aircraft. Liow said China may send a ship to assist.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak confirmed at a special press conference early yesterday morning that the flaperon was from MH370.
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MH370: Next-of-kin struggle to come to terms with debris confirmation
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