Malaysia

Mysterious plane or boat fragment washes ashore in Desaru, causing a stir

Aviation expert dismisses the possibility of it being from a wide-bodied aircraft

Updated 2 years ago · Published on 31 Jan 2022 7:00AM

Mysterious plane or boat fragment washes ashore in Desaru, causing a stir
The object found on Desaru beach which has been taken for forensic analysis.

by The Vibes Team

KUALA LUMPUR – A buzz erupted among beachgoers at a section of the Desaru coast in Johor on Friday evening when what seemed to be a part of an aeroplane was found washed ashore from the South China Sea.

The material was dotted with barnacles, indicating that it had been at sea for quite a long time.

What particularly added to the excitement and curiosity was that it had red and blue colourings on it.

However, preliminary findings indicate it could be part of a light aircraft which may have gone down in the South China Sea many years ago, or even from a marine vessel.

Alerted by The Vibes, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong immediately put his officers on the find.

“I will issue a statement after being briefed so we know the proper context,” he said.

An aviation expert believes the mysterious object may be from a light aircraft or a boat.
An aviation expert believes the mysterious object may be from a light aircraft or a boat.

When contacted, the resort near where the part was found confirmed its staff has recovered the object, which was taken to an undisclosed location, and that police had been alerted.

Last night, an official from the Bandar Penawar police station, when contacted, confirmed the discovery of the debris, saying that a probe has been launched and that the forensics department is working on the case.

The officer, who declined to be named, said preliminary details on the discovery have been sent to the Kota Tinggi district police headquarters.

However, he declined to elaborate further.

“We are aware of the find but I cannot reveal any development at the moment,” he told The Vibes.

He added that a report has been given to Kota Tinggi district police chief Hussin Zamora for further action.

An aviation expert says the formation of the barnacles indicates that the object could have been at sea for the last ten to 15 years.
An aviation expert says the formation of the barnacles indicates that the object could have been at sea for the last ten to 15 years.

An aviation expert, meanwhile, said the object found at Desaru appears to be a fuselage from a small propeller plane, and is not one from a large commercial aircraft. It is also too small to be from a wide-bodied plane.

He pointed out that it could also be from a boat, as the honeycomb structures seen on it can be found in boats.

It also cannot be from a Malaysia Airlines plane as its registration marking is in blue while all planes under the national carrier are marked in black.

The formation of the barnacles indicate that it could have been at sea for the last ten to 15 years, the expert added.

Incidentally, on June 18, 2000, a Cessna 172 belonging to a flying school which carried four individuals had crashed in the sea some 100m from Mersing.

Two individuals died in the incident, while the other two managed to survive after they escaped using parachutes. – The Vibes, January 31, 2022

Related News

Opinion / 1w

Singapore's race to self-sufficiency amid Malaysian water tensions – TamilSalvi Mari

Malaysia / 1w

Political party youth leader in Johor to be charged with sexual assault of teenagers

Malaysia / 2w

Cops probing extortion claims by Singaporean couple at CIQ Complex

Malaysia / 2w

Singaporean woman claims Johor ‘policeman’ extorted RM500 at border checkpoint

Malaysia / 1mth

Singaporean man in road rage incident fined RM5,500

Malaysia / 2mth

Investors report losing over RM5 mil to crypto scam, say Johor cops

Spotlight

Events

UK alumni lauded for stellar achievements as British Council observes 75 years in Malaysia

Malaysia

Don’t let politicians, activists stir up hatred against KK Mart, PBK tells cops

By The Vibes Team

Malaysia

7.7 mil people registered in Padu, 2.5 mil cyberattacks, but not one success: Rafizi

By Stephen Then

Malaysia

Farewell Aunty Bersih, you will be missed

By Ian McIntyre

Malaysia

Couple make two trips to workshop to find trapped kitten in car

Malaysia

KK Mart founder, director charged with wounding religious feelings of others over 'Allah' socks

By The Vibes Team

You may be interested

Malaysia

Nuzul Al-Quran: PM calls on Muslims to analyse, interpret the Quran

Malaysia

MMEA team spots forest fire near school in Kuala Baram

By Stephen Then

Malaysia

Muhyiddin files for leave to review Court of Appeal ruling reinstating power abuse charges

Malaysia

Geologist pleads guilty to unlawfully ferrying gold residue

By Jason Santos

Malaysia

Jellyfish washed ashore at KK beach harmless, says Fisheries Department

By Jason Santos

Malaysia

Speed limit at George Town World Heritage Site reduced to 40 km/h

By Shahrim Tamrin

Malaysia

Attacks by minority groups on govt policies need to be curbed - Ahmad Zahid

Malaysia

Anwar receives courtesy call from Indian External Affairs Minister