A film crew searching for Second World War aircraft allegedly lost in the Bermuda Triangle found something else - a 20-foot section of the destroyed space shuttle Challenger.

Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre confirmed the authenticity of the segment which was discovered off the coast of Florida. It had been lying on the ocean floor since the aircraft broke apart shortly after lift off on January 28, 1986 killing all seven of its crew members.

Michael Ciannilli, a Nasa manager, told Associated Press: “Of course, the emotions come back, right? My heart skipped a beat, I must say, and it brought me right back to 1986 … and what we all went through as a nation.”

AP reported that divers for a TV documentary spotted the wreckage in March while searching for a Second World War plane. Nasa was later able to verify that the piece was part of Challenger.

The History Channel is due to air The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters on November 22.