Mixed Messages on 777 Part Frustrate Flight 370 Families

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday that the part, known as a flaperon, did indeed come from the doomed aircraft 
Mixed Messages on 777 Part Frustrate Flight 370 Families
Bao Lanfang, a Chinese relative of missing passengers on Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 cries as she waits for information outside the airline's office on August 6, 2015 in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—The confusion and frustration that punctuated the investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 erupted anew Thursday after officials offered conflicting levels of confidence on whether a piece of a wing found washed up on an Indian Ocean island last week came from the vanished plane.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday that the part, known as a flaperon, did indeed come from the doomed aircraft was at odds with the message from authorities in France, the U.S. and Australia, who have stopped short of full confirmation.