U.S. Official: 'High Confidence' Plane Wing Found in Indian Ocean Matches MH370 Model

A U.S. official said this week that part of an airplane wing that recently washed up on the shores of the Indian Ocean matches the aircraft model of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that disappeared mid-flight last year.

A U.S. air safety official reportedly told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity that there is a "high degree of confidence" that the recovered plane piece is that of a Boeing 777, the same plane model belonging to the Malaysia Airlines 370 flight that went missing on March 8, 2014 while en route from Malaysia to China.

The plane piece, known as a flaperon, which is part of the plane's wing, was reportedly discovered on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean by residents cleaning up the beach.

The flaperon was reportedly covered in shells, indicating that it had been in the sea for some time.

Xavier Tytelman, a specialist in aviation security, told The Telegraph that he and his colleagues think it is "likely" the wing is from a Boeing 777, the same plane model of the MH370 flight.

"I've been studying hundreds of photos and speaking to colleagues," Tytelman told The Telegraph. "And we all think it is likely that the wing is that of a Boeing 777 – the same plane as MH370." 

"Police in Reunion examining the wreckage say that it looks like it's been in the water for around a year, which again would fit with MH370. We can't say for certainty, but we do think there is a chance that this is it," he added.

Additionally, a source close to the investigation told CNN that officials from Boeing used photographs to match the piece of the wing found, called a flaperon, to a Boeing 777 aircraft model.