Reunion Island local government at odds with Malaysia over MH370 debris
REUNION’S top official has pledged a full-scale, one-week search for further MH370 debris. Yet discord between Malaysia and local island authorities remains.
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REUNION Island will launch a one week search for further debris from MH370, starting today.
Military police, armed forces, the island’s civil aviation body and local police will work together, said Reunion’s top politician Dominique Sorain.
The search zone will be determined by ocean current mapping. After seven days of searching, Mr Sorain said the search would be suspended for an analysis of results.
Mr Sorain said Reunion authorities had been waiting for confirmation the debris found last Wednesday was from MH370 before acting.
He said no sonar technology would be deployed, but that for one week every resource on the island would be dedicated to a surface search for more evidence on the waters and coastline of Reunion.
It was the first official statement from the Reunion government. He was joined at a press conference by Jacques Luthaud, commander of the French southern Indian Ocean armed forces who will supervise the military aspect of the search.
Meanwhile, the discord between MH370 search authorities has become apparent at Reunion island, with the local government earlier contradicting claims by Malaysia’s Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai that more possible debris had been sent to France for investigation.
He said on Thursday night a window and aluminium foil from a plane were recovered, but that they were not necessarily from MH370. One of his aide’s later said “window matériel” was found by the four-person delegation sent to Reunion.
“This is just not true,” said a source close to the investigation. “There has been no extra matériel, no plane window.
“French authorities were with the Malaysians while they searched the beach on Tuesday and they are not aware of this debris.”
One of those Malaysian officials revealed there were tensions among coordinating authorities.
“I know this is difficult,” he said of the wait for answers.
“But we must respect the local authorities here and they are answerable to Paris.
“All I can say is that I am sorry. It would be different if we were in Malaysia, but we are not.”
France launches searches around Reunion
French authorities began air, land and sea patrols on Friday for more evidence of MH370 around Reunion Island.
Mr Sorain told reporters that a military transport plane patrolled the seas off the coast and a ship had also departed before being forced to return due to bad weather.
He added that helicopters were used, with soldiers and policemen patrolling the eastern part of the island where the flaperon was discovered.
“This... will last a week, after which we will draw our first conclusions,” Sorain said.
As evening drew in, the search was called off, to be resumed early Sunday.
“There will be no mission during the day on Saturday,” said military officer Aline Simon.
On Sunday, only the plane would be deployed, with boats launched if any debris is found, she added.
The belated start to official searching came nine days after a council worker discovered a wing part from the downed plane.
University of Toronto forensics engineer Doug Perovic said the discord between the main players — Malaysia, France and Australia — was difficult to understand.
“I’m surprised that with all that’s happened in the past, and we all think of the families who are suffering greatly, to be once again stretched and pulled with this uncertainty I don’t get that,” said Dr Perovic.
American aviation safety expert Captain John Cox said there were only two missing flaperons on earth.
“And they’re both from MH370,” said Captain Cox.
Late on Thursday, Mr Liow, speaking in Kuala Lumpur, had said paint and maintenance-record matches proved the flaperon was from MH370. A seal on the wing part was the conclusive evidence.
A Malaysia Airlines maintenance expert identified the seal and the international team analysing the part in France agreed, he said.
Experts can’t agree on plane wing part
Ongoing tests on a Boeing 777 flaperon have triggered a new round of speculation on the final moments of MH370.
As French investigators continue to examine the plane part which Malaysia has confirmed as belonging to the missing jet, experts have put forward new theories about the crash.
While some believe the intact flaperon is proof of a “controlled ditching” by the plane, others are convinced the part was “sheared off” as the 777 plunged at high speed towards the ocean.
Former pilot turned author Peter Lee said from what he had seen of the flaperon in the media, its condition made the “soft landing” theory significantly more likely.
“This is crucially important because it would completely refute any possibility that the flight deck crew were dead and the aircraft crashed out of control when the fuel finally ran out,” said Mr Lee.
“The other factor to bear in mind is the aircraft would probably have sunk virtually intact, and the cabin doors would have remained shut so there would be less chance of any debris from inside the aircraft floating away.”
University of Toronto forensics engineering expert Doug Perovic took a different view.
He said the jagged edge of the flaperon meant it probably sheared off from severe vibrational forces as the plane plunged at high speed towards the ocean.
Professor Perovic said he saw no reason to believe that mechanical or systems failure could not have caused the MH370 “ghost flight”.
“There’s no disputing that the pilot turned the plane back in an almost U-turn after the last communication,” said Prof Perovic.
“The trajectory of the flight path was directly in line with the Malaysia Airlines’ maintenance facility.
“It could be coincidence but you could argue the pilot was trying to get the plane back to get repaired and things on board were just getting worse and worse.”
He said by steering the plane away from land, the pilot may have been preparing for a water landing when the oxygen supply ran out.
“I can’t fathom what it would be like to be in a position of the families right now but given a choice I would find it easier to deal with the possibility it was a mechanical problem rather than some sort of intentional act,” Prof Perovic said.
US aviation safety consultant, John Cox said it was pure speculation to postulate a death dive.
“If the flaperon departed prior to impact then it would indicate an in-flight break up,” said Captain Cox.
“This is a possibility but there is no hard evidence to support or refute it.
“Theories abound, facts are few.”
Originally published as Reunion Island local government at odds with Malaysia over MH370 debris
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