Debris Examination Item 1 - Flaperon
Debris Examination Item 1 - Flaperon
Safety Investigation Report (2018) Appendix 1.12A-2
Summary
Item No. 1 was found on 29 July 2015 in Saint-Denis, Réunion Island. Réunion Island is a French territory in the Indian Ocean.
This item was one of the biggest and complete part of an aircraft found washed ashore. The item was retrieved by the local French authorities and shipped to General Delegate of Armament Aeronautical Technique (DGA/TA) facility in Toulouse for detailed examination. Because of a court case pending in Paris, the part was taken custody by the French Investigative Judge, as evidence for a criminal investigation.
The part identification, detailed examination and analysis were carried out at DGA/TA in Toulouse under the directive and jurisdiction of the French Investigative judge. Although the name plate was missing, which could have provided immediate traceability to the aircraft (9M-MRO), the part was confirmed to be a right flaperon of the aircraft 9M-MRO, by tracing the identification numbers of the internal parts of the flaperon to their manufacturing records at EADS CASA, Spain.
Refer to Appendix 1.12A-1.
The examination of the flaperon at DGA/TA revealed the following damages:
- a) the inboard and outboard hinge fittings were fractured in two places; at the level of the leading edge and on the lower surface of the flaperon;
- b) the fracture surfaces on the hinge fittings were highly corroded;
- c) the ribs at the edge of the flaperon showed, in their metallic area, holes due to corrosion;
- d) the leading edge showed dents and cracks;
- e) the trailing edge was generally broken;
- f) the lower and upper surface panels showed localised dents and the upper surface had a large crack; and
- g) the mounting attachment zones on each side of the flaperon were damaged or broken off.
In addition, the flaperon was covered with a colony of barnacles.
Most of them were on the upper surface (extrados).
Source: Safety Investigation Report 2018:1 Factual Information/1.12/1.12.3 SIR-2018
Source: Safety Investigation Report 2018 Appendix 1.12A-2 SIR-APP-SET2