World

Air France Flight 447: Officials say 'No Hope' for Missing Plane

by Rob Walker | June 1, 2009 at 05:11 am

21256 views | 40 Recommendations | 33 comments

Air France officials say there is no hope for the passengers and crew of missing plane Air France Flight 447, which disappeared off radar three hours into a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. There were 216 passengers and 12 crew on board. Air France fears the missing plane has crashed.

The Brazilian air force is in the midst of a large search and rescue operation for Air France Flight 447, an Airbus 330-200, but Air France officials say there is little hope of finding anyone alive. The company said that the plane had sent a message reporting an electrical 'short circuit' after experiencing turbulence.

Information about missing plane Air France flight 447, as provided by Air France officials.

Officials said they had "no hope" for Air France Flight 447 which dropped off the radar three hours and less than 200 miles into a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
As the Brazilian air force mounted a search and rescue operation for the Airbus 330-200 in the waters around the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, families of passengers gathered at a crisis centre in Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport awaiting news.

[UPDATE]: The search for the plane has begun near Brazilian Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.

According to a report from Reuters, Brazilian authorities said that the island’s airstrip is now at the center of the search: “planes had taken off from the island of Fernando de Noronha off Brazil’s northeast coast to look for the Air France jet.”

Passenger list for Flight 447

See the last known in-air position of Flight 447

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

majesticbuterfly (not verified)

at 10:58 on June 2nd, 2009

All I can say is have faith and believe for the individuals who were aboard on this aircraft that they are now in GODS hands. Prayers for each and everyone one on this flight, and my condolences to there families, and friends.

Sarah1974 (not verified)

at 03:23 on June 3rd, 2009

I am not a follower of god but i do believe there is something out there , i prey with all my heart that poor boy who was 11 on his own that someone was sat with him who cared for him, his parents put him in boreding school, made him fly alone, they never wanted a child, i hope he never suffer to much, that poor child

flight tamair (not verified)

at 12:28 on June 3rd, 2009

on flight tam air we cross the airbus a330-200 air france on the way to rio de janerio the flight captian of the plane reported a bright red and orange light then it disapeared but on the radar showed us the storm moving into the atlantic so when we avoid it we seen air france a330-200 went into it