Classic British Flight Sim

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

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

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

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

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

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:

Ben Watson wrote: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

Here is an update:

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

Nigel²

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.

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