Air France AF447 crash into the Atlantic: Airbus A330 aircraft parts found

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AirBozz
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Air France AF447 crash into the Atlantic: Airbus A330 aircraft parts found

Post by AirBozz »

Breaking News
Air France Airbus A330 from Rio to Paris missing above the Atlantic
215 PAX
Last edited by AirBozz on 01 Jun 2009, 12:23, edited 1 time in total.

AirBozz
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Re: Air France A330 missing

Post by AirBozz »

more details emerging...

AFR447 A332 from Rio to Paris
planned arrival time 11:10 currently est 12:10

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taz001
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by taz001 »

According to CNN there are 216 pax on board and 12 crew members

regi
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Re: Air France A330 missing

Post by regi »

news is popping up everywhere now. BBC, Independent, CNN,...
Brazilian airfirce confirmed that the plane disappeared from the radar. But no emergency call, no transponder, nothing, just gone.
If this is what it seems to be, it is the number in the statistics that nobody wants to have.
Very few accidents happened the last 15 years above the Atlantic. the ( maybe ) suicide Egyptair, Swissair MD-11, that Transat landing without fuel.
I am thinking about Virgin that said that 4 was better than 2, referring to its decision to fly A340.

Despite I know it it is way too early, we can start thinking about possible causes.
  • a sudden decompression caused by an explosion ( bomb, fuel gasses) or another sudden hull structure problem.
    an engine explosion, causing rupture of the wing and fuselage perforations.
    a missile attack or accident.It is not the first time that a marine rocket shoots down a loaded civilian airplane .( Iran flight 655 shot down by the USS cruiser Vincennes + The Siberian Air Tu-154 shot down during naval excercises above the Black Sea + the Korean B747 shot down by the Russians)

I doubt the loss of oxygen as with the Greek airplane. The A330 would have flown around on automatic for some hours extra.

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Zorba
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by Zorba »

Scary stuff, I hope they'll find the plane :?
Tot hier en verder

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ATC
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by ATC »

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/b ... _arifrance
source/ VRT

translation/

Belgium media reporting "no more hope for Airbus Air France".

Plane is already missing for hours, rescue mission was under way near the island of Fernando de Noronha.
Noronha (Brazil).

Air France and airport officials said "We are very worried".

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grnkg
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Re: Air France A330 missing

Post by grnkg »

regi wrote: Despite I know it it is way too early,
Then why even bother to write down what you wrote? It serves to absolutely nothing...

I also want to know the cause of accidents/incidents, but let's wait until after the flight has actually been classified as such.

For now, GOOD LUCK to the crew as well as all others involved.

Kind regards,
GR.

sdbelgium
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by sdbelgium »

F-GZCP newest of 16 A332s with AF.
http://www.flightlevel.be/20090601_air- ... t-rio.html (in Dutch)
Last edited by sdbelgium on 01 Jun 2009, 14:06, edited 3 times in total.

airazurxtror
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by airazurxtror »

According to TF1 just now, citing the French minister Jean-Louis Borloo, the last message from the A330 was about a degradation of flight conditions due to electric problems and a beginning of depressurisation. The flight disappeared only 1h10 before its STA at CDG, thus near Morocco.

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Depretair
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by Depretair »

Hello,


Sad news to start the month ...
airazurxtror wrote:According to TF1 just now, citing the French minister Jean-Louis Borloo, the last message from the A330 was about a degradation of flight conditions due to electric problems and a beginning of depressurisation. The flight disappeared only 1h10 before its STA at CDG, thus near Morocco.
In my opinion, it's impossible to fly between Morroco and CDG in 1h10 min !
I was also listening to TF1, and it was not very clear...

Wait and see ...

All my thougts to the families of those involved in this crash.

Oli ;-)

leopoldm
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by leopoldm »

Some additional flight information about AF447 :

http://airlineroute.blogspot.com/

AirBozz
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by AirBozz »

http://aviation.weathersa.co.za/aviatio ... wsaL00&2=2

CB's along the route between north Brazil and Africa

according to news sources (press conference) Brazil Airforce reports they left radar coverage at 01:33 UTC and distress messages (CPDLC ??) sent at 02:14 UTC with electrical failure due to turbulence

note:
"left radar coverage" does NOT mean LOST radar contact
I assume they left the radar range along the coast to cross the atlantic where there is no radar coverage ofcourse
As there was still contact via satelite or HF 40mins later..

sdbelgium
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by sdbelgium »

About 80 Brazilians, 3 Maroccons, 5 Italians and an unknown number of Britons on board. Passenger list consisted of 126 men, 82 women, 7 children and one baby.

b-west

Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by b-west »

There were also 3 passengers on board who had BRU (with TGV) as their end destination, these could be Belgians.

b720
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by b720 »

Horrible news, I fear we have to expect the worst.

regi
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by regi »

to grnkg:
some people do want to anticipate. They like to think. I just gave some possebilities of a sudden disappearance.
If you would have done your home work, you would have found out that I was the first one who saw wind shear as the cause of the Orient Thai crash at Phuket.

The possible causes I gave in this case seem to be wrong. The first reports dripp in talking about a lightning strike.

This is a forum to spread ideas. It is not an Encyclopedia Avionica. I did not offend anybody giving some possible causes. But I do feel uneasy if people tell me I have to shut up and wait to what is said to me.

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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by Malaysia »

I'm sorry for the family's but the plane had crashed.

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galaxy
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by galaxy »

At a news conference in Paris, an Air France spokesman described that specific chain of events.

"The plane went through turbulence and then a number of automatic messages were transmitted by the aircraft to say that there was a fault," said the spokesman. "Around 7:00 [am] Paris time, it was clear that the plane was in deep trouble."

A government source in Brazil says the plane disappeared from Brazilian radar screens around three-and-a-half hours into the flight. That would put it closer to Brazil than France, but the jet's last-known location is not precisely known.

Brazilian air force planes on the island of Fernando de Noronha have been searching for the airliner.

France's ambassador to the west African country of Senegal says French military planes there have also joined in the search.

Meanwhile at Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris, friends and relatives of those onboard are being taken care of at a special closed off area.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-06-01-voa11.cfm
Voici le communiqué publié lundi 1er juin par Air France à la suite de la disparition du vol AF 447.

"Roissy, le 1er juin 2009, 14 h 15

Air France a le regret d'annoncer la disparition du vol AF 447 effectuant la liaison Rio de Janeiro – Paris-Charles de Gaulle, arrivée prévue ce matin à 11 h 10 locales, comme vient de l'annoncer à la presse le directeur général d'Air France, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon.
L'appareil de type Airbus A330-200, immatriculé F-GZCP, a quitté Rio le 31 mai à 19 h 03 heure locale (00 h 03 heure de Paris). L'appareil a traversé une zone orageuse avec fortes turbulences à 2 heures du matin (heure universelle), soit 4 heures, heure de Paris. Un message automatique a été reçu à 2 h 14 (4h14 heure de Paris) indiquant une panne de circuit électrique dans une zone éloignée de la côte.L'ensemble des contrôles aériens civils brésilien, africain, espagnol et français ont tenté en vain d'établir le contact avec le vol AF447. Le contrôle aérien militaire français a essayé de détecter l'avion, sans succès.
216 passagers sont à bord : 126 hommes, 82 femmes, 7 enfants et un bébé. L'équipage est composé de 12 navigants : 3 navigants techniques et 9 navigants commerciaux. Le commandant de bord a 11 000 heures de vol et déjà effectué 1 700 heures sur Airbus A330/A340. Les deux copilotes ont 3 000 heures de vol pour l'un (dont 800 sur Airbus A330/A340) et 6 600 pour l'autre (dont 2 600 sur Airbus A330/A340).

L'appareil est équipé de moteurs General Electric CF6-80E. L'avion totalise 18 870 heures de vol et a été mis en service le 18 avril 2005. Sa dernière visite d'entretien en hangar date du 16 avril 2009.

Air France partage l'émotion et l'inquiétude des familles concernées. Les proches sont reçus dans un endroit spécialement réservé à l'aérogare de Paris-Charles de Gaulle 2.

Un numéro vert est ouvert 0800 800 812 pour la France, et 00 33 1 57 02 10 55 pour l'étranger."
http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2 ... _3224.html
Picture of the doomed F-GZCP
Image
Last edited by galaxy on 01 Jun 2009, 17:15, edited 2 times in total.

Boeing767copilot
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by Boeing767copilot »

MESSAGE AIRBUS

1st June 2009


Air France flight AF 447
Media Information on Air France AF 447 (Issue I)

Airbus regrets to confirm that an Airbus A330-200 operated by Air France has been lost about 3.5 hours after departure. The aircraft was operating a scheduled service, Flight AF 447, from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Paris (France).

The missing aircraft involved in the accident, registered under the number F-GZCP, was MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 660, delivered to Air France from the production line in April 2005. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 18,800 flight hours in some 2,500 flights. It was powered by CF6-80E1 engines. At this time no further factual information is available.

In line with ICAO Annex 13 international convention, Airbus has offered full technical assistance to the investigation board. The investigation remains the entire responsibility of the relevant board and it would be inappropriate for Airbus to enter into any form of speculation into the causes of the accident.

The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident.

* * *

For further information, please contact:
AIRBUS - MEDIA RELATIONS
Tel.: (33) 05.61.93.10.00

also available on Internet: http://www.airbus.com

cnc
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Re: Air France flight AFR447 Airbus A332 missing

Post by cnc »

media is talking about a tropical thunderstorm and the A/C should be hit by lightning.
I'm not going to speculate about the true or false media reports but i do have a couple questions.

1: is lightning realy that dangerous during flight ? in theory electricity would travel a couple cm to a couple m via the hull or whereever it made contact and then leave again so unless passing true some point with heavy electric resistance all should be fine

2: if they (ground ops or pilots) knew about a tropical storm shouldn't they have to chance the route to avoid it ?

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