KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 ― The Malaysian investigation team said in its third interim statement today on the disappearance of Flight MH370 that it could not determine why the plane deviated from its flight path due to lack of evidence.

The Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for MH370 pointed out that the main aircraft wreckage and flight recorders have yet to be found three years after the Malaysia Airlines plane went missing, even though some debris like part of a wing have been discovered.

"However, despite the limitations in available evidence, the investigation has identified several key issues within the civil aviation system that can be improved to enhance safety into the future,” said the report which was released today.

The authorities had also analysed recovered debris believed to belong to the aircraft and believed that it was likely that the plane has broken up, although it could not be determined whether it happened in the air or upon impact with the ocean.

The report said that damage examination on the recovered right outboard flap part, together with the damage found on the right flaperon has led to the conclusion that the flaps were most likely in the retracted position.

"Recovery of the cabin interior debris suggests that the aircraft was likely to have broken up. However, there is insufficient information to determine if the aircraft broke up in the air or during impact with the ocean,” it said.

Additional parts of the aircraft were still being discovered along the coasts of southeast Africa and examination of these items were continuing.

The team said it was working towards finalising its analysis, conclusions and safety recommendations based on current information, and acknowledged that new information may become available before the completion of the final report, due later this year.

On January 18 this year, Malaysia suspended the search operation for Flight MH370, spanning over 120,000 square kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean, after almost three years since the plane disappeared while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The search for the plane, which had been carrying 239 passengers and crew members, had to date cost US$112.47 million (RM500 million). Authorities said the search would only be resumed if there was new information and concrete evidence.