I realize that more than 20 years has passed, but I'm suggesting that TIGHAR initiate steps to see where the artifact is. Hopefully it still exists.
Before we devote any effort to new technology or whatever, I think it would be a good idea to make the best possible use of what we already have.
Think about it for a moment. Let's say we spent the time, effort, and money to track down the artifact, and let's say we were somehow successful in convincing the provincial authorities to release it to us for research (which they were not willing to do 20 years ago). And let's say that after spending the time, effort, and money on forensic testing we were able to determine that there is something about the artifact that is consistent with it being from a 1927 French airplane, what would we do then? We would look for technology that would help us search for the rest of the airplane.
And what if, after all that, something we learned about the artifact disqualified it as being from a 1927 French airplane? What we do then? The hypothesis that the "plane in the pond" was the White Bird does not depend on the artifact being from the aircraft. We would look for technology that would help us search the area around the pond for the airplane.
When deciding what to spend time, effort, and money on, I try to focus on research, the outcome of which, would cause us to do something different than what we already plan to do.