AF flight from Rio missing [merged]
Jun 1, 2009, 10:11 am
#181
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Jun 1, 2009, 10:12 am
#182
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Terrible news. Keep hoping that against all odds they somehow made it.
Question for the knowledgeable: How is it possible that there is no signal from the aircraft? Is there anything besides the transponder that would be useful in identifying its position? Is the black box capable of transmitting its location?
As for the A330, wasn't this the type of aircraft that was involved in the AA accident in November 2001? Not that it has any relevance to this case, just curious since some people mentioned that this aircraft type has a perfect safety record.
My heart goes out to these poor people who were on board and their families.
Question for the knowledgeable: How is it possible that there is no signal from the aircraft? Is there anything besides the transponder that would be useful in identifying its position? Is the black box capable of transmitting its location?
As for the A330, wasn't this the type of aircraft that was involved in the AA accident in November 2001? Not that it has any relevance to this case, just curious since some people mentioned that this aircraft type has a perfect safety record.
My heart goes out to these poor people who were on board and their families.
Jun 1, 2009, 10:12 am
#183
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Jun 1, 2009, 10:12 am
#184
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The fuselage barrel is largely aluminum, though there are multiple composite structures. Construction is fairly consistent with other commercial aircraft of the same generation, including the B-777 and MD-11.
Jun 1, 2009, 10:15 am
#185
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Jun 1, 2009, 10:21 am
#186
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Regarding the overarching question of whether senior executives might fly commercial rather than private, I am not convinced that 'it is private jets every time.' Even if they generally fly private jets in Europe, and even perhaps to New York, Paribas may not own the plane that can fly GIG-CDG non-stop. Also, risk management might encourage them to split two senior executives up so that there would be less risk of losing two senior executives in one disaster. Would they fly two private planes or ask one executive to fly commercial?
Jun 1, 2009, 10:22 am
#187
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I really wouldn't put both of them together on the same plane. esp for intercontinental flights. dun even think i'd put them on the same plane for paris-london
Jun 1, 2009, 10:23 am
#188
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I'm shocked that more from (at least our gov't) the gov't hasn't surfaced. Our satellites can track anything and everything. There (I will bet my house on this) is some sort of record in the DoD, NASA, NSA etc Databases on this flight; maybe we are tracking something related to this.. but I am speculating that our satellites know what happened
Jun 1, 2009, 10:28 am
#189
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I'm shocked that more from (at least our gov't) the gov't hasn't surfaced. Our satellites can track anything and everything. There (I will bet my house on this) is some sort of record in the DoD, NASA, NSA etc Databases on this flight; maybe we are tracking something related to this.. but I am speculating that our satellites know what happened
Jun 1, 2009, 10:30 am
#190
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Jun 1, 2009, 10:31 am
#191
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I'm shocked that more from (at least our gov't) the gov't hasn't surfaced. Our satellites can track anything and everything. There (I will bet my house on this) is some sort of record in the DoD, NASA, NSA etc Databases on this flight; maybe we are tracking something related to this.. but I am speculating that our satellites know what happened
Jun 1, 2009, 10:33 am
#192
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Details, please?
Regarding the overarching question of whether senior executives might fly commercial rather than private, I am not convinced that 'it is private jets every time.' Even if they generally fly private jets in Europe, and even perhaps to New York, Paribas may not own the plane that can fly GIG-CDG non-stop. Also, risk management might encourage them to split two senior executives up so that there would be less risk of losing two senior executives in one disaster. Would they fly two private planes or ask one executive to fly commercial?
Regarding the overarching question of whether senior executives might fly commercial rather than private, I am not convinced that 'it is private jets every time.' Even if they generally fly private jets in Europe, and even perhaps to New York, Paribas may not own the plane that can fly GIG-CDG non-stop. Also, risk management might encourage them to split two senior executives up so that there would be less risk of losing two senior executives in one disaster. Would they fly two private planes or ask one executive to fly commercial?
Gulfstream G550 range 6750nm. well within the limits (Great circle mapper: 4946nm, G550 had flown from Seoul to Orlando)
Jun 1, 2009, 10:39 am
#193
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To echo some other comments, it's almost no chance this was exclusively a lightning strike problem. After the Pan Am flight there have been several design requirements to prevent thattype of problem. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I've been struck by lightning before in a plane. Loud, but uneventful.
Now; a lightning strike plus some other things going wrong, well.
I was flying over the Atlantic last night; always quite sobering to consider that another flight did not go as smoothly as yours.
Thoughts and prayers for the families and friends of those on board. May the ensuing investigation find the evidence needed to satisfy their curiosity about what happened.
Now; a lightning strike plus some other things going wrong, well.
I was flying over the Atlantic last night; always quite sobering to consider that another flight did not go as smoothly as yours.
Thoughts and prayers for the families and friends of those on board. May the ensuing investigation find the evidence needed to satisfy their curiosity about what happened.
Jun 1, 2009, 10:41 am
#194
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I would point out that any speculation at this time as to cause is just that -- speculation. Most major accidents are the product of a cascade of events that culminate in an accident. While flying in CB (thunderstorms) can break up an aircraft in flight, it is altogether possible that the true cause was something else altogether and that the presence of weather had little to do with what happened. There's way too much missing information to make an informed guess at what happened and a real chance that the true cause will never be known, as any reasonable conclusion would depend on recovering the CVR/FDR and getting data from them. The apparent presence of electrical problems may mean that those devices could lack key data. Moreover, recovery is always complicated when the accident is over open ocean.
My sympathy is with the friends and family of the passengers and crew. The lack of information here must be agonizing for them.
Jun 1, 2009, 10:41 am
#195
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No there was a fatal test accident in 93 iirc.
AP is reporting a loss of cabin pressure measure automatically sent from the plane.
If you look at the photos of the US regional jet that was hit by lightning, it is possible for lightning to blow a hole in the skin of the aircraft.
Originally Posted by LeSabre74
Very sad. My condolences to all involved. 
Is this the first fatal crash for the A330?
Is this the first fatal crash for the A330?
AP is reporting a loss of cabin pressure measure automatically sent from the plane.
If you look at the photos of the US regional jet that was hit by lightning, it is possible for lightning to blow a hole in the skin of the aircraft.