Investigations are still ongoing to determine where the piece of wreckage that was found by a fisherman at Hope Beach, East Coast Demerara two weeks ago came from.
It has not yet been classified as being either a piece of an aircraft or a rocket. Given that every now and then the Ariane Space Agency in French Guiana launches rockets into space, it could be a fragment of a rocket, a source at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said. However, according to the source, the device marked ‘Sensorex’ has been identified as a ‘tilt meter’, which is used in aircraft flight controls.
It was manufactured in France, the source said.
The source added that the GCAA and the French and Brazilian authorities are discussing whether it could be from the downed Air France flight that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean in June. Most likely it was, he opined, but cautioned that investigations are still ongoing.
Another senior official at the GCAA said that nothing has been determined as yet. This official stated that the GCAA did not know where the piece of debris was from and was not in a position to say when the investigations will be completed.
The piece of wreckage is currently at the GCAA headquarters at Duke Street, Kingston.
It had been discovered by fisherman Dennis Baksh. He had told this newspaper that on July 6, he observed the piece at Hope beach. “When I find it I seh it gat to be a part of a plane,” he had told this newspaper. He said he brought it further onshore and returned on July 10 to bring it further in. On July 15, he transported it to his home at Ann’s Grove.
The piece of material is white on the outside with a little dark portion.
Officials from the GCAA later took possession of the piece. An official had said that it was a portion of an aircraft.
Baksh gave a statement to police.
On June 1, Air France 447 went down in the Atlantic Ocean. It was bound for Paris, France from Brazil. On board were 228 persons. Forty-one bodies were recovered.
