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Air France plane 'dropped off radar'


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#1 Lord Flashheart

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 04:54 AM

According to French airport officials, an Air France aircraft with 215 on board 'drops off the radar' off the Brazilian coast.

Edit
Link to story - Sky News

Edited by Lord Flashheart, 01 June 2009 - 04:57 AM.


#2 Lord Flashheart

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 05:11 AM

Update - 228 people believed to be on board, not 215 as originally stated.

#3 Flying_Scotsman

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 05:12 AM

Just saw it on Sky news, doesn't look good!

#4 mistahimaskwa

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 05:17 AM

Just read about it on a.net

It's on CNN and BBC
http://news.bbc.co.u...cas/8076848.stm
http://edition.cnn.c...azil/index.html

Hope everything is OK

Edited by mistahimaskwa, 01 June 2009 - 05:27 AM.


#5 MattGarner

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 05:26 AM

Dam, this sounds bad :hrmm:. Hope everything is ok though.

#6 George Bush

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 05:28 AM

Oh dear i hope everyone is safe and well.

#7 mistahimaskwa

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 05:36 AM

the Brazilian Air Force started a search and rescue op according to the BBC

#8 smonkcaptain

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 05:39 AM

Hmm doesn't sound good. If the aircraft was due in at 9:15GMT this morning, then surely the pilot would of followed his orginal routing if there was a transponder problem anyhow.

I hope everything is OK, but remeber the Hijacking of Ethiopian airlines when the pilots was demanded to fly somewhere with insuffient fuel.

Edited by smonkcaptain, 01 June 2009 - 05:41 AM.


#9 ucantcme

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:05 AM

WOW! Just woke up and read this article. Hope they find the plane, and find the cause of the problem. This is weird.

#10 niteye

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:08 AM

I don't want to sound pessimistic but I'm speculating they will find floating debris and bodies in the ocean as the search progresses. The plane was supposed to land like 2 hours ago, and the plane has been missing for much longer. I don't think "everything's alright". I can't think of any normal situation where this could happen. Transponder failure? They still could contact ATC and fly. Radar failure? Same thing.

If it was a hijacking. I'm speculating that if they turned off the transponder, they could still see him on primary radar momentarily before the plane flew out of their range, but I find it unlikely to be hijackers because it is not usual for them to simply disappear with a plane full of passengers. They'd land somewhere and make demands using the passengers as hostages, or in the case of 9/1 use the plane as a homing missile but they haven't done that.

#11 Mul.

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:09 AM

I hate to say it but dropping off radar and losing comms indefinitely is a sign of a catastrophic failure of the structural integrity of the aircraft. I truly hope that this is not the case.

#12 SetClimbThrust

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:18 AM

Very strange indeed. I doubt it but i really hope everybody is ok

#13 EXS258

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:26 AM

lets just hope the authorities find the aircraft quickly for the familys sake, cant imagine what there goin through.

#14 JordanFarmer

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:30 AM

Just saw a news flash on TV, this is bad, i hope that this wasnt anything bad, but i fear the worst :hrmm: Good luck to the crew and passengers

#15 davie18

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:36 AM

I hate to say but I think it is unlikely there will be any survivers.

Apparently they lost contact at 2.30 (BST) and it was supposed to land at about 10.20 (BST).

Edit:
There is mass confusion on sky news, it had believed to be a few hundred miles off the cost of brasil, now all of a sudden they are saying it might be nearer to africa   :hrmm:

Edited by davie18, 01 June 2009 - 06:42 AM.


#16 Lord Flashheart

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:44 AM

Update: Plane sent message it had electrical short-circuit after strong turbulence.

#17 _haphadon_

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:46 AM

View PostLord Flashheart, on Jun 1 2009, 07:44 AM, said:

Update: Plane sent message it had electrical short-circuit after strong turbulence.

I hope that is true and that everyone on board is safe.

#18 .Sam.

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:47 AM

Doesent look good,
If there was a hijacking the plane would still show on radar.
Kinda worried for all there lives.

Quote

French minister Jean-Louis Borloo said the plane had probably had an accident and ruled out hijacking.
Agreed

Quote

Mr Borloo, the minister in charge of transport, said the plane would already have run out of fuel.

Edited by .Sam., 01 June 2009 - 06:48 AM.


#19 Dennis.

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:48 AM

View PostLord Flashheart, on Jun 1 2009, 09:44 PM, said:

Update: Plane sent message it had electrical short-circuit after strong turbulence.
Unreliable sources, don't know where you got such :hrmm: from.

http://edition.cnn.c...azil/index.html

Updated 3 minutes ago.

Edited by Dennis., 01 June 2009 - 06:49 AM.


#20 AirX

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Posted 01 June 2009 - 06:49 AM

Its been a rough 2009.
This may be the biggest aviation incident this year.
The weather doesn't seem to be to crazy.
http://aviationweath...v/products/swh/
http://aviationweath...v/obs/sat/intl/

Edited by AirX, 01 June 2009 - 06:54 AM.