MH370: 24-metre object could be from wing of Boeing 777

The 24-meter-wide object picked up by satellites in the southern Indian Ocean could have originated from a wing of the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.

Aviation analyst Dr Ahmad Shamsuri Mokhtar said if the discovery is indeed a 24-meter debris, it could be part of the body or wing of the aircraft.

He said it is also consistent with the size or length of the wing of a Boeing 777 aircraft.

“It is understood that the object detected is 24-meters wide, in terms of specifications it might be from the body of wing of a Boeing 777 aircraft,” Ahmad Shamsuri told Astro AWANI.

“Its size of 24 meters it is most consistent with a Boeing wing,” he added.

The wing span of a Boeing 777-200ER is 60.9metres while its overall length from nose to tail is 63.7metres.

Dr Shamsuri also said that a debris of that size indicates that the plane might have made a ‘soft landing’.

“Whatever plane, whether it was a Boeing or not, if the debris is as big as 24 metres, it is a sign of soft landing because it did not break into pieces. If it crashed from a height it would have disintegrated,” he said.

Earlier today, Australian prime minister Tony Abbott announced to parliament that satellite images have spotted two objects, the largest was 24 meters wide, that possibly belonged to MH370.

Though there is yet to be confirmation of the find, search and rescue efforts are now being diverted to the area it was spotted, some 2,500km southwest of Perth, with Australian authorities saying it was their 'best lead' so far.

The Kuala-Lumpur to Beijing flight has been missing since March 8 last and is still unfound.