Air France A.330 missing

[Garry Russell]

An Air France A.330 with 288 people on board is missing

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8076848.stm

Doesn't sound good.

Garry

[TSR2]

I can't remember the last time an airliner went missing... very worrying

[simondix]

Just hope that it pans out OK but it does look bleak.

[TSR2]

Does anyone know if airliners are fitted with EPIRB's or similar devices?

[Prop Jockey]

Ben - yes - ELTs x 2. Although whether 1 of those is an automatic ELT depends on country of registration and when the first C of A was issued.

Cheers

Rich

[TSR2]

Thanks Rich. I must admit I'd have thought they could pinpoint exactly where a modern aircraft had disappeared, I'd have thought something as basic as last location would be easy. :think:

[FlyTexas]

I can't remember the last time an airliner went missing... very worrying

My thoughts exactly, Ben. Reading the headlines this morning was like reading the news from the 1930's. :-(

Brian

[nigelb]

Here is an update:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ju ... 330-brazil

Nigel²

[SkippyBing]

I'd have thought something as basic as last location would be easy.

Outside radar cover it gets a little more problematic, you only know where they were last time they told you.

[DispatchDragon]

The media here is reporting the crew reprted a catastrophic electrical failure -- the crew probably didnt -- the information would have been sent on datalink to AF maintenance by the Bus itself -- also such an electrical failure would also show if the aircraft had suffered damage from the severe turbulence that it supposedly had been encountering along the convergence zone...Its academic -- like others my first thought was "Aeroplanes don't just disappear" however the South Atlantic is large and many aircraft have disappeared there -- nothing new --- ask BSAA....(And thats NOT meant as sarcasm or that I have started wearing tin foil hats) we take to much for granted these days -- Nature still beats technology hands down.


Leif