Posted on 06/02/2009 7:51:15 PM PDT by brytlea
Usually with a bomb someone accepts responsibility. Is that not being reported?
You are correct. But the last communications from the plane said that their power was failing.
“That COULD explain the absence of a MAYDAY call!”
TWO Debris fields, 35 miles apart is pretty self-explanatory, in my view.
It means a mid-air breakup, with different sections coming down in different areas.
I thought “bomb” from the first moment I heard this.
Some reports said the auto report system transmitted a signal that said there was a simultaneous power failure and loss of cabin pressure.
Not an improbable bomb signature, as are widely separated debris fields.
(Welcome to FR, BTW)...
“I was surprised at how many Arabic looking passengers boarded”
Not really surprising...
Air France is the safest Airline of Choice for flights from N. and Central Africa, as well as Syria/Lebanon.
Large numbers of Arab ethnic folks isn’t unusual for Air France.
this is not good
Just remember they are Obama’s family, Friends, Congregants, Associate, Classmates and Partners in Crime. Why, Oh Why should we be surprized when Obama invites them to Dinner and Sleepovers in the Lincoln bedroom, and gives them Free Access to Al of Our Nuclear Secrets and Designs.
After all, Barry Soetoro wants them to Love HIM! NOT AMERICA!
Welcome to FR, gosh, you arrived just in time for this crash! Your expertise surely will be welcome:-)
It sounds like Airbus has now had a rare center wing tank explosion. You know the one where it only happens once, and almost nothing is done but a symbolic attempt to prevent it from happening again, wink wink. I wonder if Airbus will race out to take credit for the explosion, like Boeing did.
I agree. Thank you very much for your welcome
Thank you very much for the welcome. I am not an expert. I am just an observer of life.
Here is an interesting site with very detailed information on weather and possible causes. No mention of a bomb, but he wrote this before the bomb scare. http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/af447/
I think it suggests a single plane coming apart at altitude and the debris spreading over a huge area as it falls. Lightening might POSSIBLY cause electrical failure, but not catastrophic failure of the entire craft.....
Much more likely than lightening and other stupid dumb butt delusions trying to be sold in the media.
exactly. Lightening is just some red herring.
They should think again.
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Synopsis: Approaching Mildenhall, after an Atlantic crossing with a known inoperative weather radar, the aircraft entered an area of thunderstorms and heavy rain. The aircraft encountered severe turbulence and broke up in-flight. There were no survivors of 18 onboard.
The crew was alerted from home station at 2100 hours local. The aircraft commander had spent a full duty day in the office, the day of the mission.
The aircraft’s previous crew had written up the APN-59 radar as "extremely weak and unusable", but on the ground it seemed to be working, so it was signed off as "Ops Check Okay". The maintenance crewman assigned to fix the radar, did not know that it had been written up eight times previously.
At McGuire Base Ops, the Mildenhall weather was forecast to be "3/8 at 2500 feet, 4/8 at 4000 feet". Shortly after takeoff, the crew noticed that the radar was inoperative. Since severe weather was not forecast, they elected to continue to Mildenhall. Two hours after takeoff, British forecasters issued a SIGMET for "Moderate to occasional severe clear air turbulence from FL240 to FL400". USAF Global Weather downgrades it to "Moderate". It doesn’t matter, the crew is never aware of the report. Four hours after takeoff the crew updates the weather forecast. They receive a weather forecast of "3/8 at 3000’, 4/8 at 4000 feet with an intermittent condition of wind 030/12 gusting 22, visibility five miles in thunderstorms, 2/8 at 2000’ 5/8 at 2500 feet". One hour from destination, the crew again tried to update the weather, but due to scheduled autovon maintenance at Mildenhall, the crew could not make contact. They attempted another station. This time the report was "4/8 Thunderstorms tops to FL260". During the enroute decent they entered the clouds. At FL 150, they requested vectors around the weather, from the air traffic controller. Because the primary radar was inoperative, the controller advised that he would have difficulty providing avoidance vectors. He reported, "I can’t see any way through it all". The crew replied, "…MAC is attempting to maintain VMC and to pick our way through…". That was the last transmission from the aircraft. Radar tracked the aircraft as it entered the leading edge of a very strong line of thunderstorm cells. A few moments later, at FL90 and 25NM northwest of RAF Mildenhall, the radar target disappeared. The aircraft was seen, by ground observers, falling from the clouds in pieces.
Investigation revealed no evidence of lightning strike or fatigue failure. The aircraft apparently encountered severe turbulence. Accident investigators estimated gust loads in excess of the design limit of any transport class aircraft. One estimate indicated they encountered a 100 mph downward vertical airshaft. The right wing had failed, followed quickly by the upper half of the vertical stabilizer, and the four engines. All 14 crew, including members of a deadheading Reserve crew, and 4 passengers were killed.
http://www.c141heaven.com/mishap_paul_hansen.htm
Two more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOAC_Flight_911
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braniff_Flight_250
The black box is in about 2000 to 3000 meters of water. It will not be easy to get them(there are two I believe).
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