HIGH SPEED CRASH
A PIECE of debris believed to be from the missing flight MH370 suggests the doomed plane crashed at “high speed”, an aviation expert has said.
The Malaysian Airlines jet vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 - sparking one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.
7
Five new pieces of debris, which washed up on a beach in Madagascar, could offer new clues as to what happened to the plane which was carrying 239 people.
Aviation expert Victor Iannello believes one fragment, which appears to be from the interior floorboard, is consistent with a “high-speed impact".
Iannello, who works for the Independent Group (IG) which is assisting Australian officials search for the missing plane, discussed about the piece of debris .
He wrote: "The part’s location in the B777 and the nature of the damage is consistent with a high speed impact, and therefore has probative value."
7
7
7
The expert said the discovery could shed light onto what happened to MH370 – including where and how it plummeted into the vast Indian Ocean.
He identified three possibilities including an area previously scanned by sonar which was either missed or misidentified – a scenario he says is “very unlikely.”
Iannello says the plane could have crashed close to a line known as the “seventh arc” which is west of Australia but further north to the area previously scanned.
The third possibility is that it smashed into the ocean at a latitude previously searched but which is much further from the seventh arc area than experts assumed.
He also cautioned against using the location of the new debris and the timing of their discovery to "precisely pinpoint" where to renew the search.
7
7
MH370 - WHAT HAPPENED?
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur and was heading to Beijing with 239 people on board.
Passengers included Chinese calligraphers, a couple on their way home to their young sons after a long-delayed honeymoon and a construction worker who hadn't been home in a year.
But at 12.14am on March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines lost contact with MH370 close to Phuket island in the Strait of Malacca.
Before that, Malaysian authorities believe the last words heard from the plane, from either the pilot or co-pilot, was "Good night Malaysian three seven zero".
Satellite "pings" from the aircraft suggest it continued flying for around seven hours when the fuel would have run out.
Experts have calculated the most likely crash site around 1,000 miles west of Perth, Australia.
But a huge search of the seabed failed to find any wreckage - and there are a number of alternative theories as to its fate.
Relatives of the plane crash unveiled the peice of debris this week claiming a "massive breakthrough" in the search for the missing aircraft.
Speaking at a news conference this morning they pleaded for more cash to allow search efforts to continue.
New debris was held up by Jacquita Gonzales, the wife of MH370 Steward Patrick Gomes, as other relatives begged government officials not to stop looking.
Also leading the presentation was Grace Nathan, daughter of the flight passenger Anne Daisy.
7
The pair clutched what they claimed were plane parts as they demanded a fresh inquiry into the Malaysia Airlines mystery.
Ms Nathan said: "The fact that debris is still washing up now means that the investigation should still be live. It shouldn't be closed."
Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who met the next of kin, said the government would consider resuming a search if provided with credible leads.
He said: "We are open to proposals, but we must have some credible leads before we decide."
MOST READ IN NEWS
Malaysian and international investigators believe the jet veered thousands of miles off course from its scheduled route before eventually plunging into the Indian Ocean.
More than 30 bits of aircraft debris have been collected from various places around the world but only three wing fragments that washed up along the Indian Ocean coast have been confirmed to be from MH370.
In July, investigators released a 495-page report, saying the plane's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible.
Family members of those on board the missing MH370 flight, believe there's nothing new in the final report into the tragedy
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours