KOTA TINGGI – The fragment that was found off Johor’s Desaru coast in January has been confirmed to be from the wreckage of a small plane, but Malaysian authorities have yet to link it to any reported incident, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.
Wee said he had received a report by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia on the discovery several months ago, but the metal debris was not related to any major aviation incident reported in Malaysia.
“It (the wreckage) is not from a major accident that we know about. It was initially thought to be from a major incident, but it looks like this is not the case,” he told reporters after attending the official launch of the Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal here this afternoon.
“However, it is believed to be from a small aircraft.”
Although Wee confirmed the fragment had come from an aircraft, he could not elaborate on its identity or source country.
The discovery of the debris in late January created a buzz among beachgoers when it was found washed ashore from the South China Sea.
The material was dotted with barnacles, indicating that it had been at sea for quite some time.
However, preliminary findings at the time indicate it was either a part of a light aircraft that may have gone down in the South China Sea many years ago, or even from a marine vessel.
The discovery also sparked excitement and curiosity as it had red and blue colourings on it, suggesting that it came from a downed Malaysia Airlines aircraft.
However, an aviation expert believed it came from the fuselage from a small propeller plane, and not from a large commercial aircraft. It is also too small to be from a wide-bodied plane.
The expert also concluded it 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 10 to 15 years, the expert added.
Incidentally, on June 18, 2000, a Cessna 172 belonging to a flying school that 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.
Meanwhile, Wee said previous records showed that incidents of small aircraft crashes have been reported in the region, but the report he received indicated that the finding was not a major occurrence involving Malaysia, at least.
“It being found here doesn’t mean that it came from Malaysia. It could have come from adjacent countries as it was found in the South China Sea.” – The Vibes, March 31, 2022
