nicolas75

Air France is currently preparing a list by nationality "of the passengers of flight AF 447, which disappeared early Monday off the coast of Brazil between Rio de Janeiro to Paris," said a source close to the Air France direction.

"The list of victims can not be communicated. We have no right to communicate, only the national authorities (French and Brazilian) can do it", added on the same source.

"We are consolidating the list by nationality, but we will not share any passenger list for legal reasons, insisted on adding that" the whole company is now focused on assistance to families in Paris and Brazil. Support will be provided by "Air France staff specially trained, psychologists and volunteers who speak Brazilian Portuguese."

source: Le Nouvel Observateur

4GSM

My condolences to all involved.

Henry III

Although, I fear, it is increasingly unlikely, there is still an outside chance that this was not fatal. After all, disabled planes can crash-land on water with good survival rates (remember the recent incident at JFK/ditching in river).

YVR Cockroach

Supposedly if the FBW joystick controls go, the backup is using the trim wheels.

oly_flyer

Just wanted to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families.

mlhall

YVR Cockroach

In commercial service. One crashed around TLS many years back. The a/c was being flown for predelivery flights and had Airbus crew and a flight crew from a prospective customer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A330_test_flight_crash

Sierra Kilo

Here on the telly in BKK, Richard Quest of CNN International is reporting a statement from the Brazilian Air Force indicating a report of "loss of pressure" from the "automated system" aboard the plane (presumably ACARS).

This is said to be in addition to the reports of turbulence and a short circuit in the electrics. The implication of the story is loss of cabin pressure, though I know how the media can get things wrong, especially when translating technical material from other languages is involved.

Blank Sheet

A lighting strike on a metal bird simply gets conducted through the airplane. Basically the aircraft is just part of the path as the lighting passes through it.

On composite planes this is much different. Composite does not conduct electricity therefore a metal mesh is installed to allow the same conductivity of a metal plane. During tests of just straight composite material, holes are blown out by an electrical strike.

http://www.lightningtech.com/d~ta/faq1.html

chasbondy

Hopefully, NSA, Pentagon, NASA and Russian satellites have joined the operation by now??

nicolas75

A BNP Paribas spokesman denied the rumor citing the presence of some top management members of the bank on the Air France plane which disappeared over the Atlantic.

"We certify that no member of the top management of BNP Paribas was in the plane which disappeared," said a spokeswoman for the bank.

"Neither Michel Pébereau, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BNP Paribas, and Baudouin Prot, the CEO, were on this plane," said the spokeswoman for the bank.

source: Le Nouvel Oberservateur

sbm12

It was LGA and they had the luxury of landing on the relatively placid Hudson River. Landing on open water where there is motion on the surface is a MUCH riskier proposition and much less likely to happen successfully. The plane on the Hudson also had the advantage of full operations of their systems, other than the engines. At this point it sounds like the reason this plane went down is because they didn't have control of those systems.

Truly a sad day in the aviation world.

General_Flyer

Just hopes that the electrical failure is isolated only to its communications system.. And that every1 of the 228 passengers are safe and sound wherever they are..

If the worst comes, then I could only offer my most sincere condolences for the loss of all family members of those of the passengers onboard..

nicolas75

A majority of Brazilians, at least 40 Frenchs and 20 Germans were among the passengers on the Airbus A330 disappeared Monday between Rio de Janeiro and Paris, said the French Minister for Transport, Jean-Louis Borloo.

"There is a majority of Brazilians, between 40 and 60 French, 25 Germans and on issues identified at this time," said to the AFP Mr Borloo.

Six Danish, five Italians, three Moroccans and two Lebanese were also among the passengers, according to various sources. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed his fear that some British passengers were also in the plane

source: Le Point

CDG1

I highly doubt that BNP Paribas flies their 2 highest executives on commercial liners.

It's private jets every time, IMHO.