Réunion Island debris allegedly marked ‘657 BB’ matches Boeing 777 flaperon, newspaper claims

KUALA LUMPUR — A Réunion Island paper reported today (July 30) that the debris found on the island was allegedly stamped with “657 BB” instead of “BB 670” as previously reported, which would make it correspond to a flaperon on a Boeing 777 jumbo jetliner.

The paper Le Journal de l’île de La Réunion had showed an exclusive close-up photo, purportedly of the inside of the debris, saying it was “official proof” that the debris had come from a 777, similar to the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370.

The finding has yet to be independently verified by any of the investigators.

Previous media reports had said that the marking on the same debris was “BB 670”, which aviation experts said did not match with any of the parts of a Boeing 777.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss had earlier today claimed that the code “BB 670” on the debris could be a maintenance number, instead of a serial or registration number.

In the Boeing’s Aircraft Maintenance Manual, “657BB” refers to “flaperon leading edge panel” which provides access to the “flaperon actuator”, according to aviation news site Airlive.net.

Photo: airlivenet/Twitter

A 2.7m-long piece of debris was discovered on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean this morning, which is believed to be a piece from the missing MH370 jetliner.

A mechanic from Réunion-based airline Air Austral had earlier claimed to have studied the debris with French military officials and concluded that he is “99.9 per cent certain” that it originated from a Boeing 777.

Prime Minister Najib Razak said that two teams have been deployed to look into the discovery of the “flaperon”, a portion from a plane’s wing — one team to France where the debris has been transported to, and a second team to Réunion Island, off the Indian Ocean, where the wreckage was first found.

This comes after Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi told newswire Reuters today that they were “almost certain” that the debris originated from a Boeing-777.

Australian deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss also said today there is a “realistic possibility” that the debris found on the island of La Réunion is from the wreckage of flight MH370.

Flight MH370 went missing with 239 people on board while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 last year. MALAY MAIL ONLINE

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — A Réunion Island paper reported today that the debris found on the island was allegedly stamped with “657 BB” instead of “BB 670” as previously reported, which would make it correspond to a flaperon on a Boeing 777 jumbo jetliner.

The paper Le Journal de l’île de La Réunion had showed an exclusive close-up photo, purportedly of the inside of the debris, saying it was “official proof” that the debris had come from a 777, similar to the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/reunion-island-debris-allegedly-marked-657-bb-matches-boeing-777-flaperon-n#sthash.ihCLCcEA.dpuf