Air France passenger jet vanishes from radar

[Vegas Long Legs]

I'm not surprised more don't do it. Cuts down on staffing.

Think its safe to say, now days later, we know it wasn't terrorism. We didn't know what they'd find on Monday when John Nance reported it could be a possibility.

Did these 2 bodies just suddenly appear? Or have they been floating out in the ocean since Monday AM?

Most likely the people on the plane were dead at 35,000 ft. When there is no oxygen its over very quickly.

[exotikittenx]

This is too sad for words! And frightening!

[envyme]

Thank GOD!! At least in ended quickly! So sad...

Originally Posted by Vegas Long Legs

I'm not surprised more don't do it. Cuts down on staffing. Think its safe to say, now days later, we know it wasn't terrorism. We didn't know what they'd find on Monday when John Nance reported it could be a possibility. Did these 2 bodies just suddenly appear? Or have they been floating out in the ocean since Monday AM? Most likely the people on the plane were dead at 35,000 ft. When there is no oxygen its over very quickly.

[macska]

Originally Posted by Sternchen

This kind of makes me wonder...die the airplane fall apart / explode in the air and the people basically fell to their deaths, or did the airplane basically make a crash landing in the ocean?

Any of those are possibilities, as they would all account for the passenger still strapped to their seat. As for why it took a few days for the bodies to surface, that's normal. A body will initially sink, but with time, the body will absorb water and then eventually become lighter due to this, so float up to the surface.

[Jahpson]

Body still strapped to the seat? Dear god...

Then the plane must have exploded before it hit the water and there must have been no oxygen before the explosion. Think about it, if the had landed, they would no longer be in the seat. There probably would have worn a life jacket and those floating devices found under the seat....

[Jahpson]

Originally Posted by BagAngel

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090606/...a/brazil_plane ".................. The French agency investigating the disaster, meanwhile, said the airspeed instruments on Flight 447 were not replaced as the maker recommended before the plane crashed in turbulent weather nearly a week ago............................."

Don't tell me that it was human error? Lawsuits will be in order mark my words...

[BagAngel]

Originally Posted by Jahpson

Don't tell me that it was human error? Lawsuits will be in order mark my words...

Well from that same article, this is very worrying!

"...................The French accident investigation agency, BEA, found the plane received inconsistent airspeed readings from different instruments as it struggled in a massive thunderstorm.
The investigation is increasingly focused on whether external instruments may have iced over, confusing speed sensors and leading computers to set the plane's speed too fast or slow — a potentially deadly mistake in severe turbulence.
Airbus recommended that all its airline customers replace instruments that help measure speed and altitude, known as Pitot tubes, on the A330, the model used for Flight 447, said Paul-Louis Arslanian, the head of the agency.

"They hadn't yet been replaced" on the plane that crashed, said Alain Bouillard, head of the French investigation.
Air France issued a statement Saturday saying it began replacing the monitors on the Airbus A330 model on April 27 after an improved version became available.
The statement stressed the recommendation to change the monitor "allows the operator full freedom to totally, partially or not at all apply it." When safety is at issue, the aircraft maker puts out a mandatory service bulletin followed up by an airworthiness directive, not a recommendation.
The Air France statement said that icing of the monitors at high altitude has led at times to loss of needed flying information, but only a "small number" of incidents linked to the monitors had been reported. Air France has already replaced the Pitots on another Airbus model, the 320, after its pilots reported similar problems with the instrument, according to an Air France air safety report filed by pilots

[C.luxe]

I'm terrified of Airbus now! Anyone just flew across the Atlantic in the past week?

[macska]

^^^
No need to be afraid, it still is the safest way to travel. You have a much higher chance of being in a car accident, or hit crossing the street, than something happening while on a plane, regardless the manufacturer.

[SeonaLuxury]

Originally Posted by Jahpson

Body still strapped to the seat? Dear god... Then the plane must have exploded before it hit the water and there must have been no oxygen before the explosion. Think about it, if the had landed, they would no longer be in the seat. There probably would have worn a life jacket and those floating devices found under the seat....

I highly doubt with such a series of events anyone would have had the time or mindset to scuffle around looking for their lifejacket, I dont think this was a "prepared"crash landing..

[SeonaLuxury]

Originally Posted by macska

^^^ No need to be afraid, it still is the safest way to travel. You have a much higher chance of being in a car accident, or hit crossing the street, than something happening while on a plane, regardless the manufacturer.

I knw how she feels though, I am exactly the same and I worked as crew for 2 years :-S in a car accident you dont have those last few minutes as the plane goes down to know that you are plunging to the end! A car accident happens very fast from start to finish and depending, can always end in a few scratches or bruises, once that plane is falling, uncontrollably from the sky though, very little chance of surviving.

[GirlFriday]

Originally Posted by C.luxe

I'm terrified of Airbus now! Anyone just flew across the Atlantic in the past week?

I flew across the Atlantic on the day it disappeared, albeit much more north than the Air France flight. This really is a freak accident though and as someone else said, flying really is the safest way to travel. I'm feel so badly for the families and I really hope the the passengers didn't have to suffer much in the accident. I'm hoping the lack of oxygen made them unconscious.

[LV-PRADAfanatic]

i hope thye find more closure for the families...

[rosieroseanna]

They've found 6 bodies now. This is just beyond tragic, I know there are thousands of car accidents but I think being on a plane is so final, and would it have exploded or broken up? Would people have literally fallen in their seats through the air? I doesn't bear thinking about, utterly beyond comprehension.

[Pursegrrl]

Originally Posted by GirlFriday

I flew across the Atlantic on the day it disappeared, albeit much more north than the Air France flight. This really is a freak accident though and as someone else said, flying really is the safest way to travel. I'm feel so badly for the families and I really hope the the passengers didn't have to suffer much in the accident. I'm hoping the lack of oxygen made them unconscious.

I really hope so too. If the plane did break apart in the air I'm sure given the speed plus the super low temperatures at those altitudes that no one would have been alive when the plane hit the water. Gosh I don't mean to sound morbid or insensitive. I was chatting about this at the gym with a girlfriend this morning...

My prayers to the families...and to everyone involved in the investigation for wisdom and knowledge to figure out what happened and for it NEVER to happen again.