Air France A.330 missing

[WhisperJet]

An aviation expert told german TV "ARD" yesterday evening that the electronic reports sent by the aircraft are surprisingly similar to those sent by Qantas Flight 72, an A330 in autumn 2008. That airplane went into a steep dive and made an emergency landing at Learmonth airport, Australia following an inflight accident featuring a pair of sudden uncommanded pitch-down manoeuvres that resulted in serious injuries to many of the occupants.

Reach for details here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_72

Combine this with the weather situation and there might be more to speculate.
However the question remains why the crew chose to fly directly into this turbulence...

Nick.

[Garry Russell]

Point is..we don't know what happened so we don't know the crew chose to fly into turbulence or indeed any other factors

We don't know anything

All this speculation is pointless

Garry

[WhisperJet]

Point is..we don't know what happened so we don't know the crew chose to fly into turbulence or indeed any other factors
We don't know anything / All this speculation is pointless

Yes Garry, that is absolutely true.
I just found this an interesting connex and within the discussion - it might be a better access than concentrating solely on the weather!

But you're absolutely right - it's pointless at the time!

Best,

Nick

[petermcleland]

This weather analysis is worth looking at if you haven't seen it already:-

http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/af447/

[DispatchDragon]

Excellent Peter

the only piece of odd information (or disinformation) in the whole thing including the responses was the bit out about "positive"
lightening strikes.

Chris I think the very telling replys in Peters posting is the A310 pilot who flies that route regularly statement about giving even "green" returns that are well organised a wide berth by as much as 80-90nm. and also the short piece about the USAF C141 that
had its wing torn off at Below FL280 inbound to Mildenhall in the mid 70s by a building CB give a serious clue to what may have happened


Thank you

Leif

[airboatr]

Point is..we don't know what happened so we don't know the crew chose to fly into turbulence or indeed any other factors
We don't know anything / All this speculation is pointless

Yes Garry, that is absolutely true.
I just found this an interesting connex and within the discussion - it might be a better access than concentrating solely on the weather!

But you're absolutely right - it's pointless at the time!

Best,

Nick

agreed

[TSR2]

very curious...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8086860.stm

[ianhind]

Latest update:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8087303.stm

[VEGAS]

More findings :-(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8087991.stm

[petermcleland]

These pictures of the Air France A330 fin complete with rudder have appeared on the internet:-