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Shocking conclusion by French investigators: AF447 "struck ocean intact," did not break apart midair
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Detailed inspection of debris, including the tailfin pictured
above, has lead French investigators to believe that
Air France 447, which crashed June 1 en route from Paris
to Rio de Janiero, may have struck the ocean largely
intact (Photo: AP)
Though preliminary findings from bodies and wreckage seemed to suggest that Air France 447 suffered an explosive decompression at around 39,000 feet, breaking apart before it hit the Atlantic Ocean below, French investigators have said that further examination of debris tells a different story. They assert that the Airbus A330-200, which crashed June 1 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing all 228 aboard, hit the ocean intact, a fact as sobering to investigators hopeful of solving the mystery as it is for family members who believed that their loved ones may not have suffered.
Detailed analysis of the debris suggests that the airline "hit [the ocean] with the bottom of its fuselage with very strong vertical acceleration," according to Alain Bouillard, an official heading the investigation in France. Recent incidents, including one involving a Northwest Airlines A330 in Asia, have caused speculation that failure of the aircraft's airspeed sensors, among other systems, might have been the lead cause of the crash, a specific sensor known as the Pitot tube seen as an especially likely suspect. Bouillard cautions that though the tubes "are something strongly suspected," they are "an element, but not the cause".
To that end, many investigators are now focusing less on their initial theory, which had the plane suffering an explosive decompression and breaking up due to weather. Instead, they assert, it is more likely that extremely high air speeds and temperatures, which are common during thunderstorms at high altitudes, could have reduced the plane's thrust, speed and thus the extent to which it was able to maintain lift, the phenomenon which keeps a plane aloft. It was also announced that the search for the aircraft's black boxes would now be extended to July 10, though it is uncertain as to whether or not they are still pinging.
Regardless of the actual cause of the crash, the AF447 incident, coupled with the recent Yemenia IY626 crash, which left all but one of its 153 passengers dead, has caused many passengers, journalists and aviation enthusiasts alike to call Airbus itself into question. Industry professionals, too, have joined in this chorus, given the more than two dozen automated error messages Airbus A330 aircraft sent out last month that were similar to the last four relayed by the doomed Air France jet in its final 39 minutes, during which it had no contact with Brazilian ATC.
While many argue that there is not enough evidence to connect any of the incidents together, some, including a prominent London Law Office representing 20 Air France victims' families, have called upon the European Aeronautic Safety Agency, or EASA, to ground Airbus' entire longhaul fleet, which consists of nearly 1,000 A330 and A340 aircraft. It is not known at this time what, if any, action Airbus plans to take. For all news on AF447, IY626, as well as destination profiles, political developments, money-saving tips and more, stay tuned to the Austin International Travel Examiner.
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