Air France flight 447 missing

[Thump_rrr]

"SAO PAULO, Brazil - Air France has lost contact with a plane carrying 228 people from Brazil to Paris, an official said Monday.

"Air France regrets to announce that it is without news from Air France flight 447 flying from Rio to Paris, spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand said.

She said the flight was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members.

Brazil's air force said a search began Monday morning near the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.

The plane disappeared about 186 miles (300 kilometers) northeast of the coastal Brazilian city of Natal and near Fernando de Noronha, the spokesman said.

He spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with Air Force policy.

Barrand said "Air France shares the emotion and worry of the families concerned."

She said the airline has installed an information center at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport for the families of those aboard.

The flight was scheduled to arrive in Paris at 0915 GMT (5:15 a.m. EDT), according to the airport. "

Air France flight goes missing over Atlantic - Americas- msnbc.com

 

[F1reStart3r]

The flight lost coms after hitting severe weather.

 

[03cobra#694]

Wow,I didn`t see this on the news this morning.

 

[sharkbite]

Wow. That sucks. I would hate to have been the controller on duty at the time. It's such a sick feeling losing an aircraft, I can only imagine one with so many passengers. Old ATC saying... There's never a reason to fly into a thunderstorm in peacetime.

 

[SnkBtn99]

Now how in the hell do you lose a big freakin jet :shrug:

 

[cobra_4]

This sucks all the people on board are in my thoughts and prayers

 

[sharkbite]

Now how in the hell do you lose a big freakin jet :shrug:

If they get caught up in bad weather? Pretty easily. A/C can lose altitude rapidly and drop off radar. If they take a lightning strike, or something catastrophic happens, their transponder can drop off and only leave us with a primary radar return. After that, you only have a general idea as to where the plane last was. Plus, the ocean is a pretty big hiding spot and might just barely conceal a passenger jet.

 

[SnkBtn99]

If they get caught up in bad weather? Pretty easily. A/C can lose altitude rapidly and drop off radar. If they take a lightning strike, or something catastrophic happens, their transponder can drop off and only leave us with a primary radar return. After that, you only have a general idea as to where the plane last was. Plus, the ocean is a pretty big hiding spot and might just barely conceal a passenger jet.

I get all that, but with today's technology, don' these things have redundant GPS tracking systems, etc that even if it did go down we should at least have a spot on it?

I mean, we can track little Jimmy and his puppy but we cannot track an airbus.

 

[F1reStart3r]

I get all that, but with today's technology, don' these things have redundant GPS tracking systems, etc that even if it did go down we should at least have a spot on it?

That is the transponder. Without it you only have radar contact, and then visual contact and that's it.

 

[matab14]

From what I understood on the news this morning they were talking about how there was no from of GPS tracking on the plane when crossing the Atlantic Ocean. It went on to say something along the lines of the pilot has to periodically call in the coordinates while they were flying over the Ocean....

 

[AaronK]

Heard that this morning. All we can do is hope for the best.

 

[N2DAMYSTIC]

Soon enough they will find debris floating and find a general area to begin tracking it.

 

[03 TOPLESSSVT]

Soon enough they will find debris floating and find a general area to begin tracking it.

I am afraid thats exactly whats going to happen.

 

[Robert Francis]

This is a tragic incident as obviously the plane is down in the ocean as it has long run out of fuel.

 

[sharkbite]

They're just going to have to narrow the search grid down and start dragging sonar over it until found. Debris can give a general location, but underwater currents can move debris miles before it surfaces if the plane's in deep water.

 

[VAMPIR3]

Just curious, did this plane happen to be flying thru the Bermuda Triangle? I know thats a stretch but the fact that they havent found any debris or anything yet in the water is just puzzeling:shrug:

 

[firemanmike]

LOST II coming to a TV near you soon!!!

 

[1993R]

Just curious, did this plane happen to be flying thru the Bermuda Triangle? I know thats a stretch but the fact that they havent found any debris or anything yet in the water is just puzzeling:shrug:

Bermuda Triangle is in Northern Latitudes for the most part not South America

 

[VAMPIR3]

Bermuda Triangle is in Northern Latitudes for the most part not South America

Gotcha... wasn't sure of the flight pattern and if they were crossing thru that or not:shrug: They apparently were 2 1/2 hours into the flight so they made some distance

 

[1993R]

Flight plan was posted on Fox...no where near Triangle. Triangle is actually strongest off NC coast if you believe in it..........