AIRBUS: Pilots May Have Slowed Plane Down Too Much Causing a High-Altitude Aerodymanic Stall
THURSDAY UPDATE: Daily Mail: Oil Slick Trail in Atlantic Now Makes Terrorism Theory Highly Unlikely.BACK TO WEATHER CAUSED: The report said the pilot sent a manual signal at 11 p.m. local time saying he was flying through an area of "CBs" -- black, electrically charged cumulo-nimbus clouds that come with violent winds and lightning. Satellite data has shown that towering thunderheads were sending 100 mph (160 kph) winds straight into the jet's flight path at that time.
Ten minutes later, the plane sent a burst of automatic messages, indicating the autopilot had disengaged, the "fly-by-wire" computer system had been switched to alternative power, and controls needed to keep the plane stable had been damaged. An alarm also sounded, indicating the deterioration of flight systems, according to the report.
Three minutes after that, more automatic messages indicated the failure of two other fundamental systems pilots use to monitor air speed, altitude and direction. Then, a cascade of other electrical failures in systems that control the main flight computer and wing spoilers.
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TODAY, June 3, 2009 marks the 47th anniversary of another tragic crash of an Air France chartered jet outside Paris on June 3, 1962 that killed 130 people, mostly from Atlanta, Georgia.
The victims--mostly art patrons from that community---were returning to Atlanta after a week touring art galleries and museums in Europe in preparation for one to be built in Atlanta. The plane never got off the ground that day.
Several of my "cousins" --- three children of my uncle's brother---were orphaned when both their parents died instantly in this terrible crash on takeoff from an Orly Airport runway. Today it's described as a 9-11 event for the city of Atlanta.
I am friends with Linda the oldest daughter of these three children who lost both their parents. Last night I called to say I was thinking about her. She reminded me that today is the anniversary of the day that changed their lives forever. And the irony of the latest Air France catastrophe---within 48 hours of the old one 47 years ago---was not and is not lost on her: It's truly unbelievable! she said, not surprisingly.
It is indeed more than ironic that the catastrophic crash and growing possible terrorist attack on Air France 447 as it cruised from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Paris in the middle of the night Sunday would happen within 48 hours of the old crash at Orly. Though the causes were very different
While all crashes are horrifying and poignant sometimes beyond human comprehension, the recent disappearance of Air France 447 has an even more frightening ring. Is there a possibility is was an act of terrorism? Not engine failure. Not thunderstorms. Not lightning.
Possibly, Just Evil doing Evil anyway it can. With no regard for human life on earth. It regards chaos, death, destruction and overcoming the world with its Evil intentions its highest calling. We certainly know it's not the first time for blowing up commercial airliners. The remembrance of the Lockerbie, Scotland air crash tragedy still brings pain to our hearts and causes us to suspect foul play as a possibility in all crashes.
May God help us all and comfort the many families and friends involved in this tragic event whatever the cause.
I will be praying for them all, as well as my family members and all who lost so much in the old Air France crash that happened 47 years ago today.
The recovery effort is expected to be exceedingly challenging. Storm season is starting in the are and water depths sink down to 22,950 feet (7,000 meters).
Four boats and a tanker ship were en route to the scene but Brazil lacks equipment to scour the ocean floor a Brazilian navy spokeswoman said Wednesday. Brazil was leading the search for wreckage, while France took charge of the crash investigation.
The seas in the area are high, and that is slowing the arrival of our ships," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We have four divers on the way, but the first of them will not get to the scene until midday Thursday."
The official said if the black boxes are at the bottom of the sea -- three miles (five kilometers) deep in some nearby areas -- there was nothing the Brazil navy could do as they do not have the special remotely controlled subs needed to withstand the pressure at the ocean's bottom.
If the black boxes have sunk, she said, "We don't have the equipment to look for them."
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