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 The last 14 minutes of terror
    June 04 2009 at 11:56AM Get IOL on your
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By Daily Mail and Sapa-AP

Buffeted by 160km/h winds in a ferocious storm, the 228 people on board Air France Flight 447 went through at least 14 minutes of hell before they plunged into the Atlantic Ocean.

This is the story revealed by French and Brazilian officials, who described a "burst" of messages from Flight 447 just before it disappeared early on Monday.

A more complete chronology was published on Wednesday by Brazil's O Estado de S Paulo newspaper, citing an unidentified Air France source. The chronology was confirmed by an aviation industry source with knowledge of the investigation:

'One theory is that the jet was downed by a mid-air collision'
The summary points to the series of failures that led to the "catastrophic events".

Here are the last 14 minutes as recorded on the ground. The times are all local.
Continues Below ↓





  • 11 pm: The pilot sends a manual signal saying the jet was flying through CBs - towering cumulonimbus thunderheads.

  • 11.10: A cascade of automatic messages indicate trouble: The autopilot had disengaged, stabilising controls were damaged, flight systems deteriorated.

  • 11.13: Messages report more problems: The system that monitors speed, altitude and direction failed. The main flight computer and wing spoilers failed.

  • 11.13: The final message indicates a loss of cabin pressure and complete system failure - catastrophic events in a plane that was probably already plunging toward the ocean.

    The disaster could have been caused by the storm - or by a bomb.

    It was revealed on Wednesday that Air France received a bomb threat four days before Flight 447 plunged into the Atlantic off the coast of Brazil.

    The telephone warning targeted a flight from Buenos Aires that was also travelling to Paris.

    Although that plane arrived safely on May 27, the news fuelled speculation that there may be a more sinister explanation for why the Airbus from Rio de Janeiro vanished from radar screens.

    Aviation experts said the vast area over which debris had been found suggested that there was an in-flight explosion, but that did not mean a bomb had to be the cause.

    The explosion and resulting break-up could have resulted from a massive depressurisation inside the plane for another reason.

    If this happened at high altitude, the passengers would have fallen unconscious instantly and may have been oblivious to their fate.

    The area into which the Airbus flew is known as the birthplace of some of the world's strongest storms - and the plane would have encountered a 644km-long maze of storms with lightning, hail and fierce 160km/h updrafts.

    Satellite data has already shown that storms were sending 160km/h winds straight into the Airbus's path at the time the pilot sent his last message at 11pm. The burst of automatic messages 10 minutes later recorded the deteriorating situation.

    Investigators are baffled how a modern plane operated by three experienced pilots could fall out of the sky on a routine transatlantic flight.

    One theory is that the jet was downed by a mid-air collision, possibly involving a military spy jet or an aircraft piloted by drug-runners. Another is that the jet was hit by lightning, causing a massive electrical short circuit.

    But an unidentified senior long-haul Air France pilot told a French newspaper: "I have flown these jets for Air France for more than 10 years and the chances of an electrical fault seem unfeasible to me. There are five electricity supplies on the plane and they would all have to fail."

    He said a bomb was the only logical reason the captain failed to send out a Mayday call.

    French authorities insisted they were not ruling out any possible cause. But they played down the possibility of a terrorist attack, pointing out that no group has claimed responsibility for the disaster.

    The Air France flight that was the subject of last Wednesday's bomb threat was delayed for hours while a search was carried out, but it landed uneventfully in Paris.



      • This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star on June 04, 2009
    • Showing page 1 of 4 comment pages, 33 total comments
    24 Weeks ago Dolly wrote :
    How tragic this may seem, the Lord has taken all 228 into heaven without pain whatsoever. Your body means nothing to the Lord but its your spirit that has been healed.
    24 Weeks ago Selomo wrote :
    I'm a regular flyer and have become comfortable on those transoceanic flights from OR to JFK, Heathrow, CDG, Dubai, Hong Kong, etc. I even sleep through the worst of turbulances... these type of news is, nonethess, not very comforting at all. I know that after a disaster like this, it is about the safest time to fly as every body is on high alert; but i'm really not looking foward to my flight to Kuala Lumpur next week! Phew!
    24 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
    @Jill: Your insinuation that only Jesus saves is so an insult to every other religion. Please respect everyone's beliefs. I can only imagine what pain the families of the passengers are going through. My blessing is with you and may God in whatever form be a comfort to you and your families....
    24 Weeks ago Rev. Jonathan Van Wyk wrote :
    I pray for comfort and peace for all the bereaved families. May the almighty God strenghten you all. May your tears be captured by God in His cup of grace that never runs dry. Rev. J.N. Van Wyk
    24 Weeks ago closure4all wrote :
    reading all the comments shows how this sad story affects everyone. I think all of us need to pray in order to find peace and closure. I have to admit as well that since monday i cant stop thinking about this. May their souls rest in peace.
    24 Weeks ago Sibusiso wrote :
    I agree with Anonymous. This is a time of condolences and comfort. I'm also shaken by this tragedy, its so frightening. I pray that the peace and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ would comfort the families, provide for the loss of incomes and begin the long process of healing and restoration for the broken families. I also feel a sense of upset with God from other comments here. I'm sure God can take the venting of His people, just remember that He is God and you are not. Vent with reverence please, being sensitive to the rest of the readers because some of us get affected by your comments. May God comfort us all and forgive the alleged terrorists. Thanks
    24 Weeks ago oscar wrote :
    I see some great hypothetical analysis of what could have transpired, leading to this crash. Also, I see some very informative recollections of dives and the likes involving such deeps. This is great. The only thing is with these people who push their beliefs and do not make sense at the end. In a way,Jacques tells us that jesus is busy killing people through crashes, HIV/AIDS, etc in order to prevent overpopulation. Nonsense. Jesus died himself some 2000 years ago. What kills people is natural progression and disasters. It is natural that people will not live forever. You cannot attributre every death to to jesus, who died himself. Nonetheless, we should also show some respect to the families who lost their loved ones and point that our thoughts are with them. They should stay strong.
    24 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
    PEOPLE DIED HERE. THERE ARE FAMILIES IN MORNING AND THERE ARE PEOPLE COMMENTING HERE IN THE MOST INSENSITIVE WAY POSSIBLE. WHATS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD??
    24 Weeks ago Elise wrote :
    I returned to Cape Town from New York early April. I was afraid all the time over the Atlantic and thus I can just imagine the terrible terror the passengers had to endure before they, thank the Lord, slipped into unconsciousness. May they RIP and peace be with their families, What mystifies me: if the plane had broken up in the air before hitting the water, surely some bodies would have been recovered by now? My mind tells me it didn't break up and the fuselage found probably belongs to wings...?
    24 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
    Bantu bakithi, ake siyeke ukuthuka igama likaNkulunkulu. Lets tolerate all religions, knowing that God is the Lord of all humanity and that covers most religions. I live in Ireland bakithi and have been humbled by the most righteous Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists etc I have become friends with. We are all foreigners in Europe, painted with the same [Kwerekwere brush]. I see Jesus in so many religions. Tolerance is the best approach Bakithi. Khumbulani umzabalazo.

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