How to Find a Missing Plane

Lightning strike feared

(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. More»

Weather alone can't explain crash: aviation analyst

(NEWSER) - Searchers spotted more wreckage today from Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean earlier this week with 228 people aboard. A team of international aircraft discovered four fields of metallic debris and a 12-mile fuel slick some 220 miles off the Brazilian coast, the Washington Post reports. Lighter plane parts may flow in currents to Africa by next week. More»

(NEWSER) - Brazil's defense chief today made the grim news official: Debris found along a 3-mile stretch of ocean belongs to the Air France jet that went down in a storm, reports the BBC. "It confirms that the plane fell in this area," said Nelson Jobim, referring to a swath of the Atlantic about 400 miles from the Brazilian coast. Ships are expected to reach the area tomorrow, but there's no still no signs of any survivors. More»

Key devices could be beyond reach of deep-sea divers

(NEWSER) - The black boxes from the missing Air France jet are crucial to determining what brought the plane down, but locating the devices could present the most daunting challenge since the Titanic mission, Reuters reports. “You are looking for a needle in a haystack,” said one industry specialist, guessing recovery could take months, especially if the boxes are beyond divers’ reach. More»

(NEWSER) - Brazilian air force planes have spotted seats and other debris floating in the ocean under the path of Air France flight 447, and the military is scrambling to confirm the material is from the missing airliner, Reuters reports. "The command center needs to have at least one piece of the debris with a serial number to confirm that it belongs to the airplane," an air force colonel said. More»