Air France airliner with 228 aboard disappears over the Atlantic

[DisturbedPervert]

If it was a bomb, why not let it explode over land?

They've tried to blow up planes over water before.  The shoe bomber and the plot discovered in the Phillipines to blow up a dozen airplanes flying from Asia to the US come to mind.

[jimmy olsen]

If it was a bomb, why not let it explode over land?

They've tried to blow up planes over water before.  The shoe bomber and the plot discovered in the Phillipines to blow up a dozen airplanes flying from Asia to the US come to mind.

Man, can you imagine how much that would have crippled the aviation industry if they managed to pull that off?

[Caliga]

They've tried to blow up planes over water before.  The shoe bomber and the plot discovered in the Phillipines to blow up a dozen airplanes flying from Asia to the US come to mind.

The media seems desperate to make it impossible for this flight to have been downed by a bomb.  On CNN this morning there was a thing saying a mid-air explosion was unlikely due to there being a fuel slick on the ocean surface... as if commercial airliners only have a single fuel tank.

IIRC with the Lockerbie bombing, the bomb merely punched a hole in the fuselage, not near the fuel tanks, but it was enough to cause the fuselage to come apart and destroy the aircraft.  I think I remember that the accident dumped quite a bit of aviation fuel on the town of Lockerbie.

[Tonitrus]

If it were a bomb, I'm sure some group would have claimed it already.  And some fruitcakes probably already have, whether it was a bomb or not.

[Caliga]

If it were a bomb, I'm sure some group would have claimed it already.  And some fruitcakes probably already have, whether they it was a bomb or not.

Of course people have claimed it, but I don't know why the governments of France or Brazil, Air France, etc. would release that information to the general public unless they'd confirmed it somehow.

[alfred russel]

The media seems desperate to make it impossible for this flight to have been downed by a bomb.  On CNN this morning there was a thing saying a mid-air explosion was unlikely due to there being a fuel slick on the ocean surface... as if commercial airliners only have a single fuel tank.

IIRC with the Lockerbie bombing, the bomb merely punched a hole in the fuselage, not near the fuel tanks, but it was enough to cause the fuselage to come apart and destroy the aircraft.  I think I remember that the accident dumped quite a bit of aviation fuel on the town of Lockerbie.

But it was apparently heading through a fairly severe storm. It could be a coincidence that it was bombed while in a storm, but is that the simpliest explanation?

On the other hand, no one immediately claimed responsibility for 9/11. If you were in the business of airplane bombing, it would make sense to do so over the ocean where the plane likely couldn't be recovered and evidence obtained. After the first one, maybe people would blame mechanical issues, but after a couple more...

[Jos Theelen]

If it were a bomb, I'm sure some group would have claimed it already.  And some fruitcakes probably already have, whether they it was a bomb or not.

Of course people have claimed it, but I don't know why the governments of France or Brazil, Air France, etc. would release that information to the general public unless they'd confirmed it somehow.

Maybe it was the last Al-Qaida member, blowing himself up.

[Caliga]

But it was apparently heading through a fairly severe storm. It could be a coincidence that it was bombed while in a storm, but is that the simpliest explanation?

On the other hand, no one immediately claimed responsibility for 9/11. If you were in the business of airplane bombing, it would make sense to do so over the ocean where the plane likely couldn't be recovered and evidence obtained. After the first one, maybe people would blame mechanical issues, but after a couple more...

Well, keep in mind that I'm not saying "it was a bomb", I'm only questioning why Air France, various governments, etc. are all like "We have no idea what caused this to happen BUT IT DEFINITELY WASN'T TERRORISM!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111"

[The Brain]

But it was apparently heading through a fairly severe storm. It could be a coincidence that it was bombed while in a storm, but is that the simpliest explanation?

On the other hand, no one immediately claimed responsibility for 9/11. If you were in the business of airplane bombing, it would make sense to do so over the ocean where the plane likely couldn't be recovered and evidence obtained. After the first one, maybe people would blame mechanical issues, but after a couple more...

Well, keep in mind that I'm not saying "it was a bomb", I'm only questioning why Air France, various governments, etc. are all like "We have no idea what caused this to happen BUT IT DEFINITELY WASN'T TERRORISM!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111"

Time for some soft foods in a soft room, Cal?

[Caliga]

 

[Grey Fox]

If you're a Terrorist group that blew up a plane would you a) contact the Government b) contact the media & plaster it all over the internet.

Not a terrorist act.

[DisturbedPervert]

Terrorists set off bombs every single day that kill people without making a statement to anyone.

[Caliga]

I think it's a mistake to presuppose rational thinking when trying to dissect what terrorists do and why they do it.

[Jos Theelen]

Some new developments, maybe it flew too slowly:

PARIS (Reuters) – The Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday was flying too slowly ahead of the disaster, Le Monde newspaper said on Thursday, citing sources close to the inquiry.

The paper said the manufacturer of the doomed plane, Airbus, was set to issue a recommendation advising companies using the A330 aircraft of optimal speeds during poor weather conditions.

Airbus declined to comment on the report and the French air accident investigation agency, which has to validate any such recommendations, known as an Aircraft Information Telex, was not immediately available for comment.

A Spanish newspaper said a transatlantic airline pilot reported seeing a bright flash of white light at the same time the Air France flight disappeared.

"Suddenly we saw in the distance a strong, intense flash of white light that took a downward, vertical trajectory and disappeared in six seconds," the pilot of an Air Comet flight from Lima to Madrid told his company, the El Mundo newspaper reported. "We did not hear any communication on any emergency or air to air frequency either before or after this event."

A spokesman for Madrid-based airline Air Comet was not immediately available to confirm the El Mundo article, which cited a report the pilot submitted to his company.

The Air France A330-200 was enroute from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when it splintered over the Atlantic four hours into its flight. All 228 people on board died.

The plane sent no mayday signals before crashing, only automatic messages showing electrical faults and a loss of pressure shortly after it entered a zone of stormy weather.

Portguese newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo, citing a source close to Air France, published what it said was the final sequence of messages, showing how the plane rapidly lost its key flight functions.

It said they began at 0210 GMT showing the automatic pilot had been removed. The same minute there were multiple electricity failures. At 0214 GMT a final message was sent showing the plane was plunging toward the sea.

There was no confirmation of this from Air France.

Search crews flying over the Atlantic have found debris from the jet spread over more than 55 miles of ocean, about 685 miles northeast of Brazil's coast.

Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim has said the existence of large fuel stains in the water likely ruled out an explosion, undercutting speculation about a bomb attack.

Experts have speculated that extreme turbulence or decompression during stormy weather might have caused the disaster -- the worst in Air France's 75-year history.

[Neil]

Terrorists set off bombs every single day that kill people without making a statement to anyone.

On the other hand, it's rare for them to bring down a jetliner without saying anything.  Then again, I'm sure many groups have taken credit, it's just that they're not considered credible by investigators.