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FEATURE AVIATION SECURITY

Mystery Continues

Malaysian satellite expert claims MH370 may have floated before sinking
By Subodh Agarwal
THE MYSTERY OVER THE MISSING aircraft washed up on the French island of “If MH370 had crashed with a really
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 continues Reunion, east of Madagascar. hard impact, we would have seen small
with a Malaysian satellite expert claiming “On July 29, 2015 aircraft wreckage pieces of debris floating on the sea
that the MH370 ‘could be intact’ on the was found on La Réunion. Subsequent immediately after that,” he adds.
Indian Ocean floor, as Australian search examination indicates that in all probability Malaysia Airlines has told the
officials rule out debris recently found on the wreckage, a wing part known as a Malaysian government that the wreckage
the bottom of the Indian Ocean as being flaperon, was from MH370. Any additional was definitely from a Boeing 777, the same
from the missing airplane. debris that is found will be examined to model of aircraft as flight MH370, citing an
Malaysia’s official news agency determine if it too can be linked to MH370,” identification number.
Bernama reports that the flight MH370, an official at the Australian Transport Malaysia’s Transport Minister Datuk
which went missing on March 8, 2014, may Safety Bureau (ATSB) says. Seri Liow Tiong Lai said his government
have glided downwards and landed with Australia has been conducting the is working closely with the Maldivian
soft impact on the southern Indian Ocean. search operations at the request of the authorities to see if the debris found could
Qutoing Malaysian satellite expert Malaysian government. The ATSB is be wreckage from the missing plane.
Zaaim Redha Abdul Rahman, the agency leading the underwater search for MH370 “We will bring the parts back to
says the aircraft “floated for a while” in the southern Indian Ocean. Malaysia for further analysis and
before sinking into the deep sea “in one The condition of a wing part that verification process. Our team is now in
piece”. washed up on the French island gives Maldives and working closely with the
The report raises the possibility that credence to the arguments of Zaaim local authorities to determine if the debris
one or more of the 239 people on board Redha, who helped British satellite belongs to Boeing 777,” he says.
were still alive when the Boeing 777 company Inmarsat analyse data shortly Liow says that the debris is now
plunged into the ocean after flying for after the airplane disappeared almost 17 undergoing few processes before they can be
more than seven hours off course. months ago. released and transported back to Malaysia.
Soon after the aircraft went missing, “It [the flaperon] was only slightly However, ATSB officials rule out debris found
there were several reports that the airplane damaged and was just encrusted with as being parts of the MH370 wreckage.
may have nosedived into the ocean at high barnacles. Its appearance indicates that it The ATSB statement relates to images
speed after running out of fuel. was not violently torn from the aircraft’s main on the sea floor described as ‘Category
Meanwhile, on July 29 this year body … it does seem that it got detached 3’ - sonar finds which show two box-like
debris believed to be that of the missing pretty nicely at its edges,” Zaaim Redha says. images and five long but very thin objects.

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