MH370 mystery: Rolls-Royce logo on jet engine debris holds hope

Archeologist Neels Kruger recognised what remained of the black logo of jet engine-maker.

A piece of debris with a partial Rolls-Royce logo is being examined as possible wreckage from flight MH370.

Malaysian authorities will examine a piece of ­debris found by a South African archeologist with part of an aircraft ­engine-maker’s logo to see if it is from the missing ­Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

“Based on early reports, there is a possibility of the piece originating from an inlet cowling of an aircraft engine,” Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said. A team would be dispatched to retrieve the debris.

Neels Kruger, 35, was walking along a lagoon on South Africa’s southern coast, near the town of Mossel Bay.

“Being an archeologist, I’m always looking for things with my nose to the ground,” he said.

He recognised the brown honeycomb structure from photographs of other pieces of debris believed to part of the missing Boeing 777.

“When I flipped it around, I didn’t know immediately what it was, but just thought: ‘Oh, my word,’ ” Mr Kruger said.

On the flip side, he said, he recognised what remained of the black logo of Rolls-Royce, the manufacturer of jet engines.

The piece was about 70cm by 70cm, “with chunks gone from the side”.

The white surface, with the partial logo, has peeled away to reveal a dark metallic grey covering, a photograph showed.

Mr Kruger sent the photos to a friend who is a pilot, who passed it to other pilots. They quickly became convinced it was part of a plane engine.

Mr Kruger alerted the South African Civil Aviation Authority.

He also sent a message via Facebook to Liam Lotter, the South African 18-year-old who also found a piece of aircraft ­debris.

In December last year, the teen found what he believes could be the wing of the missing plane on a beach in neighbouring Mozambique.

Mr Lotter, who announced his discovery this month, passed to Mr Kruger the contact details of the Australian authorities tasked with leading the investigation into the missing plane.

“They said it was a very interesting piece and they needed it sent to them,” said Mr Kruger, adding the Australian authorities would not confirm it was a piece of the missing plane.

Mr Kruger was instructed to bubble-wrap the piece and keep it safe until aviation authorities collected it.

The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

It remains one of the biggest mysteries in modern aviation.

An Australian-led underwater search in the s­outhern ­Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed, has found no trace.

A piece from one of the 777’s wings was found washed ashore on France’s Reunion ­Island in July.

Two more possible pieces of MH370 debris that were discovered recently in Mozambique, by the South African teen and an American adventurer, are being examined by an international ­investigation team in Australia.

Investigators have said the search for MH370 will end in June unless fresh clues are found.

AP