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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| MH370: Plane wreckage found in Indian Ocean tested | MH370: Plane wreckage found in Indian Ocean tested |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| French officials are investigating whether a plane part that washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion is from missing flight MH370. | French officials are investigating whether a plane part that washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion is from missing flight MH370. |
| The Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board vanished in March 2014. No part has been found. | The Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board vanished in March 2014. No part has been found. |
| Experts are quoted as saying that the debris found in La Reunion looks like a wing component from a 777. French experts say it is too early to tell. | Experts are quoted as saying that the debris found in La Reunion looks like a wing component from a 777. French experts say it is too early to tell. |
| The island is far from the search area. | The island is far from the search area. |
| There have been other crashes much closer to Le Reunion, however flight MH370 is the only Boeing 777 to have disappeared. | There have been other crashes much closer to Le Reunion, however flight MH370 is the only Boeing 777 to have disappeared. |
| Malaysia is sending a team to investigate the debris discovered on Wednesday. | Malaysia is sending a team to investigate the debris discovered on Wednesday. |
| 'Unique element' | 'Unique element' |
| An anonymous US official told the Associated Press news agency that, based on the photos, investigators had a "high degree of confidence" that the part was a "flaperon" unique to a Boeing 777 wing. | An anonymous US official told the Associated Press news agency that, based on the photos, investigators had a "high degree of confidence" that the part was a "flaperon" unique to a Boeing 777 wing. |
| Aviation expert Xavier Tytelman also said that it presented "incredible similarities" to a Boeing 777 flaperon. | Aviation expert Xavier Tytelman also said that it presented "incredible similarities" to a Boeing 777 flaperon. |
| A flaperon is used to both alter the lift characteristics of a wing and control the roll of an aircraft. | A flaperon is used to both alter the lift characteristics of a wing and control the roll of an aircraft. |
| Australian investigators, who are leading the hunt, are also reported to be in touch with manufacturers over the find. | Australian investigators, who are leading the hunt, are also reported to be in touch with manufacturers over the find. |
| Analysis: BBC's transport correspondent Richard Westcott | |
| Experts should be able to tell fairly quickly if this is a piece of MH370. Aircraft parts have individual serial numbers of them, and the airlines should have records of all those numbers. | Experts should be able to tell fairly quickly if this is a piece of MH370. Aircraft parts have individual serial numbers of them, and the airlines should have records of all those numbers. |
| So in theory, investigators could check them and give a positive or negative ID. If it is part of the aircraft, it's washed up thousands of miles from where search teams continue to look for debris at the bottom of the sea. | So in theory, investigators could check them and give a positive or negative ID. If it is part of the aircraft, it's washed up thousands of miles from where search teams continue to look for debris at the bottom of the sea. |
| And realistically, although it would confirm the aircraft crashed and broke up, a piece of wing is unlikely to reveal much more about what actually happened on board the plane. | And realistically, although it would confirm the aircraft crashed and broke up, a piece of wing is unlikely to reveal much more about what actually happened on board the plane. |
| But these are all big "ifs" right now. It could still be yet another false alarm. | But these are all big "ifs" right now. It could still be yet another false alarm. |
| Follow Richard: @BBCwestcott | |
| A member of the French Air Force cautioned it was "way too soon" to say if it was from the missing flight, according to CNN. | A member of the French Air Force cautioned it was "way too soon" to say if it was from the missing flight, according to CNN. |
| Search teams have been focusing on a 60,000 sq km (23,000 sq mile) area off the coast of Western Australia, where it is believed to have crashed. | Search teams have been focusing on a 60,000 sq km (23,000 sq mile) area off the coast of Western Australia, where it is believed to have crashed. |
| Reunion lies off the coast of Madagascar - some 6,000 km (3,730 miles) to the west of the search area. | Reunion lies off the coast of Madagascar - some 6,000 km (3,730 miles) to the west of the search area. |
| It remains a mystery what happened to the plane, which vanished after turning away from its north-bound route from Kuala Lumpur. | It remains a mystery what happened to the plane, which vanished after turning away from its north-bound route from Kuala Lumpur. |