Parts Appear To Be Consistent With A B777

Debris that could be from a Boeing 777 has been found off the coast of Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, raising speculation that it could be from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing in March of 2014.

Reunion Island is east of Madagascar, which is located east of South Africa.

While there is no confirmation that the debris is from the missing airliner, Boeing officials say that it is consistent with the appearance with a Boeing 777 flaperon, an unnamed source told CNN Wednesday.

The flaperon appears to have been torn off the aircraft it was a part of, which would suggest a sudden impact, according to CNN safety analyst David Soucie.

If the parts are from a 777, analysts say that it is most likely from the airliner which veered off course and eventually disappeared from radar on March 8, 2014.

But there are inconsistencies as well. Authorities say that the part appears to be coated in white paint, and the Malaysia Airlines 777 would have been coated in zinc chromate. The white coating could be from long exposure to the ocean, however, and the part is encrusted in barnacles, according to analysts.

Boeing rivets serial numbers on numerous parts of their airplanes, and those are traceable to a specific aircraft, according to CNN analysts. That could make it a simple matter to determine if the wreckage is the first solid clue to one of the most puzzling air disasters on record. 

(Image from file)

FMI: www.boeing.com