Plane wreckage analysis offer chances to unveil mystery of MH370

Xinhua, August 6, 2015

A photo showing the debris found on July 29 on the beach of Saint-Andre in the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, which has been identified as a part of the missing Malaysian airliner MH370 that disappeared in March, 2014.?

Examination on the plane wreckage found last week on French overseas island La Runion was started Wednesday in France, offering great chances to unveil the mystery of the missing MH370 flight, an aviation expert has said.

In an interview with Xinhua, Xavier Tytelman, expert on aviation security, explained the different phases of the studies conducted by experts from BEA investigation bureau with the help of Malaysian investigators and experts from Boeing.

"They are looking, first, for a legal proof. This evidence may be provided by the analysis to find a serial number or maintenance that will correspond to the right plane or through an analysis of the painting (as) it has a chemical trace, much like a digital print which will be very specific and correspond only to MH370," said the expert.

Besides, investigators would conduct further examination with a "very powerful microscope", according to Tytelman.

The analysis is intended to identify if the debris suffered a shock and if yes, what was the angle and intensity of the shock, said the former military pilot. "It will also be studied, whether there were chemical traces: for example, traces of explosives or fire."

In addition, experts will also examine the shells found on the debris, he added.

"These shells will be able to provide two pieces of information: the first is how long this piece has spent in the water because the speed at which the shellfish grow and very specific and it will provide information on the duration of exposure," Tytelman told Xinhua.

"The second element is these shells' race because some of them may be born in the cold waters that are, in fact, in the south of the Indian Ocean. And if indeed they would be these shells (of cold water) who hung on this debris, it means that the debris came from the south of the Indian Ocean. So we will refocus research in the south," he explained.

For Tytelman, the wreckage examination will offer great chances to unveil the mystery of the disappeared Boeing 777, "at least on the shock itself" because the debris found on La Reunion is relatively intact.

Experts believed that the wreckage came from the Boeing 777, arguing that the code "657 BB" appearing in the debris picture corresponds to a manual code in the aircraft.

In addition, no other air crash involving a Boeing plane has ever been reported before in the area, reinforcing the assumption that the debris might be part of a wing from the missing plane.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed in Kuala Lumpur early Thursday morning local time that the piece of wing washed up on France's overseas island La Reunion, a week ago, came from the missing MH370.

However, in Paris, Deputy Prosecutor Serge Mackowiak only said there was "very strong presumptions" that it was the case.