Debris Is Confirmed as Air France Plane
Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said air force planes had found a long line of debris in the ocean off Brazil’s northeast coast, confirming prior sightings of wreckage and the destruction of Air France Flight 447.
No survivors have been found.
EARLIER TODAY
Debris Possibly Found From Missing Air France Plane
Brazil’s Air Force said Tuesday it found remains of an airplane in the sea near where an Air France flight bound for Paris with 228 people on board disappeared after encountering turbulence.
Shortly after 9:30 a.m., local time, Air Force officials said a search aircraft had spotted debris about 400 miles north west of Fernando de Noronha, an Atlantic island near where Flight 447 last made radio contact on Sunday night.
“The search continues because its very little material given the size of the airplane,” said Col. Jorge Amaral, an Air Force spokesman.
The debris was picked up using radar, which detected metallic material in the ocean. Officials said oil and a airplane seat had also been spotted.
The findings are the first evidence of what has been feared since Monday, that the Air France flight and its passengers crashed into the ocean after the plane encountered unknown problems on its flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
The Air Force said the debris was located around 1 a.m, on a night during which five Brazilian planes, including three Hercules C-130 and a plane equipped with radar, tracked the expected course of Air France 447, searched for remains or signs of life.
Here’s Reuters video of the search:
My prayers are with the families of the passengers.
It’s just possible that the depth will allow retrieval of the wreckage and the remains to allow both study and decent burial. Supposedly the part of the Western Atlantic where the plane might be is only 15-20 meters in depth in many places.
It is very sad as on an aviation website I saw a commenter claim that this never would have happened before Bush invaded Iraq, implying it was bombed, or that a Boeing of comparable size would never have crashed. Both comments were deleted in minutes.
Brazilian Air Force has found a seat from a plane, possibly the Airbus A330.
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u575281.shtml
An Air France jet with 228 people on board is feared to have crashed in the ocean off the coast of Brazil.
Heard this on the radio earlier on my way back home from the mall. Air France flight AF 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris disappeared from the radar while flying over the Atlantic Ocean.
The video from the scene:Air France jet-video-online
It appears I spoke too soon because the debris was found in an area that is 1 to 2 miles deep.