Air France plane missing? - JetPhotos.Net Forums

simplythebest · 06-01-2009, 10:04 AM

didn't see any thread here...

news story

Does anyone have updates?

AJ · 06-01-2009, 10:10 AM

BBC are reporting the same, it is overdue in Paris:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8076848.stm
F-GZCP from what I can establish.

Alpha Sierra · 06-01-2009, 10:27 AM

Here is an update from CNN. Unfortunately it is not looking very optimistic.

ConcordeBoy · 06-01-2009, 10:29 AM

It's AF447, GIG-CDG, A332 with 228 onboard.

CNN is reporting that the Brazilian military has begun a search&rescue, and that Paris is now opening a crisis center... this isn't good

AJ · 06-01-2009, 10:33 AM

http://www.jetphotos.net/census/airc...id=A330/40-660

ultraflight · 06-01-2009, 10:49 AM

Departure at 22.00 GMT, contact lost 06.00 GMT, where would that put the plane, roughly? Canary islands?
I now see on the CNN report:
"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."
That doesn't tally with the 8 hours flown from 22-06.

eTang · 06-01-2009, 11:01 AM

French media also states that the airplane disappeared from radar screens at about 300 km distance to the brazilian coast.

http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/arti...0678_3222.html

According to the above linked article in french airport sources at Paris (confirmed by Air France) said that they do not have any hope for flight AF 447.

Also they mention that the lost contact could be due to a defect of the transponder, but as the airplane is 2 hours overdue now I doubt that this could be the (sole) explanation.

Said news!
eT

MLidzba · 06-01-2009, 11:12 AM

Hello,

according to this ACARS data the missing plane seems to be F-GZCP (Airbus A332). The Airbus seemed to be pretty new (Delivery Date: 2005-04-18 )

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: F-GZCP [Airbus A332]
Message label: _ Block id: 0 Msg no: S72A
Flight id: AF0447 [GIG-CDG] [Air France]
----------------------------------------------------------[ 01/06/2009 00:53 ]-

Photos of F-GZCP in the database

Martin

eTang · 06-01-2009, 11:27 AM

According to this - short - german news site mentioning [ http://www.heute.de/ZDFheute/inhalt/...592010,00.html ] the plane "also disappeared from military radar" (also I can not state the difference). It also says that according to the brazilian airforce the plane was about 300 km north-east of the coastal town of Natal when it disappeared from radar.

06-01-2009, 11:28 AM

Very bad news.

James Bond · 06-01-2009, 11:37 AM

Air France via SkyNews says the ATC lost contact with AC ~30 min after takeoff.

Skywatcher · 06-01-2009, 11:48 AM

There are two or three things that are definitive - the aircraft missed a radio position report somewhere around Fernão de Noronha Islands, about 190 nautical milles off the Brasilian Coast, about 1,000 miles from the departure airport, something like 3 hours into flight time.

N-ONE · 06-01-2009, 12:02 PM

The A332 is 180 ETOPS (at least). Does ETOPS routing for this flight allow a direct track across the south Atlantic?ffice

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Keep praying for these folks>>

N1

ArmchairPilot · 06-01-2009, 12:08 PM

CBC News at 8:00 (EDT) reported that Air France had received a message from the plane "early in the flight" that there was an "electrical problem."

EDIT: later reported that an automatic message was received (at 10:14??) after the plane had passed throught severe turbulence

AJ · 06-01-2009, 12:14 PM

The reports of turbulence and electrical faults are very similar to the reports after QF72 diverted to Learmonth after an ADIRU fault.

CockpitCat · 06-01-2009, 12:14 PM

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...5501PB20090601

"Air France said in a statement the plane sent an automatic message reporting an electrical short-circuit at 0214 GMT, roughly 15 minutes after flying into the turbulence."

mawheatley · 06-01-2009, 12:20 PM

"One hour after the flight took off at 7 p.m. local time on Sunday, the plane encountered “very heavy turbulence,” the Air France spokeswoman said. The plane disappeared from radar screens at 8:10 a.m. local time, 10 minutes after the heavy turbulence was reported. However, she said it was not known if the turbulence caused the disappearance."

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/wo...e.html?_r=1&em

N-ONE · 06-01-2009, 12:23 PM

Just listened to a news brief from AF. If I read their comments correct, AF's Airman system reported multiple faults generated from the onboard Central Maintenance System (CMS). They did not elaborate on the type of faults.

If Airman transmitted this information by satcom uplink, it would have been received by AF almost as soon as it happened.

N1

twagenknecht · 06-01-2009, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmchairPilot

CBC News at 8:00 (EDT) reported that Air France had received a message from the plane "early in the flight" that there was an "electrical problem."

EDIT: later reported that an automatic message was received (at 10:14??) after the plane had passed throught severe turbulence

CNN now reporting the message stated that there might have been a lightning strike.

canair67 · 06-01-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmchairPilot

CBC News at 8:00 (EDT) reported that Air France had received a message from the plane "early in the flight" that there was an "electrical problem."

EDIT: later reported that an automatic message was received (at 10:14??) after the plane had passed throught severe turbulence

Curiously, Could this be an airframe issue. Only conjecture. God's speed to all involved.