The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will investigate if a piece of debris found washed up on the South Australian coast on Thursday afternoon has links to the missing Malaysian aircraft MH370.

A man who was searching the beach for driftwood discovered the debris, which appears to be from a plane, on the coast of Kangaroo Island at around 2.40pm ACST.

South Australian police collected the piece of wreckage, slightly larger than a shoebox, and will keep it until the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) picks it up to be examined.

A spokeswoman for the ATSB said the agency is waiting for further information.