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| Finding on Whether Debris Is From Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 May Take a Week | Finding on Whether Debris Is From Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 May Take a Week |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| SYDNEY, Australia — It may be a week or more before investigators determine whether a piece of debris found on the island of Réunion came from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a French official with knowledge of the investigation said on Thursday. | SYDNEY, Australia — It may be a week or more before investigators determine whether a piece of debris found on the island of Réunion came from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a French official with knowledge of the investigation said on Thursday. |
| The object, which appeared to be a wing flap torn from a jetliner, has been crated and sealed for shipment to France, the official said, but it is not expected to reach Paris for two or three days. | |
| Once the object is in France, it will be taken to an aviation testing facility in southern France for analysis, the French Defense ministry said in a statement on Thursday evening. The facility often works with the French aviation safety bureau, known as BEA, in investigating accidents and incidents, the statement said, without saying when the object would arrive. | |
| American investigators have concluded, based on photographs and videos, that the object that washed up on Réunion, a remote French island off the coast of Madagascar, came from a Boeing 777, and Flight 370 is the only Boeing 777 known to be missing. | American investigators have concluded, based on photographs and videos, that the object that washed up on Réunion, a remote French island off the coast of Madagascar, came from a Boeing 777, and Flight 370 is the only Boeing 777 known to be missing. |
| Still, government officials and families of passengers lost on the flight, which vanished in March 2014 with 239 people aboard, responded more warily on Thursday to the discovery in Réunion, reluctant to fan hopes after more than a year of fruitless searching and false rumors. | Still, government officials and families of passengers lost on the flight, which vanished in March 2014 with 239 people aboard, responded more warily on Thursday to the discovery in Réunion, reluctant to fan hopes after more than a year of fruitless searching and false rumors. |
| Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss of Australia, whose country has led the search for the missing jet, said in Sydney that the discovery of the object thousands of miles from the search area was “a very significant development.” He said investigators were “seeking to get assurance about what has been found and whether it is indeed linked to the disappearance of MH 370.” | Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss of Australia, whose country has led the search for the missing jet, said in Sydney that the discovery of the object thousands of miles from the search area was “a very significant development.” He said investigators were “seeking to get assurance about what has been found and whether it is indeed linked to the disappearance of MH 370.” |
| But he cautioned, “It is too early to make that judgment.” | But he cautioned, “It is too early to make that judgment.” |
| Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia said in a statement that his government was sending teams to Réunion and to France to examine the object and meet with French aviation safety officials. | |
| “We have had many false alarms before, but for the sake of the families who have lost loved ones, and suffered such heartbreaking uncertainty, I pray that we will find out the truth, so that they may have closure and peace,” Mr. Najib said in the statement. “I promise the families of those lost that whatever happens, we will not give up.” | “We have had many false alarms before, but for the sake of the families who have lost loved ones, and suffered such heartbreaking uncertainty, I pray that we will find out the truth, so that they may have closure and peace,” Mr. Najib said in the statement. “I promise the families of those lost that whatever happens, we will not give up.” |
| The object, reported to be about 8 feet long and 3 feet wide, was discovered by workers cleaning a beach on the island, which is some 2,300 miles from the area off Western Australia where the search for wreckage from Flight 370 is now focused. | |
| Australian officials said that the search in that area would continue, and that it was possible that ocean currents and winds could have carried floating debris to Réunion from there. | Australian officials said that the search in that area would continue, and that it was possible that ocean currents and winds could have carried floating debris to Réunion from there. |
| The French Justice Ministry and the Réunion authorities said in a joint statement on Thursday that “at this stage, the origin of the debris is not identified.” | The French Justice Ministry and the Réunion authorities said in a joint statement on Thursday that “at this stage, the origin of the debris is not identified.” |
| The Paris prosecutor’s office, which has opened an inquiry into the plane crash because four French citizens were on board, said on Thursday that the eastern shore of Réunion, where the object was found and where ocean flotsam often washes up, was being searched by boat and by police helicopter for other possible traces of aircraft wreckage, but nothing had been found by nightfall. | |
| The police recovered what appeared to be the “remains” of a suitcase or sports bag, but the prosecutor’s office cautioned that it could have come from anywhere and might have nothing to do with Flight 370. | |
| Mr. Truss said that scientists were examining photographs of barnacles on the aircraft component to estimate how long it had been in the ocean. | |
| If it is authenticated as part of the missing jet, the object’s discovery could substantially change some thinking about the mystery of Flight 370, both because of where and when it was found and because of its condition. | If it is authenticated as part of the missing jet, the object’s discovery could substantially change some thinking about the mystery of Flight 370, both because of where and when it was found and because of its condition. |
| One of the possibilities that haunted the search and rescue operation for Flight 370 in the weeks after it vanished was the chance that the plane might have landed largely intact on the water somewhere, and that passengers might have escaped onto the plane’s life rafts, only to perish because searchers were initially looking in waters thousands of miles away from where experts now believe the aircraft ended up. | One of the possibilities that haunted the search and rescue operation for Flight 370 in the weeks after it vanished was the chance that the plane might have landed largely intact on the water somewhere, and that passengers might have escaped onto the plane’s life rafts, only to perish because searchers were initially looking in waters thousands of miles away from where experts now believe the aircraft ended up. |
| But Peter Marosszeky, a prominent Australian aircraft engineer and executive who advised Boeing on the development of the 777 jet, said that the severe damage visible on the object pointed to a powerful impact with the ocean. | But Peter Marosszeky, a prominent Australian aircraft engineer and executive who advised Boeing on the development of the 777 jet, said that the severe damage visible on the object pointed to a powerful impact with the ocean. |
| “Looking at the part, just the photo, suggests the part separated from the aircraft violently,” Mr. Marosszeky said in a telephone interview on Thursday. “Looking at the part, it’s pretty clear the aircraft didn’t survive, it was completely destroyed.” | “Looking at the part, just the photo, suggests the part separated from the aircraft violently,” Mr. Marosszeky said in a telephone interview on Thursday. “Looking at the part, it’s pretty clear the aircraft didn’t survive, it was completely destroyed.” |
| Mr. Marosszeky also predicted that French officials would be able to identify the component fairly quickly by a stainless steel plate that should be attached to it, providing considerable identifying information. Such plates are “normally attached to a fairly robust part” and are unlikely to dislodge even in a very violent impact, he said. | Mr. Marosszeky also predicted that French officials would be able to identify the component fairly quickly by a stainless steel plate that should be attached to it, providing considerable identifying information. Such plates are “normally attached to a fairly robust part” and are unlikely to dislodge even in a very violent impact, he said. |
| Joe Hattley, a spokesman for Australia’s transportation safety bureau, cautioned against jumping to any conclusions, for the sake of family members of those aboard the jet. | Joe Hattley, a spokesman for Australia’s transportation safety bureau, cautioned against jumping to any conclusions, for the sake of family members of those aboard the jet. |
| “We have had lots of debris reported to us,” Mr. Hattley said. “This one is more promising. Any piece of information is good information, but I am mindful of the next of kin and how difficult this could be for them.” | “We have had lots of debris reported to us,” Mr. Hattley said. “This one is more promising. Any piece of information is good information, but I am mindful of the next of kin and how difficult this could be for them.” |
| Jiang Hui, a telecommunications engineer in Beijing whose mother was on Flight 370, said that relatives were treating the find on Réunion with caution. | Jiang Hui, a telecommunications engineer in Beijing whose mother was on Flight 370, said that relatives were treating the find on Réunion with caution. |
| “We’ve often had these reports that are overstated or incorrect, saying they’ve found something,” he said on Thursday. “After more than a year of this, our hearts are broken, and after last night’s news, a lot of family members were really agitated.” | “We’ve often had these reports that are overstated or incorrect, saying they’ve found something,” he said on Thursday. “After more than a year of this, our hearts are broken, and after last night’s news, a lot of family members were really agitated.” |
| Flight 370 was on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur when it disappeared in the early hours of March 8, 2014, and most of its passengers were Chinese. Hong Lei, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the government in Beijing was paying close attention to the news, but he offered no other details. | Flight 370 was on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur when it disappeared in the early hours of March 8, 2014, and most of its passengers were Chinese. Hong Lei, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the government in Beijing was paying close attention to the news, but he offered no other details. |
| “We have taken note of the report, and further verification is being conducted with relevant countries,” Mr. Hong said in a statement published on the ministry’s website. “The Chinese side will follow closely how this plays out and properly handle relevant follow-up matters.” | “We have taken note of the report, and further verification is being conducted with relevant countries,” Mr. Hong said in a statement published on the ministry’s website. “The Chinese side will follow closely how this plays out and properly handle relevant follow-up matters.” |
| Investigators have concluded, based on radar data and satellite signals from the plane, that it veered off course and flew on for hours to the west and then south, eventually running out of fuel and crashing somewhere in a deep, empty stretch of the Indian Ocean off Western Australia. | Investigators have concluded, based on radar data and satellite signals from the plane, that it veered off course and flew on for hours to the west and then south, eventually running out of fuel and crashing somewhere in a deep, empty stretch of the Indian Ocean off Western Australia. |
| Paul Kennedy, the search director for Fugro Survey, a division of a Dutch company hired by Australia to conduct the seabed search for the plane, said the work in the search zone was continuing as usual. | Paul Kennedy, the search director for Fugro Survey, a division of a Dutch company hired by Australia to conduct the seabed search for the plane, said the work in the search zone was continuing as usual. |
| “There’s no substantial change to where we are looking,” Mr. Kennedy said. “We’ve just got to all be patient right now. And fingers crossed.” | “There’s no substantial change to where we are looking,” Mr. Kennedy said. “We’ve just got to all be patient right now. And fingers crossed.” |