Breaking News: French Plane Disappears

[coventrygull]

I have flown this route with Air France a couple of years ago. We were supposed to come back with the awful Spanish airline Iberia. So when we heard that they had overbooked the seats and were asking people who were flying back to London. If they wouldm't mind flying back via Paris with Air France. We jumped at the chance. I hope this didn't happen on this flight. Its an awful tragedy. I hate flying and this hasn't helped

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Depend swhat angle you hit the water really, and at what speed. Hit it first nose down and the plane would break up and fill with water v quickly

Frankly it doesn't matter. Hitting the sea at speed is like hitting rough (very rough) concrete. There has not been an airliner yet that has safely ditched in the sea. If a pilot had a choice of landing in the sea or on land he would pick land every time.

 

[REDLAND]

With regard to the timing/location thing, aircraft flying transatlantic don't just go in a straight line from A to B, however logical that may seem. If you fly from New York to London a typical route would be sort of up and over (to use the technical term ), roughly passing Iceland and Greenland on the way. I'd imagine Brazil is similar, perhaps they fly along the coast when coming back to Europe. It's a bloody big country, so I can easily see how it wouldn't be that far away from the coast even after a few hours.

The line appears as an arc only because you are looking at the path on a two dimensional flat surface instead of the three dimensional curve of the Earth. The plane is actually flying 'as the crow flies' ..

 

[Northstander]

I just couldnt imagine, Bergkamp had the right idea, drive everywhere!

 

[¡Cereal Killer!]

I've just been watching Sky News and they were going through tomorrows newspaper front pages and 2 papers main story is about Susan Bloody Boyle. one or 2 didnt even have it on the front page.

 

[Fungus]

I've just been watching Sky News and they were going through tomorrows newspaper front pages and 2 papers main story is about Susan Bloody Boyle. one or 2 didnt even have it on the front page.

Sky just did a LIVE phone interview with the wife of one of the presumed dead. She was in complete denial, but of course eventually broke down in tears. Why would you put someone in that position? Maybe the media just revel in it, as with SuBo.

 

[skipper734]

The line appears as an arc only because you are looking at the path on a two dimensional flat surface instead of the three dimensional curve of the Earth. The plane is actually flying 'as the crow flies' ..

In navigation terms it's called the great circle route.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

Sky just did a LIVE phone interview with the wife of one of the presumed dead. She was in complete denial, but of course eventually broke down in tears. Why would you put someone in that position? Maybe the media just revel in it, as with SuBo.

Watching the news this morning was horrendous - the families were all being surrounded by the press / photographers, and were visibly distressed. Why weren't the airport's security doing anything to protect them?

 

[coventrygull]

Watching the news this morning was horrendous - the families were all being surrounded by the press / photographers, and were visibly distressed. Why weren't the airport's security doing anything to protect them?

I thought that. It was a bit sick

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Because all jurnos are *****

 

[coventrygull]

Because all jurnos are *****

That is the Correct answer

 

[Scoffers]

Because all jurnos are *****

If the journo doesn't get the photo he gets sacked, if he does, he's sick for taking the photo

Who'd be a journo

 

[coventrygull]

If the journo doesn't get the photo he gets sacked, if he does, he's sick for taking the photo

Who'd be a journo

Someone without morality maybe

 

[Acker79]

I have flown this route with Air France a couple of years ago. We were supposed to come back with the awful Spanish airline Iberia. So when we heard that they had overbooked the seats and were asking people who were flying back to London. If they wouldm't mind flying back via Paris with Air France. We jumped at the chance. I hope this didn't happen on this flight. Its an awful tragedy. I hate flying and this hasn't helped

Woman on Radio 2 (I think the same one in the sun who is refusing to accept her husband has died on the flight because his phone rings). Said he was due to come home 10 days ago, then he should have been on an earlier flight but it was overcrowded so he was moved to this plane.

 

[Garage_Doors]

There has not been an airliner yet that has safely ditched in the sea.

What about the recent one in New York where he ditched in successfully in the Hudson River, OK technically its a river not a sea, but its still water just the same.

 

[gruntage]

What about the recent one in New York where he ditched in successfully in the Hudson River, OK technically its a river not a sea, but its still water just the same.

was going much slower and from a lower altitude. that happened right after take off. this plane crashed from V. high up - cruising height i presume, and would of been going full speed. plus if the storm was that bad, i imagine the sea would of been pretty rough.

V.V.V little chance of a 'safe' crash landing, and even smaller chance of survival.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

What about the recent one in New York where he ditched in successfully in the Hudson River, OK technically its a river not a sea, but its still water just the same.

Completely flat river.


30ft waves in the middle of the Atlantic, in the dark.

Fairly different, I'd say.

 

[bhaexpress]

Frankly it doesn't matter. Hitting the sea at speed is like hitting rough (very rough) concrete. There has not been an airliner yet that has safely ditched in the sea. If a pilot had a choice of landing in the sea or on land he would pick land every time.

Not quite true actually. There was the incident of a Boeing Stratocruiser Soveriegn of the Skies which was ditched in 1956. All on board survived. However the main problem with ditching is that the engines on virtually all modern day jets are slung beneath the wing and they would drag the aircraft under on landing. The Stratocruiser was a propeller driven aircraft.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

What about the recent one in New York where he ditched in successfully in the Hudson River, OK technically its a river not a sea, but its still water just the same.

difference between hitting camber beach and hitting beachy head

 

[coventrygull]

I think Air France track record is very good. As is most Major airlines. I am not convinced by the electrical fault theory.