Plane Debris Washes Ashore, Eyed for Links to MH370

Debris has washed up on an island in the Indian Ocean and is raising hopes that the fate of the Malaysian passenger jet that vanished last year might finally be known—though it wouldn't be the first false alarm. A French aviation expert tells the Telegraph that plane wreckage washed ashore on Reunion Island. "I've been studying hundreds of photos and speaking to colleagues," says Xavier Tytelman. "And we all think it is likely that the wing is that of a Boeing 777—the same plane as MH370." He says authorities from Australia in charge of the search are investigating. This French-language blog has photos.

A member of the French Air Force tells CNN that the piece appears to be wing flap, but "it is way too soon to say whether or not it is MH370—we just found the debris this morning." The island is about 380 nautical miles from the Madagascar coast. MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, after taking off from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia with 239 people aboard. It was bound for Beijing, and its disappearance has baffled aviation officials. (More Malaysia Airlines stories.)