In one way we know a huge amount about the loss of Air France flight 447 — much more than is usual so soon after an accident. But in another, we know nothing at all. The simple fact is that the blizzard of airworthiness directives, company memos, weather reports, technical specifications and diverse other documents that have surfaced since last week constitute entirely circumstantial evidence
Tag Archives: aircraft
Searchers hunt for missing chopper in New Mexico
The pilot of a helicopter that went missing near a mountain in New Mexico talked to dispatchers just after the craft struck a mountainside, a state official told CNN.
Pilots’ union: Air France to replace sensors soon
Air France has agreed to replace within days sensors on all of its Airbus A330 and A340 airplanes, parts that are suspected of being involved in last week’s crash, a pilots’ union said Tuesday. Air France said Saturday that it had begun replacing the sensors throughout its fleet in April.
NTSB to start hearings on plane’s Hudson River landing
The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday will launch three days of hearings into the circumstances surrounding the US Airways Flight 1549 emergency landing on New York’s Hudson River. Looking into several issues from the January 15 incident — from migratory birds to why a rear door opened after the landing — the NTSB panel will hear testimony from key witnesses, including Capt
Clues emerge in search for plane wreckage
The search for the wreckage of an Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 on board intensified Thursday after clues appeared to rule out a mid-air fire or explosion. As several ships trawled the crash site in the Atlantic, Brazil’s defense minister said a 20-kilometer (12-mile) oil slick near where the plane went down on Monday indicated it probably did not break up until it hit the water.
A330-200: Ultra-modern and extremely safe
Launched in 1995, the Airbus A330-200 is the newest member of the European aircraft manufacturer’s twinjet family. With a range of 12,500 km (6,750 nautical miles) and the capacity to carry 253 passengers, the A330-200 is extremely well-regarded as a medium to long-range airliner. There are 600 currently in service with 82 airlines, including Air France, worldwide
New European astronaut reveals greatest fear
He’s a helicopter test pilot who spent 18 years in the British Army. He just beat more than 8,400 others to become one of Europe’s newest astronauts, destined for the International Space Station
The Plot to Bomb Riverdale: How It Unraveled
The arrest of four alleged terrorism plotters in the Riverdale section of New York City was the culmination of a painstaking 10-month FBI investigation. Each of the four men is charged with one count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction within the U.S., which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and one count of conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison
White House plans to release plane flyover report, photo
The White House indicated Wednesday that a report and a photo from the controversial low-altitude New York flyover by a 747 plane used as Air Force One could be released soon. Earlier, White House officials had said that there were no plans to release photos to the public. But the tone seemed to change on Wednesday
Swine Flu Update: Five Things Not to Do
The global rise in swine flu has showed few signs of slowing. Now in 11 countries, the H1N1 flu virus was confirmed on Thursday in the Netherlands and Switzerland; in Canada, cases rose to 27 and in the U.S., the caseload increased to 109 in 11 states, with hundreds of school closures that sent some 160,000 students home