'Almost certainly' means it's 90 percent MH370, says DCA

There was a 90 percent possibility that the two aeroplane debris found in South Africa and the Mauritian island of Rodrigues came from the doomed Malaysia Airlines MH370 that went missing over two years ago.

Department of Civil Aviation director-general, Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the percentage could be construed as 'almost certainly', as mentioned by the Malaysian International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team when it concluded that the debris were consistent with the panel of the Boeing 777 aircraft.

That conclusion came after a team of international experts completed its investigation in Australia on a 'cowling' part of an engine, with half of the Rolls-Royce logo and fragments of cabin interior panels visible.

"The debris was indeed identified as part of a Boeing 777, but investigators found it difficult to determine if it is MH370 because these fragments do not have a direct relationship with the aircraft, such as the serial number.

"The word 'almost certain' (in line with the airline industry and the investigation) is over 90 percent," he said after attending the forum 'Aviation Industry: The Way Forward' at the Malaysia University of Technology (UTM) in Jalan Semarak here Saturday.

He was asked by reporters to explain the term 'almost certainly' that was used by the Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team in their conclusion of the investigation on the debris found in South Africa's Mossel Bay and Rodrigues Island in Mauritius last March.

Last Thursday, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai announced the two plane debris were 'almost certainly' came from MH370 which went missing on March 8, 2014.

The conclusion was consistent with the results of inspections in March when the team confirmed that the pieces found in Mozambique were also likely to come from MH370.

So far, there have been five debris found linked to MH370. The first was a wing section 'flaperon' found on La Reunion in France in July 2015, which has since been confirmed as MH370's; then a horizontal stabiliser from a tail section found in Mozambique in December 2015; the third a stabiliser panel with a "No Step" stencil found in Mozambique last February; the fourth an engine cowling bearing a Rolls-Royce logo found last March in Mossel Bay; and then a fragment of interior door panel found in Rodrigues Island, also found in March.