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Authorities Have Confirmed The Wreckage Over The Atlantic Is Of Air France Flight 447 Air France Flight 447 Likely Broke Apart In Mid Air - Its The Worst Air Disaster In Air France’s History  Officials Reviewing The Speed Sensor Data
By Daniel Guevarra
		June 16, 2009, Update reports are giving evidence that the airplane broke up in flight rather than crashed intact in the ocean or exploded. The bodies recovered so far have shown no evidence of burns, this is an indication that there was no explosion. Of the bodies found, non of them  were clothed. An indication that they were exposed to the rush of air during the descent. Autopsies have indicated their lungs had no water, this is a sign that the passengers were not alive when then went into the water. There was two trails of bodies "more than 50 miles apart," indicating that the airplane split apart in the air. June 2, 2009, Update- Authorities have confirmed the wreckage spotted over the Atlantic is of Air France Flight 447. Air France flight 447 an Airbus A330-200 departed Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport, Brazil at 6:30 PM Eastern Standard time on Sunday, May 31, 2009. The flight was to land at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Paris, France.
The last verbal communication by pilots to air traffic controllers was three hours into their flight.  Brazil. The pilots reported to Brazilian air traffic control that they were experiencing extremely heavy turbulence was in an electrical storm. 14 minutes later the aircraft automatic messaging systems alerted air traffic control officials of a loss in cabin pressure and an electrical system malfunction. When the aircraft did not arrive to its destination point, the Brazilian Air Force sent two planes and three ships from the Brazilian Navy in search of the missing Airbus 330-200. The French Air Force sent planes from their base in Se enegal, Africa to assist in the search of the lost Air France flight and Spain is also assisting in the effort. The missing aircraft, registered under the number F-GZCP, was MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 660, delivered to Air France from the production line in April 2005. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 18,800 flight hours in some 2,500 flights. It was powered by CF6-80E1 engines.  Air France reported the pilots were highly experienced. The Captain is reported to be French, 58 years old, Entered Air France in 1988, qualified on Airbus A330/A340 in February 2007, 11,000 flight hours, including 1,700 on Airbus A330/A340 The co-pilots; French, 37 and 32 years old, Entered Air France in 1999 and 2004, qualified on Airbus A330/A340 in April 2002 and June 2008, 6,600 flight hours, including 2,600 on Airbus A330/A340, 3,000 flight hours, including 800 on Airbus A330/A340   The carrier reported 216 passengers were on board, including seven children and one baby, and 12 crew members. Air France confirm the nationalities of the passengers who were on board. This list is based on the information provided by the Brazilian Authorities. 2 American, 1 Argentinian, 1 Austrian, 1 Belgian, 58 Brazilian, 5 British, 1 Canadian, 9 Chinese, 1 Croatian, 1 Danish, 1 Dutch, 1 Estonian, 1 Filipino, 61 French, 1 Gambian, 26 German, 4 Hungarian, 3 Irish, 1 Icelandic, 9 Italian, 5 Lebanese, 2 Moroccan, 3 Norwegians, 2 Polish, 1 Romanian, 1 Russian, 3 Slovakian, 1 South African, 2 Spanish, 1 Swedish, 6 Swiss, 1 Turkish

After hitting strong turbulence French officials said they feared a disaster. The Brazilian air force said flight 447 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 told reporters. Senior French government minister Jean-Louis Borloo ruled out the possibility of a hijacking. Air France expresses its deepest sympathy to the relatives and friends of the passengers and crew who were on board this flight. Air France is doing its utmost to provide support to relatives and friends: Counseling with physicians and psychologists as well as specially trained Air France volunteers has been set up at the airports of Paris-Charles de Gaulle 2 and Rio de Janeiro. Air France has also established a special toll-free number for the attention of relatives and friends of passengers who may have been on board. They can use this number to obtain information on whether or not a member of their family or friends was on board.

Early morning June 1, 2009, a Brazilian pilot with TAM Airlines, reported to French Authorities of seeing orange glimmers, or "shiny spots," on the surface of the ocean under Senegalese airspace.   Search teams were searching in an area halfway between South America and Africa, and two French Navy ships have been sent in.   The U.S. government as well sent in search teams and provided equipment to assist in locating the emergency locator beacons on the aircraft. “It’s like looking for a “needle in the haystack" in deep water said one French official.  In the early morning of June 2, the Brazilian Air Force reported they had spotted aircraft wreckage of Flight 447, about 400 miles off its northern coast. The Air Force further reported spotting pieces of metallic debris and seats from flight 447.

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