|
Post by Maddog on Jun 1, 2009 11:25:22 GMT 1
Source: Sky News
Air France Jet Missing Off Brazil Coast
An Air France passenger jet with 228 people on board is missing after dropping off radar over the Atlantic off the Brazilian coast, a Paris airport official has said. "We are very worried," he said. "The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago.
"It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected."
Air traffic control lost contact with the Airbus A330 - flight AF 447 - at 6am GMT after it took off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
It was due to land in the French capital at 9.10am GMT.
Airport authorities have set up a 'crisis cell' at Charles de Gaulle.
The people on board the jet are 216 passengers and 12 crew.
|
|
|
Post by boeingmad on Jun 1, 2009 12:11:21 GMT 1
Source: Sky News Air France Jet Missing Off Brazil Coast An Air France passenger jet with 228 people on board is missing after dropping off radar over the Atlantic off the Brazilian coast, a Paris airport official has said. "We are very worried," he said. "The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. "It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected." Air traffic control lost contact with the Airbus A330 - flight AF 447 - at 6am GMT after it took off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. It was due to land in the French capital at 9.10am GMT. Airport authorities have set up a 'crisis cell' at Charles de Gaulle. The people on board the jet are 216 passengers and 12 crew. i really hope that the pax and the crew are ok and im hoping that they just might turn up. but as sky news has just said that the aircraft would of ran out of fuel by now.
|
|
|
Post by alanmai on Jun 1, 2009 13:29:14 GMT 1
It is F-GZCP Airbus A330-203 c/n 660.
|
|
|
Post by Biggles on Jun 1, 2009 19:57:57 GMT 1
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8076848.stm#mapI don`t want to add to speculation about this apparent disaster but Air France seem to be convinced it is a weather related event. Why would a modern airliner such as an Airbus 330 which is probably equipped with some of the most up to date weather radar in use today and all sorts of other electronic gismos and an experienced crew,fly into a storm of such magnitude this appears to be the outcome ? I listen to HF traffic and weather avoiding takes up a large part of chat on HF. Whatever the cause it was pretty immediate and catastrophic with no radio call being sent. A sad day.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2009 20:50:04 GMT 1
I'm inclined to agree Biggles - seems mighty strange and if true may cause the grounding of all A330's. If it doesn't, it could be speculated that it was a terrorist act but who's ever going to know if they don't find the wreckage. Air Frances comments at this early stage are interesting. Lets hope their not regressing to the bygone age of automatically blaming crashes on pilot error.
|
|
|
Post by johnoakes on Jun 1, 2009 21:00:50 GMT 1
Very sad event. My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones -I am sure I speak for all forum members when I say that. Hope they find some survivors or can at least find the wreckage to tell the tale and provide some closure. Nothing can prepare you for a loss like this.
|
|
|
Post by RICEY on Jun 1, 2009 22:17:54 GMT 1
it is such a shame aswel as the aircraft was only 4 yrs old. condolences to famlies of passengers and crew. RIP to all. 5 britons were aboard aswel
|
|
|
Post by Biggles on Jun 1, 2009 23:09:31 GMT 1
Just a little add to this topic and my previous entry. When an aircraft crashes, especially into water I thought that an automatic ELT activated on impact with the water, also a beacon is activated to allow the "black box" equipment to be located by navy search teams or sats. Strange nothing has been picked up on any distress frequency ? or this being mentioned, they seem ken to already state no wreckage will be found,which concerns me greatly, and no doubt the bereaved families.
|
|
|
Post by columbo on Jun 2, 2009 0:06:09 GMT 1
A sad day indeed and condolences and my respects to all the families and friends involved. Just heard tonight a friend of a friends Dad should have been on board but the flight was overbooked so took a TAM flight instead. He is deeply shaken at the thought.
I hope they find the cause but it doesnt look promising.
R.I.P all on board.
Steve
|
|
|
Post by RICEY on Jun 3, 2009 1:02:30 GMT 1
the brazillian af search teams found wreckage today round the arae it went down. theres a fuel slick on the surface bits of a plane and a seat. they also found an orange beacon floating. now confirmed everyone has been lost to the sea. isnt it the deepest part of the ocean aswel at that point
|
|
|
Post by Biggles on Jun 3, 2009 21:30:07 GMT 1
Watching the news reports today from around the world on this subject, I personally can not believe that the French Authorities are already openly stating that they consider the recovery of the CVR etc FDR unlikely ? also that there is only 28 days left to pick up the locator beacon signal, does that mean that the emergency beacon which I guess tx`s on the global distress frequencies, has not been heard ? or worse didn`t work ! Why with such a modern aircraft and also an unknown cause are they so willing to put an end to this event as they seem to be suggesting. Other airlines flying A330`s must have some concerns surely ?
|
|
|
Post by viscount on Jun 3, 2009 23:07:58 GMT 1
As I understand it a) the locator beacon on the flight recorders has a limited battery life and range, and b) the aircraft was lost where the Atlantic Ocean is at its deepest. Getting hold of one of the few submersables capable of extreme depth with the ability to find, recover and lift the recorders at short notice must be considered simply not possible. Indeed c) can the recorders survive at such crushing depths anyhow?
What puzzles me is the way speculation so quickly centred on complete structural failure in storm conditions (I cannot think of an example of a modern jet breaking up in flight simply due to tropical storm turbulence), yet the press I've seen and heard have never muttered any speculation around a dreaded terrorist bomb - the usual cause of rapid break up of an airframe at altitude.
It will be interesting to see how the Accident Investigators manage to blame this one on "pilot error". I've no doubt I'll be told off for being a terrible cynic for that bad taste comment!
|
|
|
Post by RICEY on Jun 3, 2009 23:45:56 GMT 1
ive herd there was a rapid decompression so would that of caused it to break up? strange as the a/c arrived in rio without problems but on way back it hit these stroms and now its gone
|
|
|
Post by ronturner on Jun 4, 2009 7:37:30 GMT 1
Unfortunately, I agree with Viscount. I too am waiting for the DGAC to find the cause to be pilot error, or a bomb, whereas what is really needed is to find the real cause.
On the subject of ELTs and the like. The main problem with an ELT, especially in GA, is that it will normally sink with the airframe, so no signal is picked up. Its possible that larger aircraft may have a different system, allowing a beacon to float, but I suppose that would depend upon its deploying mechanism being intact.
It is now compulsory to have an ELT or a PLB with GPS locator when flying in French airspace. Apart from the fact that it is very much less expensive, I choose the PLB because if I go down in the English Channel or to and from Corsica, for example, my floating PLB stays with me. The disadvantage with the PLB is that there in no "G" switch to operate on impact.
I am surprised that since this aeroplane was flying in compliance with French law, there was no emergency locator signal which a satellite would have picked up in seconds.
RT
|
|
|
Post by Biggles on Jun 4, 2009 20:48:40 GMT 1
I recall years ago when the Korean 747 was downed and it fell into the ocean, the US navy managed to locate the beacons from use of one of the nuclear subs in the area. News today mentioned recent bomb threats to a Rio- Paris flt and even one being diverted ? To me they (the French) seem to be far to keen to close this whole event, even though other A300 are still in service and who have owners in panic to know the cause of this disaster. Would be interesting to see a passenger list for this flight ? Your starter for ten should be any other members recalling a similar disaster that authorities had been so quick to write off without knowing what happend.?
|
|