Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter


9

'No Hope' for Air France Plane

Lightning strike feared

Share

(Newser) – There is "no hope" for the 228 people onboard the Air France plane that disappeared en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro this morning, says an Air France official. An automatic message sent at 2:14am GMT reported a short circuit, which authorities believe means it was struck by lightning, the Guardian reports. “We are probably facing an air catastrophe,” said Air France’s CEO.

Brazilian and French planes are combing the Atlantic for the missing aircraft, but it was far from land when it disappeared, making the search even more it difficult. A French transportation minister ruled out hijacking and noted that the plane would be out of fuel by now: “Nothing on Spanish radar, nothing on Moroccan radar, nothing on French radar—we seriously have to fear the worst.”

A woman looking for information about the missing Air France flight 447 is surrounded by Brazilian journalists in Rio de Janeiro, June 01, 2009.
A woman looking for information about the missing Air France flight 447 is surrounded by Brazilian journalists in Rio de Janeiro, June 01, 2009.   (AP Photo/ Ricardo Moraes)
Undated file photo made available by Airbus, showing an Airbus A330-200 jetliner from the French company Air France.
Undated file photo made available by Airbus, showing an Airbus A330-200 jetliner from the French company Air France.   (AP Photo/Airbus)
Map shows the approximate last known location of missing Air France plane
Map shows the approximate last known location of missing Air France plane
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
OFF THE GRID
11.24.09
Murdoch and Microsoft: The Mice Are Trying to Roar
11.23.09
Books Are Bad for You
9 comments
VIEWING:
 
MrSoul
Jun 1, 09 8:29 AM CDT
what a disaster. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
0
Timinator2K
Jun 1, 09 8:30 AM CDT
God Bless and comfort the families. Flying is still a dangerous proposition. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
-2
IN RESPONSE:
NutsInNY
Jun 1, 09 9:28 AM CDT
Yes, comfort to the families. But God wasn't such a good co-pilot.
Vote up! Vote down!
+3
IN RESPONSE:
AClotfelter
Jun 1, 09 9:36 AM CDT
I hear ya, nuts
Vote up! Vote down!
+1
IN RESPONSE:
Citrixguy
Jun 1, 09 9:39 AM CDT
Asking a deity to bless and comfort the families after said deity let this disaster occur in the first place is rather stupid.
Vote up! Vote down!
+5

View all 9 comments »

LEAVE A
COMMENT Comment Policy
Facebook ConnectPost this comment to Facebook?

After connecting you will have the option to post your comment on your Facebook profile.

 

Related Newser Stories

54 Stories

Yemenia Air Black Boxes Too Deep for Divers 

Search continues as France sends searcher robots to Comoros

Jul 7, 09 12:11 PM CDT
(AP) - Investigators have concluded that the black boxes from Yemenia Airways Flight 626 that plunged into the Indian Ocean are too deep to be reached by divers, a French official said today. French investigators are trying to determine the exact zone where the boxes can be found using equipment that allows... More »

MORE ABOUT:
black box • France • plane crash • Comoros • Yemen • disaster • Yemenia Air • diver

(AP) - A French investigator says Air France Flight 447 did not break up in flight but plunged vertically into the Atlantic Ocean. Alain Bouillard, leading the investigation into the June 1 crash for the French accident investigation agency BEA, also says life vests found among the wreckage of the plane were... More »

MORE ABOUT:
investigation • France • plane crash • Air France • Air France Flight 447

Teenage Air Crash Survivor Reunited With Family

French gov't flies 14-year-old to Paris

Jul 2, 09 4:34 AM CDT
(AP) - The young girl believed to be the only survivor of Tuesday's Indian Ocean plane crash flew back to Paris today, to the waiting arms of her father and siblings. Bahia Bakari, 14, returned to France alongside a government minister and other French officials. The other 151 people on Yemenia flight... More »

MORE ABOUT:
France • plane crash • Paris • air disasters • survivors • disaster • Yemenia Air • Bahia Bakari

54 Stories


A timeline of the flight
BBC


World 
TwitterFollow @NewserWorld on Twitter

 
France • Brazil • plane crash • plane • Air France • Air France Flight 447

from our news partners

Associated PressAssociated Press