Tuesday, June 2, 2009

ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A330203 FGZCP Atlantic Ocean

ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A330203 FGZCP Atlantic Ocean Aircraft Accident description of the 01 JUN 2009 accident of a Airbus A330-203 F-G... thumbnail 1 summary

1:03 PM

ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A330203 FGZCP Atlantic Ocean
Aircraft Accident description of the 01 JUN 2009 accident of a Airbus A330-203 F-GZCP at Atlantic Ocean.

Accident description

Status:	Preliminary
Date:	01 JUN 2009
Time:	ca 00:15
Type:	Airbus A330-203
Operator:	Air France
Registration:	F-GZCP
C/n / msn:	660
First flight:	2005-02-25 (4 years 3 months)
Total airframe hrs:	18870
Engines:	2 General Electric CF6-80E1A3
Crew:	Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 12
Passengers:	Fatalities: 216 / Occupants: 216
Total:	Fatalities: 228 / Occupants: 228
Airplane damage:	Missing
Location:	Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport, RJ (GIG/SBGL), Brazil
Destination airport:	Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG), France
Flightnumber:	447

Narrative:
An Air France Airbus A330-200 went missing on transatlantic flight from Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport, RJ (GIG) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The airplane carried 12 crew members an 216 passengers. Flight AF447 departed at 19:03 local time (May 31) from Rio de Janeiro (GIG).
Last radio contact with the flight was at 01:33 UTC. The crew was in contact with the Atlantic Area Control Centre (CINDACTA III) when the flight reported over the INTOL waypoint, estimating TASIL at 02:20 UTC. INTOL is an RNAV waypoint located in the Atlantic Ocean, 565 km from Natal, Brazil. The TASIL waypoint is located 1228 kilometers from Natal. TASIL is at the border of the Recife FIR and Dakar Oceanic FIR.
At 01:48 UTC the aircraft went out of the radar coverage of CINDACTA III, Fernando de Noronha. Information indicated that the aircraft flew normally at FL350 and a speed of 453 kts.
The aircraft reportedly went through a thunderstorm with strong turbulence at 02:00 UTC. An automated message was delivered by 02:14 UTC indicating a loss of pressurization and failure in the electrical system, the Brazilian Ministry of Defence reported.
A search was initiated by Brazilian authorities at 05:33 UTC.

The airplane has not yet been found; the fatality index is feared, not confirmed.

Sources:
» Air France
» BBC News
» Ministério da Defesa news releases