Air France A330 jet suspected to have crashed off Brazil

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Looks like an Air France jet, with 216 passengers and 12 crew may have crashed off Brazil

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/06/01/air.france.brazil/index.html

Air France told CNN the jet was making the 11-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris when contact was lost.

Brazil's air force launched a search near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha in the Atlantic Ocean, 365 km (226 miles) from Brazil's coast, the country's state media said.

Air France said flight AF447 was carrying 216 passengers in addition to a crew of 12. The plane is listed as an Airbus A330.

The airline said it "shared the emotion and the concern of the families concerned" adding that friends and relatives waiting at the airport would be taken to a special area.

A crisis center is being set up at Charles de Gaulle where the plane had been due to land at 11.15 a.m. local time.

"We are very worried," an aviation official told Agence France-Presse. "The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected."
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The Airbus 330 is a twin-engine long-range aircraft introduced into commercial aviation in the 1990s.

Transport analyst Kieran Daly told CNN that the lack of communication with the aircraft "does suggest it was something serious and catastrophic.

Air France are saying the plane's fuel would've been exhausted by now, so it doesn't look good...

Already got a wikipedia entry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447

 

[marinersman]

ABC are reporting that Air France officials have "lost hope" for the plane. Not looking good.

 

[Jolly_Roger]

Wreckage has been found in the ocean........ Its certainly not looking good

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Wreckage has now found to be nothing more than rubbish that's fallen off cargo ships etc.

So there's absolutely nothing been found from the plane....bizarre....

 

[marinermick]

Wreckage has now found to be nothing more than rubbish that's fallen off cargo ships etc.

So there's absolutely nothing been found from the plane....bizarre....

What's so bizarre about it?

Given the vast size of the ocean and how deep it is, it would be a miracle if they do find wreckage.

How long before we hear conspiracy theories on this one?

 

[serious14]

I heard the words "conspiracy theory" mentioned??