Real Question
If this piece proves to be the missing plane, is there any logical reason to continue the search? There is no crash site, but a debris field, washed away by the currents. There are no bodies anymore. There may be recorders which are mostly likely empty, or stopped recording at the same time when the radio, transponder, ACARS went silent. What more will we learn in that case?
Like the satellite pings, the 777 voice and flight recorder systems are not so easily deactivated from the flight deck. And it's impossible to erase the recorded data in flight.
It's clear that some of those currently posting have not read the thousand or so posts from the previous, closed thread and are going over tired old ground. It's also obvious that some have no aviation qualifications or experience.
