Missing Plane!!

[muppet]

They reckon it had to have been hit by lightning.  Could take them days to find it.  Scary stuff!

747 hit by lightning

[DennistheMenace]

3 Irish on the flight. Terrible altogether.

[The Real Laoislad]

Three Irish aboard missing plane

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that three Irish citizens were on board an Air France Flight that has disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean.

The Air France plane with 228 people on board disappeared on its way from Brazil to Paris after hitting strong turbulence.

French officials say they fear the worst.

Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs have contacted the families of those Irish passengers and are offering full consular assistance.

The Irish embassies in both France and Brazil remain in close contact with the authorities investigating the disappearance of the flight.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian air force said the Airbus jet was well advanced over the sea when it went missing and military planes took off from both South America and Africa to hunt for the plane.

'We are probably facing an air catastrophe,' Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said.

Air France said the airliner sent an automatic message reporting an electrical fault at 3.14am Irish time, roughly 15 minutes after the plane flew through a stormy area with strong turbulence.

Flight AF 447 left Rio de Janeiro last night at 11pm Irish time and had been expected to land at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport this morning at 10.15am Irish time.

The carrier said 216 passengers were on board, including seven children and one baby, and 12 crew members. Air France said the pilots were highly experienced.

Senior French government minister Jean-Louis Borloo ruled out the possibility of a hijacking.

The jet's last known location was unclear and Brazil's Air Force said it lost contact with the plane at 3.14am.

The plane was an Airbus 330-200 powered with General Electric engines.

Air France said relatives of people travelling on board flight AF 447 were being taken care of in a special area of Charles de Gaulle airport.

The last major incident involving an Air France plane was in July 2000 when one of its Concorde supersonic airliners crashed just after taking off from Charles de Gaulle Airport bound for New York.

All 109 people on board were killed along with at least four on the ground.

In August 2005, an Air France Airbus burst into flames after shooting off the runway at Toronto airport following a storm. No one died in the crash.

[DennistheMenace]

Woman from County Down on board the flight..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8078264.stm

[SLIGONIAN]

Scary stuff as I fly Air france the whole time, might reconsider. Condolenscenes to the families of the deceased. Although i hope a miracle occurs like the hudson river pilot proved you can land in water. Just a disaster and very sad.

[Gnevin]

Scary stuff as I fly Air france the whole time, might reconsider. Condolenscenes to the families of the deceased. Although i hope a miracle occurs like the hudson river pilot proved you can land in water. Just a disaster and very sad.

Why would you reconsider Air France are one of the safest airlines in the world. Who else would you fly with?

[Maiden1]

What are the chances of firstly finding the wreckage and secondly finding the black box which is presumably at the bottom of the sea ? Not good I'd imagine, my worst nightmare.

I heard on the news they will struggle to find the black box but I thought the black box was fire proof, bomb proof ... so surely then it is just a matter of finding the position of where the signal is coming from to find the box?

http://science.howstuffworks.com/black-box8.htm

[SLIGONIAN]

Scary stuff as I fly Air france the whole time, might reconsider. Condolenscenes to the families of the deceased. Although i hope a miracle occurs like the hudson river pilot proved you can land in water. Just a disaster and very sad.

Why would you reconsider Air France are one of the safest airlines in the world. Who else would you fly with?

This is the first of this type of airbus to crash from what there saying, and of course the articles mentioned other AF planes have had crashed so I might get Eithad, or Qatar airlines instead but either way when your time is up theres not much you can do, I guess i'll have less of fear factor flying with airlines that havent crashed.

[full back]

What are the chances of firstly finding the wreckage and secondly finding the black box which is presumably at the bottom of the sea ? Not good I'd imagine, my worst nightmare.

I heard on the news they will struggle to find the black box but I thought the black box was fire proof, bomb proof ... so surely then it is just a matter of finding the position of where the signal is coming from to find the box?

http://science.howstuffworks.com/black-box8.htm

If they could find the position of the signal Im assuming they could find the plane immediately
What is the story with the black box

[orangeman]

They're seeking help from the Americans who have spy satellites, listening devices etc etc in an attempt to locate the plane - the ocean is 10,000 feet deep out there.

[orangeman]

 Eithne's family pays tribute to 'extraordinary' daughterview list
02/06/09

The family of one of three young Irish women onboard the Air France airliner that vanished over the Atlantic Ocean spoke today of their heartbreak at the loss of their daughter.

Eithne Walls, 28, from Ballygowan, Co Down and her friends Aisling Butler, of Roscrea, Co Tipperary and Jane Deasy of Dublin, also aged in their 20s, were returning from holiday in Brazil.

The young women were forging careers as doctors and today Dr Walls' parents Raymond and Mary paid tribute to their daughter, a talented Irish dancer who performed on Broadway with the world famous Riverdance troupe.

"It is with the heaviest and saddest of hearts that the Walls family confirm the loss of their dearest daughter and sister, Eithne," the Walls family said.

"Eithne was an extraordinary person who brought light to the lives of everyone she touched.

"She was beautiful in every way, especially of spirit. She had a passion for life that permeated, enlivened and enriched those around her.

"We feel privileged to have shared her too short life, and the countless memories of her will stay with us forever."

In a statement issued this morning, they added: "Eithne, we will miss your easy smile. We will miss your loving embrace.

"We will miss your happy hello. We will miss your dancing feet.

"We will miss your silliness, your wit and your hugs. We will always hold you in our hearts and you are never truly gone."

The three women had been holidaying in Brazil with other friends who graduated with them from Trinity College Dublin two years ago.

They were on the Air France Airbus A330 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

The search for evidence of what happened to the stricken plane is continuing today, while the airline has also confirmed five Britons were onboard.

Dr Walls worked in Dublin's Eye and Ear Hospital.

A talented Irish dancer she had won medals nationally and internationally before joining Riverdance in 2000.

She performed on Broadway with the hit show for a year before she began her medical studies at Trinity.

Despite the pressures of her academic work she continued to perform and danced with Riverdance in China, Qatar, Germany and France, as well as in Dublin when the dancers played the city's Gaiety theatre.

Today her family appealed for privacy as they come to terms with their loss.

Her parents and siblings, Kathryn, Raymond and Gerard, said Dr Walls had great hopes for her future.

"She had many hopes for her life, and was looking forward to the exciting journey to fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming an eye surgeon," they said.

"At university she made many life-long friends with whom she shared the trials and tribulations of university life and on this last holiday we know she was delighted to have been reunited with so many of them.

"Her friends will, we hope, remember their special time together with fondness and joy, despite its tragic end.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of her dearest friends Jane and Aisling who are suffering this same inconsolable loss.

"Many people have known Eithne through Irish dancing, a passion she had continued throughout her studies and into her professional life.

"We have been overwhelmed by the messages of support from so many family and friends in our community and throughout the world."

Appealing for privacy, their statement added that they did not want to speak to the media.

"The family is in severe shock and they do not want anyone calling to the family home or at the home/work of Eithne's relatives.

"They would like to thank the media for respecting their wishes and understand that Eithne is in people's thoughts and prayers."

[passedit]

They reckon it had to have been hit by lightning.  Could take them days to find it.  Scary stuff!

747 hit by lightning

I'm surprised noone has mentioned the B word yet.

[DennistheMenace]

Bomb.

[Doogie Browser]

Terrorism was ruled out almost immediately, terrible wait for the families now.

[ziggysego]

Where's Aerlik? He's good at giving possible reasons as to why and how these air disasters happen.