AF flight from Rio missing [merged]
#106
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 9,236
Slightly more information from the NYT:
The plane was carrying 228 people — 216 passengers and 12 crew members. Among the passengers were 126 men, 82 women, seven children and one infant. There were nine cabin crew members and three pilots, the airline said.
One hour after the flight took off at 7 p.m. local time on Sunday, the plane encountered an storm with “very heavy turbulence,” the Air France spokeswoman said. The plane disappeared from radar screens at 8:10 p.m., 10 minutes after the heavy turbulence was reported.
Air France officials said that it was not yet known what caused air traffic control to lose contact with the flight. As the flight’s electrical systems went down, it automatically sent a message informing air traffic control of the system failure, and then nothing was heard, Air France officials said in a press conference in Paris.
All jets are built to withstand severe turbulence, especially at upper flying levels, and Ms. Barrand said that the pilot was very experienced, having clocked 11,000 flying hours, including 1,100 hours on A330 jets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/wo...ef=global-home
The plane was carrying 228 people — 216 passengers and 12 crew members. Among the passengers were 126 men, 82 women, seven children and one infant. There were nine cabin crew members and three pilots, the airline said.
One hour after the flight took off at 7 p.m. local time on Sunday, the plane encountered an storm with “very heavy turbulence,” the Air France spokeswoman said. The plane disappeared from radar screens at 8:10 p.m., 10 minutes after the heavy turbulence was reported.
Air France officials said that it was not yet known what caused air traffic control to lose contact with the flight. As the flight’s electrical systems went down, it automatically sent a message informing air traffic control of the system failure, and then nothing was heard, Air France officials said in a press conference in Paris.
All jets are built to withstand severe turbulence, especially at upper flying levels, and Ms. Barrand said that the pilot was very experienced, having clocked 11,000 flying hours, including 1,100 hours on A330 jets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/wo...ef=global-home
#107
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CLE
Posts: 1,886
AF translation.
Air France has the regret to announce the disappearance of the flight AF 447 carrying out the liaison Rio of Janeiro – Paris Charles of Gaulle, arrived foreseen this morning to 11h10 local, as has just announced it to the press the general Director of Air France, Rock henri Gourgeon.
The device of type Airbus A330-200, registered F gzcp, left Rio May 31 to 19h03 local hour (00h03 hour of Paris).
The device crossed a stormy zone with strong turbulences at 2 o'clock in the morning (universal hour), be 4h00 hour of Paris. An automatic message was received to 2h14 (4h14 hour of Paris) indicating an electric circuit failure in a removed zone of the coast.
The aerial civil Brazilian check body, More african, More spanish and More french attempted in vain to establish the contact with the flight AF447. The aerial check French military officer tried to detect the airplane, unsuccessfully.
216 passengers are on board: 126 men, 82 women, 7 children and a baby.
The crew is composed from 12 flight ones: 3 flight techniques and 9 commercial flight ones.
The edge order has 11 000 hours of flight and already carried out 1 700 hours on Airbus A330/A340. The two copilots have 3 000 hours of flight for the one (of which 800 on Airbus A330/A340) and 6 600 for the other (of which 2 600 on Airbus A330/A340).
The device is equipped motors General Electric CF6-80E.
The airplane totals 18 870 hours of flight and was put in service April 18 2005. His last visit of discussion in shed dates back to April 16 2009.
Air France divides the emotion and the worry of the concerned families. The close ones are received in a specially reserved place to the terminal of Paris Charles of Gaulle 2.
A green number is opened 0800 800 812 for France, and + 33 1 57 02 10 55 for the foreigner. NB: We ask the journalists of not to call this reserved number to the families and to the close ones.
-------------------------------------------------------------
ETA: I have been on a 737 when it was hit by lightening, and it was scarry. May G-d have mercy on their souls.
The device of type Airbus A330-200, registered F gzcp, left Rio May 31 to 19h03 local hour (00h03 hour of Paris).
The device crossed a stormy zone with strong turbulences at 2 o'clock in the morning (universal hour), be 4h00 hour of Paris. An automatic message was received to 2h14 (4h14 hour of Paris) indicating an electric circuit failure in a removed zone of the coast.
The aerial civil Brazilian check body, More african, More spanish and More french attempted in vain to establish the contact with the flight AF447. The aerial check French military officer tried to detect the airplane, unsuccessfully.
216 passengers are on board: 126 men, 82 women, 7 children and a baby.
The crew is composed from 12 flight ones: 3 flight techniques and 9 commercial flight ones.
The edge order has 11 000 hours of flight and already carried out 1 700 hours on Airbus A330/A340. The two copilots have 3 000 hours of flight for the one (of which 800 on Airbus A330/A340) and 6 600 for the other (of which 2 600 on Airbus A330/A340).
The device is equipped motors General Electric CF6-80E.
The airplane totals 18 870 hours of flight and was put in service April 18 2005. His last visit of discussion in shed dates back to April 16 2009.
Air France divides the emotion and the worry of the concerned families. The close ones are received in a specially reserved place to the terminal of Paris Charles of Gaulle 2.
A green number is opened 0800 800 812 for France, and + 33 1 57 02 10 55 for the foreigner. NB: We ask the journalists of not to call this reserved number to the families and to the close ones.
-------------------------------------------------------------
ETA: I have been on a 737 when it was hit by lightening, and it was scarry. May G-d have mercy on their souls.
#108
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 920
It doesn't. There's no need to. The system is designed to report defects with the aircraft, not to track it's position.
#109
#110
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: RDU
Programs: AA GM, DL DM, DSC
Posts: 1,540
Presumably the series of automatics messages sent from the plane gave them enough insight to rule out terrorism. There is nothing suggest that they are morons.
#111
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: Priority Pass, DL SM, UA G, VA GM, SPG GM, HHonors GM, Marriott PM
Posts: 400
Well, in my view it could of helped in this situation if the last com with the aircraft was from the automated system. If the system is able to send a message as part of an automated system and has the ability to read the GPS coordinates then adding a couple digits to the data packet would not be anything major, but could provide more info that could be useful. Not saying its needed.
#115
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 9,236
#117
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Gold Coast
Programs: QFM Life
Posts: 67
Well, in my view it could of helped in this situation if the last com with the aircraft was from the automated system. If the system is able to send a message as part of an automated system and has the ability to read the GPS coordinates then adding a couple digits to the data packet would not be anything major, but could provide more info that could be useful. Not saying its needed.
#119
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: BCN
Programs: BA Gold · A3 Gold · DL Gold · VY apologist
Posts: 8,545
Everyone, I have had to edit and delete posts already in this thread. It's reprehensible that (especially at a time like this) people are calling names, attacking the nationality of others, and generally behaving like children. Knock it off.