Air France flight missing over the Atlantic

[mr.peany]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25571186-661,00.html

Holy Crap! Prayers go out that this is a simple radar mishap and that all on board are found safe.

 

[judge alba]

I'll second that.

 

[Timofnine]

Wow I was on an Air France yesterday.... I hope everything turns out OK

 

[Kira's Mom]

I just heard on MSNBC that an airport official said there's no hope of finding the plane intact. If they haven't landed somewhere by now, they've long since run out of fuel.

 

[Shaytan]

They're now speaking of an electrical malfunction due to a lightning storm.
There was 228 persons on this plane.

 

[An Officer]

So, did they not notice it descending, or veering off course before it completely left the radar? It can't just disappear in the blink of an eye, can it?

 

[Shaytan]

So, did they not notice it descending, or veering off course before it completely left the radar? It can't just disappear in the blink of an eye, can it?

They received a message about electrical failures just before it disappeared.

 

[An Officer]

My god. What a terrifying way to go.

 

[Shaytan]

They've started the research near Cape Verde but they're not very optimistic.

 

[An Officer]

Apparently, the message about the electrics was an automated one. I wonder what the last words of the pilot actually were? They probably don't want to upset the relatives gathered at the airports by releasing that right now, since the search isn't over...

 

[Scout101]

So, did they not notice it descending, or veering off course before it completely left the radar? It can't just disappear in the blink of an eye, can it?

Flying over an ocean, there are large areas where there is NOT radar coverage. Gotta be near land, or an island, or something for a radar tower to pick you up.

Going over chunks of ocean, your only contact is through the radio...

 

[DarkHelmet]

Wow - this is horrible.

 

[An Officer]

Aviation experts describe possible scenarios:

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

They may have made an emergency landing on the water, and be in lifeboats... or they may have landed on island along their route... It's not hopeless yet.

 

[Shaytan]

From what I hear on TV, experts are pessimistic mainly because the pilot didn't send a distress call. It leaves (in their opinion) only 2 possibilities : an emergency landing in a very very short time or an immediate destruction of the plane.

 

[Lindley]

An electrical failure could knock out the radios. Not sure if the handheld backup would work that far out.

 

[Mallory]

My god. What a terrifying way to go.

I agree. I hate flying over the ocean.

I hope the search turns up something soon.

 

[WillsBabe]

I heard this on the evening news a little while ago. I had to turn over, it's just too distressing to think about. My hopes go out to all involved.

 

[Plecostomus]

Apparently, the message about the electrics was an automated one. I wonder what the last words of the pilot actually were?

"WHY THE $&$^$$!! IS THAT BLINKING?! WHAT THE *&@!@@!! GET A FLASHLIGHT WE BLEW A FUSE... $^&*^*!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE NO $&**!!! EXTENSION CORDS?!!!"

I deal with tragedy via humor. Bear with me.

 

[doubleohfive]

Woke up to this news report on NPR this morning. Trying to be optimistic, but still... how terrible.

 

[AliciaD496]

Wow...this is just mind blowing. How can a plane that size just 'disappear'?

Truthfully I'm glad this didn't happen next week...my parents and sister are flying back from a trip to Norway via Paris on AirFrance. It would have really freaked me out if I had seen this headline NEXT Monday. I can only imagine what this must be like for the families of those on board right now, must be a horrible feeling.