REPORT: Investigators believe newly found aircraft debris was likely the same model as MH370

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 MH370

An unnamed US official told the Associated Press that aircraft wreckage found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean this week likely came from a Boeing 777 — the same type of aircraft as Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

According to the AP's Joan Lowy and Lori Hinnant, the official said that air safety investigators have a "high degree of confidence" that photos of the wreckage show a part from the aircraft's wings that are unique to the Boeing 777.

Investigators believe the part found on the island is one of the "flaperons" from the 777 which help the aircraft steer and control the amount of lift generated by its wings.

MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China. The Boeing 777-200ER vanished with 239 passengers and crew onboard.

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BREAKING: US official: Debris in photo belongs to same type of aircraft as the missing Malaysia plane.

The search for the Malaysia jet has been focused on a 7.3-million-square-mile area in the southern Indian Ocean off the western coast of Australia.

Since 1995, more than 1,300 Boeing 777s have entered services with airlines and cargo carriers.

MH370 flight arcs

In 20 years of service, only five Boeing 777s have been written off due to fire, crashes, or disappearance.

The first incident took place in 2008 when a British Airways 777 suffered engine failure on landing and crash on the runway at Heathrow Airport.

The second incident took place in 2011, when an EgyptAir 777 caught fire while parked at the airport in Cairo. The third hull-loss occurred in 2013, when an Asiana 777 crashed while landing in San Francisco.

The fourth, Boeing 777 lost was Malaysia Airlines MH17 that was shot down over Ukraine last July.

MH370 is believed to the only Boeing 777 that has disappeared or has crashed in or around the Indian Ocean.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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Similitudes incroyables entre le flaperon d'un #B777 et le débris retrouvé ce matin à #LaReunion... #MH370 ? pic.twitter.com/GDkzRLwi2h

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See Also:

• Plane wreckage found in Indian Ocean — 'there is a chance' it's from missing Flight MH370

• This animation collects and analyzes all the theories behind the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

• Rolls-Royce honors Singapore with an incredible limited-edition car

SEE ALSO: This tragic story shows why it's been so difficult to find MH370 in the Indian Ocean