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| Debris in Mozambique Is Thought to Come From Malaysia Airlines Plane | Debris in Mozambique Is Thought to Come From Malaysia Airlines Plane |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Debris that washed up on the coast of Mozambique could be part of the wreckage from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished almost exactly two years ago, Malaysian officials said on Wednesday. | Debris that washed up on the coast of Mozambique could be part of the wreckage from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished almost exactly two years ago, Malaysian officials said on Wednesday. |
| If the debris, which was discovered over the weekend, came from the plane — a Boeing 777 that was en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — it would add to the theory that the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean. Airplane debris was found in July on Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean. French investigators concluded “with certitude” that the debris — a piece of an aircraft wing known as a flaperon — came from the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777. No other Boeing 777 is known to be missing. | If the debris, which was discovered over the weekend, came from the plane — a Boeing 777 that was en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — it would add to the theory that the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean. Airplane debris was found in July on Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean. French investigators concluded “with certitude” that the debris — a piece of an aircraft wing known as a flaperon — came from the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777. No other Boeing 777 is known to be missing. |
| NBC News, citing unidentified sources, reported on Wednesday that the debris had washed up over the weekend on a sandbank of the Mozambique Channel — the body of water that separates the southeast African nation from Madagascar. Réunion is to the east of Madagascar, and it is roughly 1,500 miles from the Mozambique coast. | NBC News, citing unidentified sources, reported on Wednesday that the debris had washed up over the weekend on a sandbank of the Mozambique Channel — the body of water that separates the southeast African nation from Madagascar. Réunion is to the east of Madagascar, and it is roughly 1,500 miles from the Mozambique coast. |
| NBC News reported that investigators in Malaysia, Australia and the United States were analyzing photographs of the object, which had the words “no step” on it and could be from the horizontal stabilizer, a winglike mechanism attached to the plane’s tail. | NBC News reported that investigators in Malaysia, Australia and the United States were analyzing photographs of the object, which had the words “no step” on it and could be from the horizontal stabilizer, a winglike mechanism attached to the plane’s tail. |
| According to CNN, an unidentified American official said the debris was from the skin of the plane’s horizontal stabilizer. | According to CNN, an unidentified American official said the debris was from the skin of the plane’s horizontal stabilizer. |
| In a statement on Thursday, Darren Chester, Australia’s minister for infrastructure and transport, said, “The debris is to be transferred to Australia where it will be examined by officials from Australia and Malaysia, as well as international specialists.” | |
| “The location of the debris,” he added, “is consistent with drift modeling commissioned by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and reaffirms the search area” in the southern Indian Ocean. | “The location of the debris,” he added, “is consistent with drift modeling commissioned by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and reaffirms the search area” in the southern Indian Ocean. |
| The Associated Press reported that photos appeared to “show the fixed leading edge of the right-hand tail section of a Boeing 777,” citing an unnamed American official. | |
| On Wednesday evening, Malaysia’s transport minister, Liow Tiong Lai, said on Twitter that there was a “high possibility debris found in Mozambique belongs to a B777,” referring to a Boeing 777. | On Wednesday evening, Malaysia’s transport minister, Liow Tiong Lai, said on Twitter that there was a “high possibility debris found in Mozambique belongs to a B777,” referring to a Boeing 777. |
| But Mr. Liow added, “It is yet to be confirmed and verified.” | But Mr. Liow added, “It is yet to be confirmed and verified.” |
| He said that Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation was working with its Australian counterparts to retrieve the debris. “I urged everyone to avoid undue speculation as we are not able to conclude that the debris belongs to #mh370 at this time,” he wrote. | He said that Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation was working with its Australian counterparts to retrieve the debris. “I urged everyone to avoid undue speculation as we are not able to conclude that the debris belongs to #mh370 at this time,” he wrote. |
| The fate of the plane, which vanished on March 8, 2014, with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, has been an enduring mystery. The plane diverted from its intended course less than an hour after takeoff. | The fate of the plane, which vanished on March 8, 2014, with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, has been an enduring mystery. The plane diverted from its intended course less than an hour after takeoff. |
| The pilots stopped communicating with air traffic controllers as the plane altered its course toward Vietnam, traveling west across the Malay Peninsula before turning south. | The pilots stopped communicating with air traffic controllers as the plane altered its course toward Vietnam, traveling west across the Malay Peninsula before turning south. |
| Investigators, who have said it was highly unlikely that the plane reached the ocean’s surface in a controlled fashion, suspect it then ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean. In January 2015, after months of criticism over its handling of the investigation, the Malaysian government declared the plane’s disappearance an accident and said the 239 people on board should be presumed dead. A majority of the passengers were Chinese, and the handling of the investigation has stirred considerable frustration and outrage in their country. | Investigators, who have said it was highly unlikely that the plane reached the ocean’s surface in a controlled fashion, suspect it then ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean. In January 2015, after months of criticism over its handling of the investigation, the Malaysian government declared the plane’s disappearance an accident and said the 239 people on board should be presumed dead. A majority of the passengers were Chinese, and the handling of the investigation has stirred considerable frustration and outrage in their country. |
| Mozambique’s director of civil aviation, João Abreu, could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for the airline said, “It is too speculative for Malaysia Airlines to comment.” | |
| The piece of debris was found on a sandbar off the coast of Mozambique by Suleman Junior Vali, the owner of a small charter boat, according to a CNN interview with Blaine Alan Gibson, who organized the trip. | The piece of debris was found on a sandbar off the coast of Mozambique by Suleman Junior Vali, the owner of a small charter boat, according to a CNN interview with Blaine Alan Gibson, who organized the trip. |