Air France Plane down

reply to post by Ivar_Karlsen


I was only repeating what an expert was saying on Sky News. He said there was a series of buoys which monitored air traffic once a plane went out of range of land based radar.

The search area according to CNN. Seems a bit close to the coast to me... It's interesting to see how confused the media is over this with different reports from Brazil and France.

Last ANAC press release - 11h.
Brasília, June 1, 2009 (11am) -

The airline Air France will release the list of passengers of flight AF 447 only after checking the nationality of the passengers from the Federal Police in Brazil and after directly informing the relatives of missing passengers. For these reasons, there's no estimate of the time schedule for the release of the list of passengers to the press.

The airline Air France set up the Center for Management of the crisis in Paris (France). Family members can obtain information with Air France in Brazil in 0800 and 8,812,020 in Paris phone 33-1-5702-1055. The ANAC also assists families by telephone (61) 3366-9303 and (61) 3366-9307, the ANAC. These phones are exclusive to meet relatives of passengers.

www.anac.gov.br...

Maybe they should employ submarines to help in the search. There could be people still alive and trapped in air pockets within the airplane. The black box's should also have an explosive charge set up that if it reaches a certain depth it goes off. Much like emergency rafts in airplanes.

reply to post by Yetichi


Dude, this isn't Airport '77.

reply to post by Yetichi


Any air pockets would be of a size too small to sustain human life for this many hours.

guys this article is pretty good
www.usatoday.com...

Some of you might find it interesting

yes it was CB that was grounded - although it`s first flight was only 29/11/2001


eather in the area at the time


aviationweather.gov...

reply to post by Yetichi



There wont be any plane left to hold air pockets. If it's come down from 30,000 ft plus after an on board catastrophy then the plane, I'm sorry to say, will have disintegrated.
By the way, Sky have just reported that there's thought to be six British citisens on board the French airliner.

Aren't there some islands in the area?

No sign of wreckage found yet?

Strange, I always like to hold out hope against the odds.

What if the pilot was able to pull off a miracle and put the plane in the water near an island and there are survivors waiting for rescue there?

Still sad news no matter what the outcome.

They said if it is as bad as some think this would be the single worst air tragedy in 30 years.

Can lightning alone actually bring down a plane like this?

Originally posted by ixnay
reply to post by Did you see them

 

I thought that was a different plane? ...CB being the one that was grounded and ...CP being the missing airline.

Yes

My bad

Need to put brain up a gear.

No one can say if it is lightning or bomb or terrorist until it is found.

However, they have to say something so as to pacify the grieving relatives in the airport.

After all, the relatives are demanding explanations.

Brief loose translation:

They inform that last radio contact with CINDACTA III was at the INTOL position (565Km from Natal), informing that they would reach the TASIL position at 23:20 (brasilian local time).

They left radar coverage at 22:48. Last info shows the flight at level 350 and 453kt. They did not report to CINDACTA III at TASIL as expected, and that info was relayed to DAKAR control.

AIRFRANCE informed CINDACTA III that about 100Km from TASIL the aircraft reported loss of pressurisation and electrical problems

The above mentioned "TASIL" waypoint is at 4° 0' 18N 29° 59' 24W

Which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, slightly less than halfway from NW Brazil to Cape Verde - 4° 0' 18N 29° 59' 24W - Google Maps

Pretty deep ocean around there I'd imagine

reply to post by Walkswithfish


Lightning shouldn't be able to bring down a passenger airliner, but it could've helped bring it down.

Here is an interesting post I found over on the sky news website.
/mkfmm7

As a requent flyer, I have always been lead to believe that lightning was not a danger to aircraft, as the body of the aircraft acted like a "faraday cage" allowing the electricity to flow arround the plane but not through it.

Have these planes been modified to allow mobile phone use?

Posted By :Kevin Report This

I have also believed that that was the case.And having flown through fierce electrical storms in Malaysia was not too worried at the time because of that belief. Now I won't be too sure that it is safe.

Planes get hit by lightning all the time - I really wouldn't worry about it. That being said, I think it's in a realm of possibility of causing a problem, though.

Had a very vivid dream early this morning of an airliner crashing in to the ocean...there was at least one survivor. When I woke up and saw the news of this missing jet, it sent chills down my spine. My thoughts go out to the family of the passengers.

Thunderstorms causing or exacerbating problems for this flight seems very plausible given the recent weather conditions off the East coast of Brazil. Here is an weather radar image of the area with an animated image for the past several hours:

weather.msfc.nasa.gov...

There is large line of strong stroms stretching almost from Africa to Brazil. It could also be a starting stage for a tropil storm heading to the Carribean. Lightning strike sounds were unlikely for the main cause of the accident, and turbulance is somewhat more realistic. Still I wonder why the crew didn't try to avoid the strong storms, if the accident was indeed caused by that.




[edit on 1-6-2009 by maloy]

Originally posted by dreamsrfree
Since my daughter had to ditch her cellphone eartlier in Canada for the lack of reception the only contact I have is via computer!!! AND as I can't make international calls from home I'm unable to call the airline number. My daughter was never on a travel list either much to my disappointment. I ask you this.........how would you feel in my position particually with the nasty response you've just given me???

I may have well come across a little curt, but come on! if I thought that for one minute my child was on this flight I would go an find a phone. Not just type a few lines on a thread on a web site.

What about payphones? neighbours? family members? Yes ATS is a good site to obtain information but its not going to have the information you want before the airline broadcasts it publicly.

Get to a payphone and double check no harm in trying.

reply to post by Nuclear Bacon


I don't know, I had people tell me that you are safe in a vehicle from lightning but then you see things like this:

www.vidmax.com...

I have personally seen a big truck that was struck by lightning and it fried every wire and electrical circuit in the vehicle, as well as melted a lot of the inside dash components.

As for an aircraft, I have always been told that lightning was nothing to fear, and have flown many time in storms without incident.

These new aircraft are all computerized, and most use electric motors and servos to operate the control surfaces rather than hydraulic systems of the past which could still have some redundant controls in an electrical failure.

If it was lightning that caused an "electrical failure" to put it into perspective it would have been like driving your personal car at high speed and losing your breaks and steering at the same time... Not much you can do about it but wait for the crash.