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First Debris Retrieved From Flight 447

Air France tells families no one survived the crash

By Ambreen Ali, Newser User

Posted Jun 4, 2009 4:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – As Brazilian crews begin retrieving the first pieces of Air France flight 447, the airline has told families that nobody survived, the AP reports. A helicopter pulled a cargo pallet and two buoys from the Atlantic, 340 miles northeast of Brazil's Fernando de Noronha islands. As theories about the crash arrive fast and furious, searchers have not seen any sign of remains from the 228 people aboard.

This morning, reports surfaced that the plane may have been flying too slowly, but now the Wall Street Journal says investigators are pursuing the opposite theory. In this version, the plane's speed sensors iced up as it flew through a storm, falsely signaling a sharp drop in velocity. The pilots then increased thrust in heavy winds, with disastrous results. Airbus is issuing reminders today of how pilots should react when they suspect their airspeed indicators are malfunctioning.

[Images (4)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

Relatives hug during a mass for victims of Air France flight 447. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

A Brazilian Air Force aircraft lands at a military base after search operations for the missing Air France Flight 447, in Natal, Brazil. (AP Photo/ Ricardo Moraes)

Boxes labeled in Portuguese "Bag for corpse" are seen at the base of search operations for the missing Air France Flight 447 in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

In this photo released by Brazil's Air Force is seen an aerial view of an oil slick suspected to be from Air France's flight 447. (AP Photo/Johnson Barros, Brazilian Air Force)

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Air France has told families of passengers on Flight 447 that the jetliner broke apart and they must abandon hope that anyone survived. (deeringdeluxe)

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The clock is ticking on finding debris before they spread out and before they sink or disappear. - Christophe Prazuck, French
military spokesman

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Showing 3 of 3 comments

Newser001

Jun 5, 2009 12:40 PM CDT

FRANCE 24 @ 02:16 PARIS: AIR FRANCE 447: RECOVERED DEBRIS IS NOT FROM AIRCRAFT, BRAZIL'S AIR FORCE SAYS Debris recovered Thursday from the Atlantic where an Air France jet is believed to have come down did not come from the aircraft, spokesman Brigadier Ramon Cardoso has told reporters in the northeastern city of Recife.

Newser001

Jun 5, 2009 1:16 AM CDT

FRANCE 24: Recovered debris is not from plane, Brazilian officials say - FRIDAY 05 JUNE 2009 - Brazilian officials have said that they have so far only recovered sea "trash" from a zone in the Atlantic where an Air France jet came down, and not aircraft debris as initially thought. More at: http://www.france24.com/en/200...

Caps

Jun 4, 2009 9:03 AM CDT

Such a sad, sad day for the families of those who were on this flight. My heart goes out to you.

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First Debris Retrieved From Flight 447