Air France plane lost over Atlantic Ocean

[Wools]

An Air France plane carrying 228 people from Brazil to France has vanished over the Atlantic after flying into turbulence, airline officials say.

The Airbus sent an automatic message at 0214 GMT, four hours after leaving Rio de Janeiro, reporting a short circuit. It may have been damaged by lightning.

It was well over the ocean when it was lost, making Brazilian and French search planes' task more difficult.

France's president said the chances of finding survivors were "very small".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8076848.stm

Horrible news, if the plane has gone down, hopefully they can find who or what remains.

[abigsmurf]

Zero chance of survivors. As far as I'm aware, there hasn't ever been a successful mid ocean bail out and the rafts have radio beacons so they'd be able to find them.

Not gonna do wonders for Air France's reputation given the concorde crash was down to them ignoring advice on protecting the fuel tank.

[Richard.John]

Even if they survived, exposure to the elements will finish them off. Imagine being surrounded by water that you can't drink because it will kill you. I recall the story of the survivors of the USS Indianapolis saying how maddening that feeling was, and how those who gave into the basic instinct to drink, sealed their own fate. Lost at sea = terrible.

[abigsmurf]

It's actually been shown you can actually live on seawater for a while. If you drink the bare minimum you need (and avoid the gag reflex), your body can cope and process the salt. However it's instinctive to drink lots and lots when ultra thirsty and you promptly OD or puke.

[Richard.John]

Yes, that what I meant I suppose. The survivors of the Indianapolis were floating for days under a scorching sun, some were badly sunburned or with other terrible injuries etc so that would have impacted on their body's ability to cope. Apparently, many just cracked and satisfied their basic instinct and it killed them or great assisted in it.

[buster_broon]

It's actually been shown you can actually live on seawater for a while. If you drink the bare minimum you need (and avoid the gag reflex), your body can cope and process the salt. However it's instinctive to drink lots and lots when ultra thirsty and you promptly OD or puke.

we are taught on sea survival to avoid sea water at all costs, life rafts have stacks of salination tablets to at least purify the water a little more and sucking boiled sweeties create stacks of saliva, which also makes you feel as if you've eaten something

even if the water is warm enough for the body to survive, the lifejacks on aircraft generally dont have a hood, so secondary drowning is almost a certainty (in prevailing weather conditions)

[djjimbob]

I'm sure this is all part of JJ Abrahms plot.

you'll see Season 6 will turn into real life.

[Anpanman]

The Airbus sent an automatic message at 0214 GMT, four hours after leaving Rio de Janeiro, reporting a short circuit. It may have been damaged by lightning.

The aircraft sent out a number of messages though it?s unclear at this point if they were sent out following what was the root cause of the incident i.e. lightning or as the A330 was perhaps breaking up on its way down.

A TAM aircraft following behind reported seeing orange spots on the sea around the area the A330 disappeared.

There was also a report on a Brazilian site of family members receiving text messages from passengers on board, if true presumably sent via the AVOD IFE ? in fight entertainment system.

Still, it?s all scary stuff and must have been hellish for those on board.
RIP.

[VR46]

Just reading that one of the Brits is an 11 year old boy. Very sad stuff.

[Miguel007]

I'm sure this is all part of JJ Abrahms plot.

you'll see Season 6 will turn into real life.

Beaten to the punch. ABC's viral campaign for Season 6 of Lost has started early.

[abigsmurf]

Just reading that one of the Brits is an 11 year old boy. Very sad stuff.

I love the tinge of racism that surrounds some of the tabloid reporting on this

1 BRIT IS KNOWN TO HAVE DIEDalso, 227 evil dirty foreigners died too but who cares.

But meh the whole concept of one death in identical circumstances being sadder than the scores of others because they're young is annoying.

[Anpanman]

Brazilian AF are confirming that they have found some debris 650km NE of Fernando de Noronha.

One of the last messages recieved by Air France from the aircraft apparently was an advisory to the pilots warning of excessive vertical speed - chilling.