CNN now reporting and showing the found FDR. 🙂

Of course people will take aircraft wreckage as souvenir or scrap metal. Look at any crashed aircraft in Canada, South America, Africa (Mali 727).

Yes they will especially in that part of the world. That could be simply out of humble ignorance, seeing an alternative use for it in a personal, domestic or business context or simply as a souvenir of an aircraft.

What is important is, have the CVR and FDR been reported by verifiable reports as being recovered safely?

There should also be ATC and other eye witness accounts still to be reported.

The thermals in that region on a plataeu airfield surrounded below by jungle or dense woodland can play havoc with most aircraft that have landed way further forward than the expected normal point of touch down on the runway.

Extremes of heat, humidity and cold can do very unexpected things in reality against the theoretically approved CFD surrounding the surfaces/structure of even the best aircraft.

We have to wait for official answers as to whether it simply ran out of runway inspite of maximum brakes and airbrakes being applied, was it at it’s maximum payload or had it exceeded it’s load carrying capacity, lacked runway length for a take off or even sadly possibly technically malfunctioned in some way at the key moment.

A United Airlines flight from London to Los Angeles made an emergency stop in Montreal after turbulence caused injuries to five passengers and one crew member, the airline said.

The Boeing 777 was struck by “severe turbulence over the Atlantic,” a United Airlines spokeswoman initially said, offering no comment on the condition of the injured passengers and crew.

A spokesman for Montreal’s emergency services, Benoit Garneau, later said five people suffered “fractures, mainly in their arms” and a sixth person, “a pregnant woman, complained of abdominal pains.”

“Neither she, nor her baby are in danger,” he added.

The airplane landed in Montreal in mid-afternoon.

“Another United Airlines jet has arrived at Trudeau airport” to take the passengers of Flight 935 to their final destination in Los Angeles, said airport spokeswoman Marie-Claude Desgagnees.

Source: news.com.au

Hi Steve
I saw this earlier today too but it is still superficial journalism rather than real technical facts.

Turbulence can hit any aircraft at any time but it is interesting to follow the next few reports once they can complete technical analyses, get accurate met data and also identify the extent of injuries suffered by passengers.

The Boeing 777 is a good aircraft for ‘crossing the pond’ shame about the injuries to passengers.

Thanks for the early post.

Jay

I think Boeing want to bring the 787 and the 747-8 to Farnbourgh this year!

That will make 2010 Farnborough extra special for me. Farnborough 2008 had the Airbus 380 albeit light laden pirouting around the sky.
It’s the ‘plastic pigs’ turn this year.

Steve R. thanks for posting the URL, the pic looks genuine. Lovely sight albeit a pic.

Being objective about it, sure expensive fighter escort but it may have marginally delayed or disrupted plans for an in-flight detonation which could as already stated have been over densley populated land.

What could the two fighter pilots do if a determined terrorist actually detonated irrespective of the fighters alongside?

One of the few possibilities is that the pilots could pin point exactly where the airliner went down should the bomb/s have been detonated in flight.

It could have been over any part of the earth, land (densely or sparsely populated) or ocean. Given that the terrorist unless in the cockpit – (unlikely nowadays) would not be sure of the exact nature of the terrain below the airliner.

Anyway happy result. Democracy is getting more expensive by the day but would anyone want the alternatives?

May their souls rest in peace.

There are very useful lessons to be learned from this sad event apart from any technical reports from Black Box analysis.

Many big corporates do not permit their key staff to travel in one vehicle, aircraft, or sometimes even stay in the same hotel.

I am sure many governments do the same.

Maybe the Polish government can in future spread the risk of what looks like a major ‘wipe out’ of their key officials due to one single plane crash.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families and with the Polish nation.

The odds are stacked against finding anything easily. It is a great shame for the grieving relatives as it never provides the proper closure while having so many unknowns.

Until they have continuous real time monitoring of all essential parameters of every aircraft in flight backed up to cost effective data servers (with the data being held for the lifetime of the aircraft model and more) these problems will arise especially in airspace out of radar sweep and normal RT contact.

Who knows someone out there with adequate resources may fund a deep submersible that will locate something but at present there is nothing for anyone to make any news releases about.

May the dead RIP and their relatives take comfort in knowing that so far everything that could be done has been done.

Bringing European luxury and sports cars, big screen TVs, liquor and cigarettes to members of the royal family, military and political leaders and their friends? :diablo:

Surely that’s post Tsunami aid isn’t it? It didn’t say anywhere that it had to be for the victims of the Tsunami – just post Tsunami.

LOL

I’ve just booked a trip to Peru and Rio for later in the year and ended up making my decision for the return flight based on AF447! It seems ridiculous, even to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to book my return to MAN (via CDG) on the days when AF are operating the service with an A330, so have booked for a day when it is a 744 flight.

I don’t know whether anyone else would feel like this? Air travel and air safety doesn’t normally bother me (obviously), and whilst it may seem morbid, I have numerous books etc in my collection related to air accidents and safety because the causes and effects intrigue me. But because the cause is not yet known and the possible oversights at AF which may or may not (speculative according to the press, not me!) have played a part just mean I cannot do it. I have crossed the Atlantic on A330s before with no issues, but just couldn’t do it on AF447!

Go on, tell me I’m being crazy! 😮

Would there be flight crew willing to take the same flight? YES (they aren’t crazy)
Would there be cabin crew willing to take the same flight? YES (they aren’t crazy either)
Are there passengers willing to take the same flight? YES (they aren’t crazy either)

If you are so superstitious then you are placing severe limitations in enjoying your life.

Go on live life to the full. Forget the mumbo jumbo.