French passenger jet gone missing from radar screens........

[schmalex]

This doesn't sound too clever....

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090601/twl-passenger-...

bbc said:

An Air France plane carrying at least 228 people from Brazil has disappeared from radar screens over the Atlantic.

Paris Charles de Gaulle airport said contact was lost with the flight from Rio de Janeiro at 0600 GMT. Brazil's air force confirmed the disappearance.

An airport official told AFP the Airbus 330 had been expected to arrive in Paris at 1110 local time (0910 GMT).

Another official said it was possible that the plane had a transponder problem but this was very rare.

"We are very worried," he said, quoted by AFP news agency. "The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago."

Flight AF 447 left Rio at 1900 local time (2200 GMT) on Sunday. It had 216 passengers and 12 crew on board.

Airport authorities have set up a crisis centre at Charles de Gaulle.

ETA text from BBC News

Edited by schmalex on Monday 1st June 11:23

[SoapyShowerBoy]

bbc said:

Brazil's air force confirmed the plane was missing and said a search and rescue mission was under way near the island of Fernando de Noronha

looks like it's now a search and rescue effort.

[crox]

Bad news.

[Eric Mc]

Doesn't look good at all. It doesn't seem that any distress call was made, which would suggest a total catastrophic and sudden failure of the aircraft.

Bomb anyone?

[Plotloss]

Eric Mc said:

Bomb anyone?

I thought you were an accountant rather than a tabloid journalist/hysteria merchant.

Little bit early to say, non?

[Eric Mc]

Plotloss said:

Eric Mc said:

Bomb anyone?

I thought you were an accountant rather than a tabloid journalist/hysteria merchant.

Little bit early to say, non?

You've sussed my alter-ego

[gti-ted]

st I'm flying tomorrow

[MK4 Slowride]

How long left before it's due to land or has that time passed already?

Dark times.

[Plotloss]

MK4 Slowride said:

How long left before it's due to land or has that time passed already?

Dark times.

Due in Paris 10.15BST apparently.

[TankRizzo]

MK4 Slowride said:

How long left before it's due to land or has that time passed already?

Dark times.

It's already passed.

Air France spokesman said:

"We are very worried," an aviation official said. "The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected."

[The Moose]

Someone The BBC Quoted said:

Another official said it was possible that the plane had a transponder problem but this was very rare.

Well yeah, but isn't that what the radio thingy ma jiggy is for??

Someone Else The BBC Quoted said:

"We are very worried," he said, quoted by AFP news agency. "The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago."

Very worried probably doesn't sum it up...

The plane was due to land now 2 hours ago so I'm pretty certain we all know where this is going now...

AND FFS THIS SHOULD BE IN THE LOUNGE

The Moose

[Shifty Scott]

It was due in at 09:10 GMT.

But there must be an error in the reporting, as:
Left Rio 22:00 GMT Sunday
Lost contact 06:00 GMT
Due in Paris 09:10 GMT

They are searching near Fernando de Noronha, approx 350Km off the Brazilian coast?

Wouldn't 8 hours flying time before losing them put hem nearer Europe.

[Plotloss]

The Moose said:

AND FFS THIS SHOULD BE IN THE LOUNGE

Unlike the plane, this is EXACTLY where it should be.

[MPowerMark]

No distress call? plane must of been blown out fo the sky then? Huge explosion? bomb?

[Andy Zarse]

If it took off at 22.00GMT and was last heard of at 06.00GMT it must have been, what, three or four hours away from Paris. So I don't understand why the Brazillians have set up a search and recue op near some island?

These things are always confused to start with.

[dan1981]

Brazil and France - dont' exactly have lots of enemies though do they?

Neither of them back the war on terror particularly, they don't have massive home grown terrorist problems.

I'm betting on accident. Very large and catastrophic accident but an accident non-the less.

But yes i also don't understand why they are searching so close to Brazil?

[Andy Zarse]

Plotloss said:

The Moose said:

AND FFS THIS SHOULD BE IN THE LOUNGE

Unlike the plane, this is EXACTLY where it should be.

Or the planes/trains thread.

[elster]

gti-ted said:

st I'm flying tomorrow

Good job this one went missing today then.

Anyway the French will of just lost it off their ATC screens. Maybe the sun came out and they decided to strike again.

Who knows? Hopefully they aren't all dead.

[mouseymousey]

MPowerMark said:

No distress call? plane must of been blown out fo the sky then? Huge explosion? bomb?

I know there are bigger things to worry about, but it's must have! Not must of.

[Melman Giraffe]

MPowerMark said:

No distress call? plane must of been blown out fo the sky then? Huge explosion? bomb?