Physical Evidence

Confirmed Debris

Verified physical debris recovered from the Indian Ocean coastline

Last reviewed: June 2026

As of mid-2026, more than 30 pieces of debris have been found along the Indian Ocean coastline. Of these, three have been formally confirmed as originating from MH370, and approximately 20 more have been assessed as "almost certainly" or "very likely" from the aircraft. The geographic distribution of all confirmed pieces is consistent with a crash in the southern Indian Ocean and subsequent drift modelling by CSIRO.

No human remains have been formally recovered or identified.

CONFIRMED Formally identified as MH370 by serial number or unique match   VERY LIKELY Assessed as almost certainly MH370   PROBABLE Assessed as probably MH370
Date FoundLocationItemStatus
29 Jul 2015 Réunion Island Flaperon — right wing trailing edge control surface, part no. 657BB CONFIRMED
Feb 2016 Mozambique Horizontal stabilizer fragment — interior honeycomb structure with Malaysia Airlines-specification materials VERY LIKELY
Mar 2016 Mozambique Engine cowling fragment — Rolls-Royce Trent 892 specification VERY LIKELY
Mar 2016 Mozambique Interior panel fragment — Boeing 777 interior lining material PROBABLE
Jun 2016 Pemba Island, Tanzania Outboard flap section — left wing outboard flap, part nos. confirmed by Boeing CONFIRMED
Aug 2016 Rodrigues Island, Mauritius Outboard flap fairing — matches Boeing 777 specification VERY LIKELY
2016–2017 South Africa / Madagascar Multiple fragments — 14 additional items examined; 9 assessed as very likely from MH370 VERY LIKELY
Dec 2024 South Africa Wing structure panel — submitted for analysis; fracture pattern consistent with high-speed water impact, inconsistent with controlled ditching CONFIRMED

What the Debris Tells Us

Confirmed by drift modelling

CSIRO's David Griffin ran drift simulations backwards from the recovery locations to estimate where MH370 entered the water. All simulations converge on the southern Indian Ocean 7th arc — strongly corroborating the Inmarsat satellite data.

High-speed impact, not controlled ditching

Forensic examination of the flaperon and outboard flap shows they were not set in a landing configuration. The fracture and stress patterns indicate a high-speed, high-energy impact with the water surface — not a controlled landing or deliberate ditching.

No black boxes recovered

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have not been found. Without them, the events in the cockpit remain unknown. The recorders are believed to be with the main aircraft wreckage on the seabed.