MH370: What debris has been found from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane?

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is still the biggest mystery in aviation history. Since the aircraft vanished on route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March 2014, an Australian-led search team has been scouring the seabed of the southern Indian Ocean for clues as to what happened to the plane.

Despite an extensive search of an area around 2,000km off the coast of western Australia, no trace of the Boeing 777 was found until a section of an aircraft wing called a flaperon was discovered off Reunion Island off Madagascar in 2015.

This week, a leading investigator said gave further insight into the part, stating erosion on the flaperon indicated the aircraft had been deliberately flown into the sea. As the mystery behind flight MH370 gradually unravels, here is what we know so far about possible debris.

July 2015: Flaperon found on Reunion Island

A two-metre piece of aircraft wing was discovered on Reunion Island, a small French island in the Indian Ocean around 600km east of Madagascar. The wreckage was discovered on the western coast of the island in the region of Saint-André.

French investigators have since been confirmed the part as being from MH370, after a number on the flaperon was identified by the manufacturer from Airbus Defense and Space. It was found around 3,700km from the search area.

A flaperon is a type of aircraft control surface that is a combination of a flap and an aileron. Flaps are devices mounted on the trailing edges of wings to reduce the speed at which the aircraft can safely be flown and to increase the angle of descent for landing, so they shorten take-off and landing distances.

December 2015: Flap track fairing found on Mozambique coast

The part, confirmed as most likely from MH370, was identified by a number stencilled on the part (676EB) as a segment from a Boeing 777 flap track fairing from the right wing. The dimensions, materials and construction of the part all match Boeing drawings of the fairing.

It was confirmed the stencilled font and markings on the part – 676EB – were not from the manufacturer, but from Malaysia Airlines. The part had been repainted, which was consistent with maintenance records for the aircraft used for flight MH370.

February 2016: Horizontal stabilizer found on Rodriques Island

A segment of an aircraft tail called a horizontal stabilizer was discovered on Rodrigues Island, a small island east of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The material, construction and a stencil which read "NO STEP" all identified the part as belonging to a Boeing 777, as well as the dimensions and construction.

As was the case with the debris found in December 2015, the font and location of the stencil were not made by the manufacturer but from Malaysia Airlines. Australian investigators said the location of the part was consistent with models of where ocean drifts could carry the wreckage of the aircraft.

March 2016: Engine cowling found in South Africa

A fragment of engine cowling bearing the Rolls-Royce logo was found in Mossel Bay, a small town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Several months later, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the part was "almost certainly from MH370".

The aircraft used for flight MH370, registered 9M-MRO, was powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 892 engines.

March 2016: Interior door panel found in Rodrigues Island

A fragment of an interior door panel from the main cabin of an aircraft was discovered in Rodrigues Island in March.

"The part materials, dimensions, construction and fasteners were all consistent with the drawing for the panel assembly and matched that installed on other MAB Boeing 777 aircraft at the Door R1 location," Australian Transport Safety Bureau said. The ATSB has since said the piece was "almost certainly" from MH370.

June 2016: Seat frame and other parts found in Madagascar

Fragments of an aircraft including a seat frame, a coat hook and other parts were found on Nosy Boraha island in north-eastern Madagascar. The parts were discovered on Riake beach by Blaine Gibson, a US lawyer who has been independently investigating the disappearance of MH370 and searching for debris.

Gibson also found personal belongings which had washed up on Riake beach, although it is not confirmed whether there are from the missing jetliner. Among the items are an Angry Birds bag, the sole of a shoe and a part of a laptop case with MENSA inscribed on it. There are no labels on the items to link them to MH370.