Air France passenger jet drops off radar

[munitalP]

And more... (Avation Herald)

Sources within Air France reported, that the automatic message did not only report an electrical short circuit, but also the loss of cabin pressure. This information has been confirmed by Forca Aereas Brasileira

According to the Forca Aereas Brasileira the airplane was tracking from waypoint INTOL to TASIL, positions reports would have put the airplane approximately 440nm northnorthwest of the Island of Fernando de Noronha and right in the largest red zone on the infrared weather satellite image by NASA at 02:14Z. Weather Services said, that clouds and severe turbulence reached up to 55000 feet in that area.

This marks the first loss of an Airbus A330 in commercial operation ever. Four hull losses of Airbus A330s had occured in non-commercial flights


Mr!

 

[docjames]

Just terrible. RIP and condolences.

Two thoughts:

1. No-one has even mentioned/considered the possibility of terrorism/sabotage but it must be considered.

2. Hopefully they can find at least the CVR/FDR - concerning given the QF incident in WA appeared to be electrical gremlin(s), and the only info we have on this is electrical problems fed back to maintenance.

 

[Slats7]

Just terrible. RIP and condolences.

Two thoughts:

1. No-one has even mentioned/considered the possibility of terrorism/sabotage but it must be considered.

2. Hopefully they can find at least the CVR/FDR - concerning given the QF incident in WA appeared to be electrical gremlin(s), and the only info we have on this is electrical problems fed back to maintenance.

I did hear that being mentioned on the news last night.

 

[Slats7]

Missing Air France jet same type as Qantas nose dive plane | World News | News.com.au

THE Air France plane missing over the Atlantic Ocean is a shortened version of the Qantas jet which malfunctioned suddenly over Western Australia last year.

The media love to try and get Qantas involved.

 

[Grooba]

Unfortunately terrorism is getting mentioned more and more as the hours pass.

Such a tragedy.

 

[samh004]

Missing Air France jet same type as Qantas nose dive plane | World News | News.com.au

The media love to try and get Qantas involved.

They probably read it here.

Unfortunately terrorism is getting mentioned more and more as the hours pass.

Such a tragedy.

While I wouldn't rule it out, all they need right now is a scapegoat. We'll just have to continue waiting for an answer.

 

[oz_mark]

It shouldn't bring a plane down though.

As I understand it, the weakest link in lightning protection is actually the weather radar. If they were in storm territory (and the area is bad for thunderstorms), and a lightning strike took the weather radar out then the ability to avoid severe weather cells is somewhat diminished.


NB Any conclusions that would be drawn from this is obviously speculative in nature

 

[NYCguy]

Unfortunately terrorism is getting mentioned more and more as the hours pass.

By whom? Most of the reports I'm seeing think it's pretty unlikely that the craft was downed by a bomb. The evidence from the telemetry seems to point to something other than an out-of-the-blue explosive decompression and disintegration.

The best synopsis so-far is on Reuters. I also recommend; if you have reasonable French; the coverage at lemonde.fr.

 

[docjames]

Love the way those stories are always "by staff writers".

Too gutless to put someones name on it. :evil:

 

[Slats7]

As I understand it, the weakest link in lightning protection is actually the weather radar. If they were in storm territory (and the area is bad for thunderstorms), and a lightning strike took the weather radar out then the ability to avoid severe weather cells is somewhat diminished.


NB Any conclusions that would be drawn from this is obviously speculative in nature

It just seems highly unlikely to me but no doubt more information will come out in the forthcoming days and we should get a better idea of what happened.

Hopefully they find the black box.

 

[Slats7]

Major crashes since 2006:

TIMELINE: Major plane crashes in past three years | Reuters

Just shows how safe flying is - not that many major crashes over the last few years.

 

[NYCguy]

It just seems highly unlikely to me but no doubt more information will come out in the forthcoming days and we should get a better idea of what happened.

Highly unlikely events happen in meteorology - BOAC 911 is a clear case in point.

 

[Slats7]

Highly unlikely events happen in meteorology - BOAC 911 is a clear case in point.

Technology has come along way since 1966 though.

 

[taswegian77]

My prayers and thoughts go out to the families of those on the flight.

 

[NYCguy]

Technology has come along way since 1966 though.

Yeah... Like the rudder mechanism that snapped on AA 587.

 

[oz_mark]

Technology has come along way since 1966 though.

...and to a large extent that involves detecting and avoiding the worst of the weather, such as a significant storm cell.


If you have lost your ability to detect a large storm cell in front of you you may have a problem. If you have a depressurisation that causes you to have to descend through one, you may have a problem.

We don't know what happened here, but don't underestimate the force of natural events.

 

[Slats7]

Yeah... Like the rudder mechanism that snapped on AA 587.

AA fault for failing properly train pilots the characteristics of the rudder.

 

[NYCguy]

AA fault for failing properly train pilots the characteristics of the rudder.

Nonetheless, the mechanism did fail. Spectacularly.

 

[Slats7]

Nonetheless, the mechanism did fail. Spectacularly.

The mechanism did fail but the rudder was not designed to function like that and if AA had properly trained pilots the accident would not have occured.

I hope that after every disaster air travel becomes somewhat safer.

 

[NYCguy]

The mechanism did fail but the rudder was not designed to function like that and if AA had properly trained pilots the accident would not have occured.

That's my point - aircraft are carefully designed and rigorously tested, but occasionally there is a circumstance that wasn't foreseen by the engineers, and the limits of a component suddenly become all too obvious.