Malaysian MH370 update - Curt Lewis

More Probable MH370 Parts Found As Search Nears End

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says two pieces of debris recovered from beaches in Mozambique "almost certainly" came from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

The Boeing 777-200ER has been the focus of an intense underwater search in the southern Indian Ocean since March 8, 2013, when the aircraft took off on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, and later disappeared.

The Mozambique parts, discovered independently in December 2015 and February 2016, were found 120 nm apart and sent to the ATSB in Australia for analysis.

ATSB investigators said one Mozambique part that initially was identified by a stenciled number is a portion of the No. 7 fairing that covers a flap track on the aircraft's right wing. The other part-initially identified from images showing the materials, construction, a fastener and a "NO STEP" stencil-is a segment of a 777 horizontal stabilizer panel.

"At the time of this writing, ongoing work was being conducted with respect to the marine ecology identification as well as testing of material samples," the ATSB said. "The results from these tests will be provided to the Malaysian investigation team once complete."

By summer, the underwater search is expected to be complete, and no follow-on is planned. The ATSB in an April 20 update noted that 100,000 sq. km (38,610 sq. mi.) of sea floor, 83% of the 120,000 sq.-km search area, has been combed with no success.

Last July, a flaperon that washed ashore on Reunion Island was the first solid evidence that the aircraft had been destroyed, presumably on impact with the water. French officials confirmed in September that the component had been manufactured for the aircraft registered 9M-MRO, the 777-200ER that disappeared.

The ATSB said two additional pieces of debris-one with a Rolls-Royce logo that was found in South Africa and the other found on Rodrigues Island in the western Indian Ocean-were brought to its labs on April 13 and are being examined "in a similar manner to the items that were found in Mozambique."