The critical piece of MH370 debris that gives vital clues to the final moments of the flight was being used as a washing board.
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According to wreck hunter Blaine Gibson, who retrieved the debris from a local fisherman, Tataly, and his wife on the Antsiraka Peninsula South Beach in Madagascar, the landing gear door was used as a washing board before it was discarded in the couple’s yard.
The piece of debris was found on the beach just in front of the couple’s home.
Mr Gibson was taken to the location (coordinates below) in November 2022, while the piece itself was found washed up in 2017.
“The couple had no idea it was from a plane until I told them and got it that day. We asked where he thought it came from and he said it came from the sea.”
“Transporting the debris, Tataly’s wife at first used it as a washing board for clothes not sure for how long. But then they just set it down in the yard as in the photo (below) and forget about it.”
“Tataly apologized and said he did not know it was from a plane,” said Mr Gibson.
“I thanked him and said it would help bring families answers. He did not ask for any money but I insisted and gave him some anyhow.”
The debris item had barnacles on it when it was found and in total four items of MH370 debris have been found on the same beach. The location was predicted by the University of Western Australia (UWA) oceanographic model.
The piece is now the subject of a new report by Richard Godfrey and Blaine Gibson, published last week, and the piece “is likely the remnant of the left main landing gear trunnion door” and is almost certain to be from MH370.”
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