Missing French jet hit thunderstorms over Atlantic

[Big Papa Zone 93]

I hate it when this sh!t happens. Truly, there but for the grace of God go you or I. This is my absolute worst fear - dying in a plane crash. And if it can happen to a (practically) brand new Airbus, it can happen to any craft.

I really, really hope that the plane broke up at 35,000ft, because at that altitude, the passengers would have been unconcious within seconds, and would not have suffered the terror of freefall - shocking.

[Ladylethal 12]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/world/eu...&ei=5087%0A

"Hans Weber, head of the Tecop aviation consulting firm in San Diego, offered a hypothesis about the episode, based on his knowledge of severe losses of altitude by two Qantas jets last year.

The new Airbus 330 was a “fly-by-wire” plane, in which signals to move the flaps are sent through electric wires to small motors in the wings rather than through cables or hydraulic tubing. Fly-by-wire systems can automatically conduct maneuvers to prevent an impending crash, but some Airbus jets will not allow a pilot to override the self-protection mechanism.

On both Qantas flights, the planes’ inertia sensors sent faulty information into the flight computers, making them take emergency measures to correct problems that did not exist, sending the planes into sudden dives.

If the inertia sensor told a computer that a plane was stalling, forcing it to drop the nose and dive to pick up airspeed, and there was simultaneously a severe downdraft in the storm turbulence, “that would be hard to recover from,” Mr. Weber said. "

[Dr. Obvious 49]

I don't think there are that many air accidents, air travel is still way safer than traveling by car (if you compare injuries and death rates).

Yep. People die or are maimed in auto accidents every single day, but no one hardly thinks twice about getting into their speeding death box every single day. I've personally known several people who died in car accidents. My husband was good friends with a guy who died in a motorcycle accident. I've had two cars destroyed in less than two years due to the 100% fault of the other party. Near misses are a weekly occurrence (people suddenly merging without looking is my favorite). So much for that illusion of ground control.

I don't know anyone who has ever died in a plane crash or know anyone who knew anyone who died in a plane crash. Ask them about car accidents, oh well, who doesn't know someone who died in a car accident? That's because the odds of dying in a car accident are 1:5000 compared to dying in a flight accident 1:11,000,000.

[Ladylethal 12]

I agree, I tell my husband that when he shows concerns about our trips around the time accidents like these happen. I always remind him that the odds of a car crash are higher, and that plane crashers make us feel worse 'cus when it happens it usually kills a lot more people.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

BBC report: "possible debris" of AF 447 found

Plane searchers spot ocean debris

Brazilian aircraft searching for an Air France jet which went missing with 228 people aboard in an Atlantic storm have spotted debris on the ocean.

Plane seats and other items were sighted 650km (400 miles) north-east of Brazil's Fernando do Noronha island, the Brazilian air force said.

It could not be immediately confirmed that the debris came from the Airbus.

The jet was heading from Brazil to Paris when it vanished about four hours into its flight, early on Monday.

Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral said the seats had been spotted by search planes early on Tuesday.

Also spotted were small white pieces of debris, material that may be metallic and signs of oil and kerosene, which is used as jet fuel.

"The search is continuing because it's very little material in relation to the size [of the Airbus A330]," Mr Amaral added.

Officials, he said, needed "a piece that might have a serial number, some sort of identification" to be sure it came from the missing jet.

French Defence Minister Herve Morin has stressed there is still "no evidence whatsoever" as to the cause of the plane's loss

"We cannot, by definition, exclude a terrorist attack, because terrorism is the main threat for all Western democracies," he added.

Turbulence

Plane crews from Brazil, France and other countries had narrowed their search to a zone half-way between Brazil and west Africa, hoping to pick up signals from the Airbus's Argos beacons.

In his last radio message, at about 0200 GMT on Monday, the captain of Flight AF 447 reported entering turbulence, French media say.

Up to a dozen reports of electrical failures were sent automatically from the plane before it vanished over the ocean just after.

Most of the missing people are Brazilian or French but they include a total of 32 nationalities. Five Britons and three Irish citizens are among them.

Crisis centres have been set up at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and Rio's Tom Jobim international airport.

One of the Brazilians on board was Pedro Luis de Orleans e Braganca, a direct descendent of the last Brazilian emperior, Dom Pedro II, a spokesman for the family said.

I agree, I tell my husband that when he shows concerns about our trips around the time accidents like these happen. I always remind him that the odds of a car crash are higher, and that plane crashers make us feel worse 'cus when it happens it usually kills a lot more people.

When it's a bus-crash, the number differential oft disappears--especially given that many bus-crashes occur in countries where the vehicles are oft extremely overloaded.

[Nagishkaw 510]

I was just sick when I heard about this . I agree with Damian P.....I hope the passengers were knocked out within seconds. I cannot imagine their horror.

[HannahP 119]

My husband has decided that NOW would be a great time to entertain me with all of his near-death stories from when he was flying weather mod a few years ago. Fffffffff.