Posted on 06/01/2009 3:50:07 AM PDT by rdl6989
(CNN) -- A French passenger aircraft carrying 228 people has disappeared off the coast of Brazil, airline officials say. A file photo shows an Air France jet on take off. Some 228 passengers are aboard the missing aircraft.
A file photo shows an Air France jet on take off. Some 228 passengers are aboard the missing aircraft.
Air France told CNN the jet was traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris when contact was lost.
The airline said flight AF447 was carrying 216 passengers in addition to a crew of 12. The plane is listed as an Airbus A330.
State radio reported a crisis center was being set up at Charles de Gaulle where the plane had been due to land at 11.15 a.m. local time.
Reports said an air force search and rescue operation was underway around the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha, 365 kilometers (226 miles) off the mainland.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
There was a very famous accident near Mt Fuji, either in the late 50’s or early 60’s where CAT destroyed an airliner. I think it was a 707.
Vaguely remember a commercial aircraft going down in the vicinity of Taiwan a few years back. No trace of the aircraft was found ... some time later debris was found in the water that was traced back to the aircraft ... but weeks had passed and sea currents had spread the few pieces of debris found hundreds of miles from the area where the plane was believed to have crashed.
There is speculation that a positive lightning stroke downed the Arrow flight out of Goose (I think that’s correct, maybe Gander) several years ago that killed all those servicemen. So far as I know based on the available literature these positively charged strikes are associated with thundersnow.
...Alien abduction over the Bermuda Triangle???
Chavez put something special on board?
I believe there was little surface debris after KAL007 went down off Sakhalin in 1983.
When you're transoceanic, far outside of normal (VHF) radio range, you use other means for communications. It's a different world, and can be even more archaic when dealing with some South American controllers. You'll use GPS with INSs, but I'm unaware of “GPS beacon” technology.
Transoceanic aircraft are equipped with Distress radiobeacons.
It is great technology, that's worked for decades, but takes time to get a positive ID. The location is narrowed down by the intended flight plan and last check-in of the flight crew to ground based HF radio operator, as well as any other satellite-based communications the aircraft might be using (such as a maintenance datalink)...
And even once the location is known, it takes hours to mobilize a Search and Rescue crew, even longer if the ditched aircraft is FAR out at sea, outside of helicopter range. Sometimes ships and other aircraft already at sea in the area can help until rescuers arrive on scene.
The ocean (and world) is a BIG place -- REALLY big. That's when I chuckle when I hear about liberals lamenting on the destruction of the planet's environment. I'm not saying local environments can't be polluted, but irrecoverable harm to the WORLD(?) -- come on. Fly over the ocean or South American jungles for HOURS at 39,000' and 400 knots, and not see hardly ANY sign of human inhabitance and you'll get a rough idea of how BIG our planet it.
Sadly, it also drives home how easy it is to "lose" a large aircraft, despite our advanced 21st century technology, in a seemingly endless ocean.
Expensive way to trim those trees.
Then, last week, Brazil detained a man who ran an anti-American website and was suspected of links to Al Qaeda:
Brazil Detains Al Qaeda Suspect
Then, Brazil released him:
Lebanese Man Released not Al Qaeda say Prosecutors
Of course, there is no 'war on terror' anymore, so just ignore the above.
There were quite a few Pentacostal ‘prophets’ predicting that May 31st of this year could be the rapture. Perhaps they were correct and that there were only 230 real Christians in the world and they were all on the chosen plane together? Too soon.....?
Ok maybe this is a sign that Maobama should take over the airline industry as well...you know...just to “be sure”
we are dealing with the Obama administration.
If this was a jihadist attack, Obama will reduce it to a mere police issue. (or not even tell the public)
Dunno. The whole book stinks.
ZINGGGGG!
Not that the typical movie is all that good anyway...
I speculated much the same thing for yesterday's 747 out of Jo'burg when the flaps stuck in the landing position.
4 8 15 16 23 42
You read my mind!
Air France Flight 447, a 4-year-old Airbus A330, left Rio on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. local time (2230 GMT, 6:30 p.m. EDT) with 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board, said company spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand.
The plane left Brazil radar contact, past the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, about three hours later (10:48 Brazil time, 0148 GMT, 9:48 p.m. EDT), indicating it was flying normally at 35,000 feet (10,670 meters) and traveling at 522 mph (840 kph).
The plane “crossed through a thunderous zone with strong turbulence” at 0200 GMT Monday (10 p.m. EDT Sunday) and an automatic message was received fourteen minutes later reporting electrical failure and a loss of cabin pressure.
i just watched late last night, a “storm stories” show on the air france that slid off the runway in 2005. how eerie.
The higher frequency allows for smaller and therefore lighter transformers. That was important back in the day when you needed multiple voltages for various tubes [Fleming valves]...
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