MH370: Likely piece of doomed plane found, U.S. official says
The American tourist who helped find a piece of wreckage that may have belonged to MH370 hopes the debris, if connected with the missing airliner, can provide a clue.
Blaine Gibson chartered a boat and organized a trip over the weekend on the coast of Mozambique. The owner of the boat and Gibson found the plane part washed ashore on a sandbar.
"It never occurred to me that I would find something like this here. It's almost like a dream. I don't know if it's from 370 or another plane. Whatever it is, even if it's not from 370, it raises awareness that people need to look for stuff on beaches," said Gibson, who has been involved in the search for MH370 as a private citizen.
He is also part of an independent group that interpreted data in a bid to find the missing plane.
It's not unusual for private people and companies to get involved in searches for missing planes, especially when the search has gone on for a long time.
After the underwater search for MH370 was postponed, Australia said it wouldnegotiate with private contractors to conduct the next phase. Authorities chose theDutch firm Fugro Survey to carry out the Indian Ocean search.
MH370 families at one point sought to raise $5 million to help find answers about the missing flight.
Gibson told CNN his "heart was pounding" when he first saw the wreckage, but expressed caution.
"The chances are pretty slim that it's the plane we are interested in," he said.
Still, Gibson, who has met some people who had family members on the flight, recognizes the potential impact of his find.
"These are real people with real pain. Anything that can bring answers, I want to help do," he said about the victims' friends and families.
Further examination required
The debris is apparently from a Boeing 777, like the missing MH370 airliner, according to a U.S. official.
The location of the debris is consistent with some of the drift modeling, Australian authorities said.
MH370 searchers find uncharted shipwreck
The discovery was reported to officials Monday, and Gibson handed over his find to Mozambique authorities, said Cmdr. Joao de Abreu Martins, chairman of the Institute of Civil Aviation of Mozambique.
The debris is on its way to Australia for further examination, that country's Minister for Transport and Infrastructure said in a statement. Australian and Malaysian officials, as well as international specialists, will be closely looking at the piece.
The part is believed to measure 35 inches by 22 inches. The wreckage is a piece of horizontal stabilizer skin, the U.S. official said.
The horizontal stabilizer is the part of the aircraft's tail that is horizontal as the plane flies.
The debris includes a fastener. An official at the fastener company, LISI Aerospace, said the part in question is a pretty standard part.
"I would expect to see this on many varieties of Boeing aircraft, not particular to a 777," said Jared Young, vice president of research and development.
An aviation source said there was no record of any Boeing 777 missing other thanMalaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.
Still, some family members of those on board remain skeptical.
"We don't believe in the stories of debris any more," said Zhang Meiling, whose daughter and son-in-law were on board.
Steve Wang, whose mother was on the flight, said that he's waiting for authorities to verify the information.
No comment from airline
The mystery of what happened to the plane remains unsolved. The search has turned up some aircraft debris, but also some false leads.
It took more than a month for French investigators to confirm that debris found on Reunion Island in July was from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.
The airline displayed similar caution Wednesday when it would not confirm that the newly found debris is from MH370. "It is too speculative at this point for MAS to comment," the airline said, using its initials.
The Malaysian Transport Minister also urged caution.
News Courtesy: www.cnn.com
