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Missing Malaysia plane MH370: What we know Missing Malaysia plane MH370: What we know
(21 days later)
The Malaysian prime minister has said part of an aircraft wing found on the island of Reunion is from the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 which went missing 17 months ago. An aircraft wing part found on Reunion Island in July "with certainty" came from missing flight MH370, French officials have said.
The aircraft which had 239 people onboard was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March 2014 when air traffic control staff lost contact with it. In August Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the wing part, known as a flaperon, was from the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777, which disappeared 18 months ago.
Najib Razak told reporters the work carried out to try and locate the Boeing 777 by 26 nations had been the "largest search in aviation history". French investigators took a more cautious approach, but have now confirmed that one of three numbers found on the flaperon has been formally identified by a technician from Airbus Defense and Space (ADS-SAU) in Spain, which made the part for Boeing.
Despite an extensive search of the southern Indian Ocean, no trace of the aircraft was found until officials said a week ago that a wing fragment, known as a flaperon, had been found on the French island Reunion. The aircraft, which had 239 people onboard, was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March 2014 when air traffic control staff lost contact with it.
Encrusted in barnacles, it was washed up on the beach more than 3,700km (2,300 miles) away from the main search site. Despite an extensive search of the southern Indian Ocean, no trace of the aircraft had been found until the discovery of the barnacle-encrusted flaperon on Reunion, more than 3,700km (2,300 miles) away from the main search site.
Mr Najib said international experts "conclusively confirmed" it was from the missing aircraft.
The searchThe search
The hunt has changed in scope many times, starting in the South China Sea.The hunt has changed in scope many times, starting in the South China Sea.
At its largest, it covered 7.68 million sq km (2.96 million sq miles) - a total of 2.24 million square nautical miles. This was the equivalent of 11% of the Indian Ocean and 1.5% of the surface of the Earth.At its largest, it covered 7.68 million sq km (2.96 million sq miles) - a total of 2.24 million square nautical miles. This was the equivalent of 11% of the Indian Ocean and 1.5% of the surface of the Earth.
However, from 16 March, satellite images of possible debris and tracking data released by the Malaysian authorities appeared to confirm that the plane crashed in the Indian Ocean, south west of Australia.However, from 16 March, satellite images of possible debris and tracking data released by the Malaysian authorities appeared to confirm that the plane crashed in the Indian Ocean, south west of Australia.
After searching an area more than 2,000km (1,240 miles) south-west of Perth, the hunt switched more than 1,000km (600 miles) further north. After searching an area of more than 2,000km (1,240 miles) south-west of Perth, the hunt switched more than 1,000km (600 miles) further north.
The search zone narrowed again in early April to an area of 850 sq km (328 sq miles) of the ocean floor - located close to acoustic signals detected by Australian teams.The search zone narrowed again in early April to an area of 850 sq km (328 sq miles) of the ocean floor - located close to acoustic signals detected by Australian teams.
A new refined search area was announced in June 2014, shifting the focus to an area covering 60,000 sq km 1,800km (1,100 miles) off the west coast of Australia.A new refined search area was announced in June 2014, shifting the focus to an area covering 60,000 sq km 1,800km (1,100 miles) off the west coast of Australia.