Air France flight missing over the Atlantic

[Marc]

I hate to think about the what ifs..

what if the plane hit the water intact.. and it just sank? How long were the passengers alive?

Was wondering - if the plane took a lightening hit that was able to fry the onboard computers (not supposed to happen as pointed out the things are supposed to be like farraday cages) could those on board have been electrocuted?

And could the strike have caused physical damange to the fuselage?

 

[Mr Awe]

^^^ Probably not, for all your questions. Planes are designed to withstand these strikes. People are insulated on non-conducting seats, etc.

Apparently the oil slick isn't even from the plane. Makes you wonder what the heck is going on. You've got debris and oil from an entirely different sources in the same area of the plane crash. Probably just a coincidence but weird. The middle of the ocean would seem to be a busy place!

Mr Awe

 

[Crusher Disciple]

But is it all from a smaller plane that went down? One that hasn't been reported? Where did al lthe debris that they found come from?

 

[Marc]

But is it all from a smaller plane that went down? One that hasn't been reported? Where did al lthe debris that they found come from?

one piece was a wooden cargo pallett which probably came off a ship

 

[Mr Awe]

But is it all from a smaller plane that went down? One that hasn't been reported? Where did al lthe debris that they found come from?

One official said there was too much oil. That the A330 would could not carry that much. If a large jetliner couldn't carry that much, a smaller one certainly couldn't. Maybe from some cargo ship?

Mr Awe

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Then was the oil from a cargo ship that went down as well? Or just a spill?

 

[Mr Awe]

I'm assuming we'd have heard of one that went down, they're big things!

One thing that really intriques me is that those infamous automated messages that the plane sent out have not been detailed. Even the experts on the news don't know exactly the content. Air France has not released this other than some generics about 4 minutes, electrical problems, and loss of pressure. It's strange that they haven't released them and I'm guessing it's because there's something very interesting in it. If they were a non-issue, Air France would release them with a "move along, nothing to see here" mentality.

However, Airbus released (or will) something about the speed of flying into storms. There's also been accidents where Airbus planes have misjudged their speed and sent it into a dive. There might've been a fault with the airspeed equipment, maybe caused by ice accumulation. When it happened in good weather, this was survivable but imagine in bad weather.

Mr Awe

 

[Lindley]

what if the plane hit the water intact.. and it just sank? How long were the passengers alive?

If the plane managed anything resembling an intact water landing, then (a) there would be life rafts and (b) the pilots would have probably gotten a signal out.

 

[Aurian]

^Yes I guess we would have to assume so. That is a comforting thought in this horrible nightmare.

 

[ria 75]

A lightning flash that lasts 6 seconds? Going down vertically, very straight?

I read up more about it and it looks like all electrical instruments stopped working over the course of 3 or 4 minutes, manual flying was very difficult at that altitude and in those conditions, and something happened that caused depressurization that blew the craft apart. Then it fell like a stone.

And, I've certainly seen lightening lasting 4 seconds. If the this was an extra intense storm, I think 6 seconds would be possible.

Granted. And the vertical part may be my own interpretation. I don't have the time to check.

I did not see it reported that they said it was very straight. There's been reports of some failures but nothing public about "all electrical instruments" failing. Right now, we don't know how much failed electronically before they got in trouble.

If not all, then very many. I'm sure there wasn't much left in working order.
I would give you a link, but the article is in French.

Actually, the oil slicks suggest that the craft was not blown apart but rather that it hit the water relatively intact. Depressurization does not imply being blown apart.

They're saying that the dozens of miles over which debris are scattered suggest the plane came apart in mid-air. The craft would have splintered, and so on.

One thing that really intriques me is that those infamous automated messages that the plane sent out have not been detailed. Even the experts on the news don't know exactly the content. Air France has not released this other than some generics about 4 minutes, electrical problems, and loss of pressure. It's strange that they haven't released them and I'm guessing it's because there's something very interesting in it. If they were a non-issue, Air France would release them with a "move along, nothing to see here" mentality.

I see no mystery, just an ongoing hot investigation.

However, Airbus released (or will) something about the speed of flying into storms. There's also been accidents where Airbus planes have misjudged their speed and sent it into a dive. There might've been a fault with the airspeed equipment, maybe caused by ice accumulation. When it happened in good weather, this was survivable but imagine in bad weather.

Mr Awe

Yes, they meant to release a memorandum, on Thur. May 4, about not slowing down too much into storms. Pilots reduce their speed in storms so as to reduce the effect of turbulence, but Airbus meant to warn them about reducing speed too much and losing thrust and pitch.

 

[doubleohfive]

The more time that passes on this whole thing, the more I'm reminded of LOST. Creepy.

 

[Mr Awe]

It looks like the oil slick and debris are all in question. Back to square one. I did want to comment on one thing.

I see no mystery, just an ongoing hot investigation.

If there was nothing there, they'd release them. The fact that they haven't means there probably is something telling in them. It's starting to look like that they indicate that the airspeed equipment malfunctioned, a known issue.

Mr Awe

 

[An Officer]

^ Perfectly logical that they would not want to destroy Air France's takings, as people tend to be skittish about flying even without terrifying incidents like this.

 

[nevermore]

The more time that passes on this whole thing, the more I'm reminded of LOST. Creepy.

Hmmm. I'm picking up more of a Tempus Fugit vibe...especially with the mysterious flashes of light stuff...

 

[An Officer]

Would make a good movie - the new Bermuda triangle! Fit right in with all the Atlantis mysteries...

 

[doubleohfive]

The more time that passes on this whole thing, the more I'm reminded of LOST. Creepy.

Hmmm. I'm picking up more of a Tempus Fugit vibe...especially with the mysterious flashes of light stuff...

Oooh, never saw that one. That *is* creepy!

 

[An Officer]

Imagine if they did find the plane in one of those islands along the route, ala the Mary Celeste, also found in the Atlantic.

 

[Mr Awe]

^ Perfectly logical that they would not want to destroy Air France's takings, as people tend to be skittish about flying even without terrifying incidents like this.

Which just reinforces the fact that these automated reports contain something important. If they didn't, all the more reason to release the info.

And, it's looking more and more like the automated reports are showing an airspeed error condition that caused other Airbus planes to dive.

Mr Awe

 

[Brolan]

The light in the sky sounds like the plane exploding in mid-air, then going down. That's about the most horrible way to go down I can imagine.

If the auto-pilot was getting airspeed readings from a frozen over pitot tube it would be advancing the throttles and making the plane go faster and faster. Not good in a thunderstorm. That might cause the plane to break up in the turbulence, fuel tanks rupture, fuel ignites.

 

[Kira's Mom]

Latest news- searchers are beginning to find bodies from the crash. One has already been identified as a passenger.

CNN update