French Official Fears Air France Jet Flight missing as ‘most tragic scenario’

Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330, was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members is missing. France official fears Air France Jet Flight missing as most tragic scenario.

TV news networks and other media outlets are reporting that an Air France flight headed to Paris from Brazil has “dropped off radar.” Reuters writes in a report at 6:04 a.m. ET that “an Air France flight that has gone missing on its way from Brazil to France has 228 people on board, Air France said on Monday. The flight left Rio de Janeiro on Sunday at 7 p.m. (local time) and was expected in Paris on Monday at 11:15 a.m. (local time), a spokesman said. The people on board are 216 passengers and 12 crew.” More details as they become available.

UPDATE (6:25 a.m. ET on Monday, June 1): ABC News reports “Brazil’s Air Force says an Air France jet bound from Rio de Janeiro to Paris disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean and a search is under way near the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha. An Air Force spokesman says the search and rescue mission was mounted Monday morning after the jet failed to make regular radio contact.” CNN adds “French media said the aircraft was an Airbus A330-200. State radio reported a crisis center was being set up at Charles de Galle where the plane had been due to land at 11.15 a.m. local time.”

UPDATE (6:32 a.m. ET on Monday, June 1): Britain’s Sky News quotes an Air France spokesman as saying: “We are very worried. The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected.”

UPDATE (6:57 a.m. ET on Monday, June 1): The Guardian of London writes “the plane disappeared about 186 miles (300 kilometers) northeast of the coastal Brazilian city of Natal and near Fernando de Noronha, the spokesman said.” The paper quotes a spokesman for the Brazilian Air Force for that detail. Air France spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand is quoted by the paper as saying: “Air France shares the emotion and worry of the families concerned.”

UPDATE (7:03 a.m. ET on Monday, June 1): NBC’s Today Show, citing reports from French media, quotes an “unofficial source” from Paris’Charles de Gaulle Airport as saying: “There is no longer any hope for the flight.” The Today Show also says the plane may have crashed off the coast of Morocco. An Air France press conference is to begin “any moment.”

UPDATE (7:10 a.m. ET on Monday, June 1): “Brazil’s air force said on Monday its planes had begun searching for an Air France airliner that went missing on a flight to France,” Reuters reports.

UPDATE (7:33 a.m. ET on Monday, June 1): From Britain’s Sky News: “By now it would be beyond its kerosene reserves so unfortunately we must now envisage the most tragic scenario,” says Jean-Louis Borloo, the second most senior figure in France’s cabinet.

UPDATE (7:42 a.m. ET on Monday, June 1): The BBC reports: “French minister Jean-Louis Borloo said the plane had probably had an accident and ruled out hijacking.” Sky News adds “French radio were reporting that Air France has ‘lost hope’ of finding the missing jet.”

UPDATE (7:52 a.m. ET on Monday, June 1): The Associated Press interviews industry expert Chris Yates of Jane’s Aviation. Yates tells AP: “It’s nearly three hours overdue. There has been no receipt of a mayday call. The conclusion to be drawn is that something catastrophic happened on board that has caused this airplane to ditch in a controlled or an uncontrolled fashion. I would suggest that potentially it went down very quickly and so quickly that the pilots on board didn’t have a chance to make that emergency call.” He tells the news agency that could mean the likely cause is anything from mechanical failure to terrorism.

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