Paris Bound Jet Had Departed Rio De Janeiro

ANN is monitoring multiple reports involving an Airbus A330-200 which is currently reported missing at a point some 354 km out over the Atlantic. The only supplemental info revolves around an 'automated' signal that indicates that the aircraft was having an electrical issue -- which some sources have attributed to a possible lightning strike.

Weather in the area is said to have included extensive thunderstorm activity and turbulence prior to the loss of communication with the aircraft. The flight roster lists 228 people on board, including 12 crew members.

The last contact occurred with the aircraft late Sunday night after a 1900 (local time) departure. The flight should have arrived at DeGaulle/Paris at 0515 (EST) this morning and all hopes for a late arrival have vanished with the note that the aircraft is now beyond its expected fuel burn rate/range and has to have come down somewhere.

The A330-200 is a somewhat shorterd version of Airbus' twin-engine, long-haul, medium-capacity passenger jet series, capable of carrying up to 253 passengers in various configurations, with a range of asmuch as 7760 miles. It first went into service in 1998, with 341 reported to be in use around the world.

Air France Statement(s)

Air France regrets to confirm the disappearance of flight AF 447 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris-Charles de Gaulle, scheduled to arrive at 11:10am local time today, as announced to the press by Air France CEO, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon. The Airbus A330-200, registration F-GZCP, left Rio on 31 May at 7:03pm local time (12:03am in Paris).

The aircraft hit a zone of stormy weather with strong turbulence at 2am this morning (universal time), i.e. 4am in Paris. An automatic message was received from the aircraft at 2:14am (4 :14am in Paris) indicating a failure in the electric circuit a long way from the coast.

The Brazilian, African, Spanish and French air traffic control centres all tried to make contact with flight AF 447 but to no avail. The French military air traffic control centre tried to detect the aircraft but did not succeed.

216 passengers were on board: 126 men, 82 women, 7 children and one infant.

There were 12 flight crew members: 3 pilots and 9 flight attendants.

The flight captain had a record of 11,000 flight hours and had already flown 1,700 hours on Airbus A330/A340s.

Of the two first officers, one had flown 3,000 flight hours (800 of which on the Airbus A330/A340) and the other 6,600 (2,600 on the Airbus A330/A340).

The aircraft was powered by General Electric CF6-80E engines.

The aircraft had totalled 18,870 flight hours and went into service on 18 April 2005.

Its last maintenance check in the hangar took place on 16 April 2009.

Air France fully shares the anxiety and distress of the families concerned. The families are being taken care of in a specially reserved area of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2.

Air France has sent all the information in its possession on the disappearance of flight AF 447 operating the Rio de Janeiro – Paris-Charles de Gaulle route to the French Accident Investigation Bureau for civil aviation (BEA), the French organization in charge of technical investigations into civil aviation incidents and accidents, and to the aircraft manufacturer Airbus.  Air France is in permanent contact with the BEA and Airbus.

FMI: www.airfrance.com