Kit Olver, a retired Australian fisherman, has come forward with claims that he may have found a large piece of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The plane, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, disappeared on March 8, 2014, leading to the most expensive ocean search in history, which turned up no significant wreckage.
Olver, 77, asserts that in September or October of 2014, his deep-sea trawler pulled up what he believes was a wing of the commercial airliner approximately 55km west of Robe in South Australia. He described the object as a "bloody great wing of a big jet airliner," which he and his crew, including George Currie, struggled to handle due to its size and weight. They ultimately had to cut their $20,000 net to release it back into the ocean.
Olver, who had held a pilot's license, was confident that the piece was larger than those on typical private planes. He contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) upon his return to port. However, he claims his discovery was dismissed by an official who suggested it might be part of a shipping container from a Russian ship.
Missing MH370 mystery could be solved at last as key witness finally comes forwardhttps://t.co/J9jKAJhFXV pic.twitter.com/lYRt8yAcyF — The Mirror (@DailyMirror) December 20, 2023
The AMSA has stated they have no record of Olver's call. Olver, now wanting to clear his conscience, decided to go public with his story in the hope of providing closure to the families of those on board MH370. The plane's disappearance remains one of the greatest aviation mysteries, with various theories but no concrete answers. Despite extensive search efforts by Australia, Malaysia, and China worth $200 million over two years, no trace of the plane was found.
MH370, which departed Malaysia for Beijing, went 'dark' soon after takeoff, deviating from its flight path and heading over the Malacca Strait into the Indian Ocean. After approximately 7.5 hours, it is believed to have run out of fuel and crashed into the ocean. Debris from the plane has been found as far away as Madagascar, with a total of 41 pieces recovered over the years.
Ocean Infinity, a marine robotics company, has been involved in searching for MH370 on a no-find, no-fee basis. Their efforts continue, following an unsuccessful search by Malaysia, China, and Australia, which ended in January 2017. Families of the passengers have urged the Malaysian government to allow new searches, hopeful that Ocean Infinity's improved understanding of the events of 2014 could lead to a successful discovery.
