The discolouration wasn’t caused by heat but a translucent resin applied to the surface. The ATSB added the burnt smell was not due to fire since such smells would dissipate given exposure to the environment.
The debris were found by locals and handed to American wreckage hunter Blaine Gibson. He supported the fire theory based on what he saw of the debris.
There would be renewed focus, as a result, on the pilot suicide angle to explain what happened to MH370 but provided the “fire on board” theory could be disproved, the report added. “Pilot suicide would top the list of probabilities supported by science.”
If the MH370 tragedy is not attributed to airline liability, it would lessen the amount of compensation the families of the 239 people on board MH370 could claim.
Replaying the suicide theory, the report pointed out the airplane wing found so far has been confirmed to be from MH370. It’s retracted appearance could only have been caused by sudden impact with water.
Apparently, this supports the theory that the plane was deliberately diverted from its flight path and crashed thousands of kilometres away. If a soft landing on water was attempted, the plane’s wing would not appear retracted, according to experts.
The ATSB is leading a three-nation search for MH370 in the 7th Arc in the southern Indian Ocean, southwest of Australia. The search zone covers 120,000 sq kms. Some 10,000 sq kms remain to be scoured by Christmas Day this year.
The search is based on pings, electronic handshakes between the aircraft and a satellite, and no other evidence.
MH370 disappeared on 8 March 2014 between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. It’s known the plane stopped just short of Vietnam before turning back and making across the Malay Peninsula. Military radar tracked it over Pulau Perak as well before being seen at the northern tip of Sumatra.
Thereafter, it’s a complete mystery on where the aircraft went.
The MH370-related debris found so far have all been in the western Indian Ocean, along the southern and eastern coasts of Africa.
According to ATSB, this fits in with the drift pattern of ocean currents and confirms the aircraft may be in the southern Indian Ocean as indicated by the pings.
Most of the people on board MH370 were from China. There were also six Australian nationals and residents on board the plane.