MH370: Debris From Missing Boeing 777-200ER Confirmed In New Report
Summary Debris found in Madagascar has been independently confirmed to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, providing new clues in the ongoing mystery.
Aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey's study of the debris concludes that it originated from the aircraft based on various factors such as its dimensions, weights, and paint coatings.
Despite limited findings, including 41 confirmed debris items, the larger aircraft and its passengers remain missing, leaving much of the MH370 mystery still unresolved.
Debris discovered on Antsiraka Beach, Madagascar, in 2019 has been independently confirmed to be from the long-missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER that went missing on March 8, 2014 while flying as MH370. The part, originally thought to be marine debris, was part of the aircraft’s nose wheel door, according to aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey.
Flight MH370
The disappearance of flight MH370 remains shrouded in mystery, even nearly a decade after the fact. Malaysia Airlines’ long-missing 777, registered as 9M-MRO, took off from the airline’s hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) at 00:42 local time, en-route to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). Though it was expected to arrive in Beijing at 6:30, its final voice contact with air traffic control occurred only 37 minutes after its departure, at 01:19.
Although its transponder lost contact with ATC about two minutes later, Malaysian military radar services continued tracking the aircraft, which promptly made a left turn southwest before flying over Penang Island. Upon reaching the island’s western coast, First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid’s cell phone briefly managed to register with a cell tower below as the 777 initiated a slight right turn to the northwest.
The jet flew another 200 NM northwest, before all radar contact was lost at 02:22.
Despite massive search and rescue operations in the immediate aftermath, as well as longer-term search efforts over the following years, only minimal traces of the aircraft have since been found. Much speculation around the events leading up to the disappearance has naturally emerged, some of which can be found in a recent Netflix mini-series dedicated to the disappearance that premiered earlier this year.
Independent debris confirmation
The newly confirmed debris was originally discovered by Blaine Gibson, a wreck hunter who was searching in Madagascar in 2019. Similar debris was also discovered at the same location on June 12, 2016, and was confirmed much sooner to be the starboard side nose wheel forward door from 9M-MRO.
Godfrey’s study of the debris includes comparisons of the material’s thickness and density with other similar debris. He wrote a brief summary of the findings along with images of the debris which can be viewed here.
In his summary, Godfrey wrote that the item bears a strong resemblance to the other debris found at the same beach (known as the “Broken O Panel”), as well as on Antsiraka Peninsula, Madagascar.
“A debris item has resurfaced that Blaine Gibson first reported in 2019. It was dismissed as marine debris by Mike Exner and Don Thompson at the time. This is the second debris item relating to the nose wheel doors that has been found in the same location on Antsiraka beach, Madagascar … The item bears strong resemblances to the debris item found at the home of a fisherman named Tataly on Antsiraka Peninsula in Madagascar on 17th November 2022. The Broken O Panel was found on the same beach in the same timeframe.”
According to Godfrey’s summary, his study of the item leads to the conclusion that it originated on flight MH370 due to the item’s inclusion of lighting strike protection, its paint coatings, its non metallic honeycomb sandwich structure, its dimensions and weights that match with those of the original part, and dimensions and coloring of lettering that fit with those found on the original aircraft. Official aviation authorities have yet to corroborate the findings.
Although some 41 items of what Godfrey calls “floating debris” have so far been confirmed, very little of the larger aircraft and none of its passengers have been found, leaving much still to mystery. Nonetheless, with every discovery comes clues that may eventually shed light on what ultimately happened on March 8, 2014.
Source: mh370search.com
Source: Simple Flying
