Air France passenger jet drops off radar

[samh004]

CNN (Foxtel 605) is talking about nothing else. But sadly no real news as yet.

I've been tuned to them all night. Channel 10 news just started with this as the top story.

 

[drron]

Reuters actually saying it might have been hit by lightning-
Air France plane could have been hit by lightning | Markets | Markets News | Reuters

 

[v8Statesman]

I've been tuned to them all night. Channel 10 news just started with this as the top story.

2 hours away for us.

 

[Slats7]

Reuters actually saying it might have been hit by lightning-
Air France plane could have been hit by lightning | Markets | Markets News | Reuters

It shouldn't bring a plane down though.

 

[samh004]

2 hours away for us.

Sorry, forgot to look at where you were. It was just a small recap though, not very informative. Perhaps when they give you your late news they'll have something more useful to say.

 

[v8Statesman]

Sorry, forgot to look at where you were. It was just a small recap though, not very informative. Perhaps when they give you your late news they'll have something more useful to say.

I wish. Perth just get BCC of eastern states news at night. Reminds me of the "Chopper" Weather Skit. Very true for WA

Sorry for the OT remarks though. It is a great tragedy when one of our deloved airplanes fails to gently return to earth.

 

[Saab34]

People can speculate all they want, but until the aircraft is found, answers to this is not possible.

 

[munitalP]

My thoughts are with those who have tragically lost their lives tonight...

Another sad day for air travel

Mr!

:-|

 

[bambbbam2]

Post off-topic.

 

[straitman]

I have lifted this link from PPrune.

ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A330-203 F-GZCP Atlantic Ocean

and

"Brasilian government sources report, that the airplane also disappeared from military radars (primary radars), that do not depend on transponder signals."

source: Crash: Air France A332 over Atlantic on June 1st 2009, aircraft missing

and

an airbus spokesman has said "the plane was probably struck by lightning"

Air France jet goes missing | The Sun |News

 

[Keith009]

Very sad indeed.

 

[straitman]

Latest Update from Air France

Update from Air France: Vol Air France 447 Rio de Janeiro - Paris-Charles de Gaulle

Brief translation

Air France regrets to announce the loss of flight AF 447 from Rio de Janeiro - Paris-Charles de Gaulle, expected arrival this morning at 11.10 am local, as just announced to the press by the Director General of Air France, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon.​

AF447 Aircraft F-GZCP A330-200 departed Rio de Janeiro on the 31st May 2009 at 19:03 Local time (00:03 paris time).


The aircraft went through a thunderstorm with strong turbulence at 2 am (universal time) or 4:00 GMT. An automated message was received at 2:14 (4:14 GMT) indicating a failure of electrical system in a remote area off the coast.


All civilian air traffic control Brazilian, African, Spanish and french have tried in vain to make contact with the flight AF447. The french military air traffic control tried to detect the aircraft without success.

216 pax onboard, 126 men, 82 women, 7 infants and babies.

12 crew (3 pilots, 9 cabin crew)

Captain 11,000 hrs TT (1700 on Airbus A330/A340)
Copilot 3,000 hrs TT (800 on Airbus A330/A340)
Copilot 6,600 hrs TT (2600 on Airbus A330/A340)

Aircraft equipped with engines General Electric CF6-80E.


Airframe had 18,870 flight hours since commencing service on 18 April 2005.

Last visit maintenance hangar dated 16 April 2009.

 

[v8Statesman]

Well some of you.. I usually watch eastern states tv as the time diff makes it better.

PM me how?

 

[samh004]

and

"Brasilian government sources report, that the airplane also disappeared from military radars (primary radars), that do not depend on transponder signals."

source: Crash: Air France A332 over Atlantic on June 1st 2009, aircraft missing

This was reported early on. I guess their radar is much better and the fact that it was missing on their systems should have been a big issue.

Someone on CNN is now reporting the signal sent from the plane to France indicated catastrophic electrical failure on the plane. Before they were saying it was just a report of several systems having issues. Not sure if this is media spin or not?

 

[QF WP]

Looks like this will be an Air Crash Investgation story in the future, depending on how much debris they find/locate and can salvage. Much can hopefully be learnt

 

[straitman]

You will probably get the best information from PPrune although their server appears to be overloaded at the minute.

 

[Blackadder]

Whilst nothing official is confirmed, it is looking more and more like all on board have been lost at sea.
May they all R.I.P

 

[Voyages]

I am going to have a minute silence in my lecture today.

I thought I was going to have a heart attack yesterday when I saw the news title as a colleague was flying from Paris to Singapore (who arrived safe and sound).

 

[markis10]

This was reported early on. I guess their radar is much better and the fact that it was missing on their systems should have been a big issue.

There is a good chance the plane was only just covered by the primary radars, which just show a blip without any other information, I doubt they are better, just have more output power.

Without the transponder information and the reported weather conditions probably making comms difficult, it would have been hard to draw immediate conclusions from the cessation of the radar paints, a distress phase could have only been called once the first missed reporting point passed some time later.

 

[Slats7]

Latest update:

Air France jet crashes into Atlantic with 228 aboard | U.S. | Reuters

An Air France plane with 228 people on board was presumed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after hitting stormy weather during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.