9/11 Debris Not Part of Plane's Landing Gear

It's actually from a portion of the wing
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 29, 2013 3:01 PM CDT
9/11 Debris Not Part of Plane's Landing Gear
This Friday, April 26, 2013, photo provided by the New York City Police Department shows a piece that authorities believe belongs to one of the airliners that crashed into the World Trade Center.   (AP Photo/New York City Police Department)

Boeing today expressed its confidence that a piece of aircraft found sandwiched between two Lower Manhattan buildings did indeed come from one of the 9/11 planes, though a rep for the company told the NYPD that Boeing could not determine which one. The 5-foot by 3-foot piece is not part of the landing gear, as previously reported; it's actually a portion of the underside of the wing known as a "trailing edge flap actuation support structure," reports Reuters.

As the AP explains, the part is located closer to the body of the plane and helps secure wing flaps that move in and out and help to regulate plane speed. Investigators initially thought it was part of the landing gear because both pieces have similar-looking hydraulics. And while some raised the possibility over the weekend that the debris was placed there on purpose, a rep for the NYPD said there's no evidence that was the case. The debris will be moved to a secure location this week, where it will stay until a permanent home is selected. (More 9/11 attacks stories.)

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