Tips Using air Ambulance Transport Service

Tips Using Air Ambulance Transport Service

1. Give some basic information on the patient when you call air ambulance transport Service Company to arrange for a flight. They will forward his information to the Medical Department that will obtain a medical briefing of the patient and assign the flight medical staff accordingly.

2. Based on the medical briefing, air ambulance Service Company will arrange for the ground transportation to pick up the patient at the bedside. To ensure smooth patient transfer, it is important to allow Advanced Air Ambulance to arrange for ground support. Some transfers require the flight medical staff to accompany the patient on the ground ambulance between the hospital and the airport.

3. Once the patient has been transported to the airport, the flight crew and medical staff will safely transfer the patient onto the air ambulance aircraft. The crew will secure the patient on the stretcher with all needed medical equipment. Family members and companions will be able to sit beside the patient during the flight.

4. Once everyone is seated on the air ambulance, the attending medical flight crewmember will
Check the patient’s vital signs to be certain that all adjustments are completed before take-off.

5. During the flight, the patient will always be monitored and the attending medical flight crew will administer any medication. If the flight should require a fuel stop, the patient will remain on the air ambulance aircraft with the medical flight crew. Fuel stops, if any, may be minutes before we take off again to our destination.

6. The destination airport is determined as part of the flight planning. At Advanced Air Ambulance, they always strive to land at the least congested and nearest airport to the receiving facility to shorten the patient’s ride to final destination.

7. Upon arrival to the destination airport, an awaiting ground ambulance will be at the airport to transport the patient to the receiving bedside. Patient’s medical report will be given to the ground ambulance’s crew. Some transfers require the medical flight crew to accompany the patient on the ground ambulance to the receiving facility.

What is Air Ambulance?

What is an Air Ambulance?
An air ambulance is a fixed-wing aircraft with built in stretcher system and fully equipped with Advanced Life Support (ALS) medical equipment and medical personnel to assist in the transport of an ill person from one city to another,
Regardless of distance.
See Also:

• Tips Using air Ambulance Transport Service
• Tips to Choose Organ Transplant Transport Service Provider
• Medical Trained for Air Ambulance Crew
• Air Ambulance Medical Equipment

Air Ambulance Medical Equipment

Air ambulance Service Company, provides Advanced Life Support A.L.S. state-of-the-art medical equipment on board the air ambulance flights.
All medical equipment and supplies are checked prior to and after each air ambulance transfer by the scheduled flight nurse along with the Chief Flight Nurse to assure proper maintenance and inventory on all medical equipment.

The following is a list of our most essential medical equipment for air ambulance service:

• Cardiac Monitors
• Defibrillators
• IV pumps & solutions
• Infusion pumps
• Oxygen
• Oxygen supplies, regulators and gauges
• Pulse Oximeter
• Portable suction units
• Intubations equipment
• Respirator/Ventilator
• Oropharyneal airways
• Hand operated bag-valve
• mask resuscitators
• Blood pressure cuffs
• Drug box
• FAA approved stretcher

Eleven people missing in Russian military plane crash

There were 11 people on board the Pacific Fleet's Tu-142 plane that has crashed off Russia's Pacific coast, an Air Force source in the Far Eastern Military District said on Saturday.

A Tu-142M3 Bear-F plane reportedly went down during a combat training flight around 21:19 local time (11:19 GMT) on Friday some 20 kilometers (12 miles) offshore in the Tatar Strait, which separates mainland Russia from the island of Sakhalin.

"According to latest data, the Tu-142 plane, which has crashed during a training flight, had 11 people on board," the source said, adding that the military authorities had a full list of the personnel on board the plane.

According to preliminary data, the crash was caused by a technical failure.

The remains of the plane were located on Saturday morning by several ships and planes at the depth of about 44 meters (144 feet).

"There are pieces of debris on the surface, which could be the remains of the fuselage and the interior of the plane," a local emergencies official said.

The search for the missing crew members is underway, although the rescue officials fear they have most likely died in the crash.

"Taking into consideration the circumstances of the crash, we could presume all military personnel on board the Tu-142 plane to be dead. However, the rescue operation will continue until the last hope to find the survivors is gone," a Russian military source said.

He added that the Russian Navy will deploy, if necessary, the newest Pantera and Kalmar robotic deep-water rescue vehicles to recover the plane's on-board recording devices.

Tu-142M3 is a Russian maritime reconnaissance/anti-submarine warfare (ASW) turboprop aircraft. It is a modified version of the Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber.

According to open sources, Russia's Pacific Fleet has at least eight Tu-142M3 aircraft in service.

Related Post:

• Tupolev 142A

Tupolev 142A

The Tupolev Tu-142 (Туполев Ту–142) (NATO reporting name: Bear F / J) is a Russian maritime reconnaissance/anti-submarine warfare (ASW) turboprop aircraft. It is based on the Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber.

Originally designed as a maritime surveillance aircraft to supplement the Bear D and the Ilyushin Il-38, the Bear F evolved to become the premier anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft of the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. The ASW variants were designated as Tu-142M2 (Bear F Mod 2), Tu-142M3 (Bear F Mod 3), and Tu-142M4 (Bear F Mod 4).

The Tu-142MR (Bear J) was a variant of the Bear F modified for use in submarine communications as well as other command, control and communications (C3) duties.

With eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers the engine that emerged was the Kuznetsov NK-12 with a nominal 8,948 kW (12,000 eshp) power rating. Although the engine was advanced, the fuselage design was conventional: it is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with 35 degrees of sweep. The angle ensured that the main wing spar passed though the fuselage in front of the bomb bay. It had a retractable tricycle landing gear, with the main gear retracting rearwards. The first aircraft flew in 1953.

Delta Air Lines Flight 191

Date: August 2, 1985
Type: Microburst-induced wind shear
Site: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Texas
Passengers: 152
Crew: 11
Injuries: 27
Fatalities: 135 (1 on the ground)
Survivors: 27
Aircraft type: Lockheed L-1011-385-1 TriStar
Operator: Delta Air Lines
Tail number: N726DA
Flight origin: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Stopover: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Destination: Los Angeles International Airport

Microburst on Delta Aircraft Accident 8/2/1985

A microburst is a very localized column of sinking air, producing damaging divergent and straight-line winds at the surface that are similar to but distinguishable from tornadoes which generally have convergent damage. There are two types of microbursts: wet microbursts and dry microbursts. They go through three stages in their life cycle: the downburst, outburst, and cushion stages. The scale and suddenness of a microburst makes it a great danger to aircraft due to the low-level wind shear caused by its gust front, with several fatal crashes having been attributed to the phenomenon over the past several decades.

A microburst often has high winds that can knock over fully grown trees. They usually last for a couple of seconds.

Danger to aircraft
The scale and suddenness of a microburst makes it a great danger to aircraft, particularly those at low altitude which are taking off and landing. The following are some fatal crashes and/or aircraft incidents that have been attributed to microbursts in the vicinity of airports:

• Eastern Air Lines Flight 66, John F. Kennedy International Airport – June 24, 1975
• Pan Am Flight 759, New Orleans International Airport – July 9, 1982
• Delta Air Lines Flight 191, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport – August 2, 1985
• Martinair Flight 495, Faro Airport – December 21, 1992
• USAir Flight 1016, Charlotte/Douglas International Airport – July 2, 1994
• Goodyear Blimp (Stars and Stripes), Coral Springs, Florida – June 16, 2005
• One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269, Phuket International Airport – September 16, 2007

A microburst often causes aircraft to crash when they are attempting to land (the above mentioned Pan Am flight is a notable exception). The microburst is an extremely powerful gust of air that, once hitting the ground, spreads in all directions. As the aircraft is coming in to land, the pilots try to slow the plane to an appropriate speed. When the microburst hits, the pilots will see a large spike in their airspeed, caused by the force of the headwind created by the microburst. A pilot inexperienced with microbursts would try to decrease the speed. The plane would then travel through the microburst, and fly into the tailwind, causing a sudden decrease in the amount of air flowing across the wings. The decrease in airflow over the wings of the aircraft causes a drop in the amount of lift produced. This decrease in lift combined with a strong downward flow of air can cause the thrust required to remain at altitude to exceed what is available.

Qantas calls for air traffic overhaul

ABC
October 7, 2009, 7:27 am

Qantas has increased pressure on the Federal Government to help airlines cut fuel use, pollution and travelling times.

Chief executive Alan Joyce used last night's Sir Reginald Ansett Memorial Lecture to call for Australia's air traffic systems to be modernised.

He says more efficient use of air space would cut emissions and save airlines millions of dollars each year on fuel.

"The agenda for action is not just driven by environmental concerns, vital though they may be," he said.

"There are pressing economic imperatives here too. Oil prices will not return to the levels of the good old days, they may continue to rise and could even spike to levels dangerous for the commercial viability of many airlines, including Qantas."

Mr Joyce wants massive changes to the way Sydney's air space is managed.

Sydney Airport was named one of the world's best in a poll run by an international magazine last week.

But Mr Joyce told the audience the city's air traffic systems are inefficient and its flightpaths should be redesigned.

"I appreciate that this overhaul will require a lot of work and sensitive handling, but I can assure you that Qantas will lend all our support, because of what we believe is the extreme importance," he said.

"We'd love to see Sydney's airspace management as worthy of accolades as its airport."

Mr Joyce has also called for an urgent roll-out of a navigation system being trialled in Brisbane.

"We believe the savings for Qantas alone can conservatively be placed in the order of $20 million per year," he said.

"The savings double if the fuel price reaches last year's level of $140 per barrel."

He also announced it will hire 100 more engineering apprentices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Qantas calls for air traffic overhaul

ABC
October 7, 2009, 7:27 am

Qantas has increased pressure on the Federal Government to help airlines cut fuel use, pollution and travelling times.

Chief executive Alan Joyce used last night's Sir Reginald Ansett Memorial Lecture to call for Australia's air traffic systems to be modernised.

He says more efficient use of air space would cut emissions and save airlines millions of dollars each year on fuel.

"The agenda for action is not just driven by environmental concerns, vital though they may be," he said.

"There are pressing economic imperatives here too. Oil prices will not return to the levels of the good old days, they may continue to rise and could even spike to levels dangerous for the commercial viability of many airlines, including Qantas."

Mr Joyce wants massive changes to the way Sydney's air space is managed.

Sydney Airport was named one of the world's best in a poll run by an international magazine last week.

But Mr Joyce told the audience the city's air traffic systems are inefficient and its flightpaths should be redesigned.

"I appreciate that this overhaul will require a lot of work and sensitive handling, but I can assure you that Qantas will lend all our support, because of what we believe is the extreme importance," he said.

"We'd love to see Sydney's airspace management as worthy of accolades as its airport."

Mr Joyce has also called for an urgent roll-out of a navigation system being trialled in Brisbane.

"We believe the savings for Qantas alone can conservatively be placed in the order of $20 million per year," he said.

"The savings double if the fuel price reaches last year's level of $140 per barrel."

He also announced it will hire 100 more engineering apprentices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Qantas pilots forgot to lower landing gear

Shane McLeod for AM, ABC

An air safety investigation has been launched after a Qantas jet made its approach to land at the nation's busiest airport without deploying its landing gear.

The pilots apparently noticed their oversight less than 300 metres above the ground.

The airline has stood down the two pilots pending the safety investigation.

Are you nervous of flying because of recent plane incidents? Leave your comments below.

The Qantas 767 was on a morning flight from Melbourne as it came in to land at Sydney airport last Monday.

Once the error was realised, the pilots returned power to the engines and regained altitude, before circling and successfully landing.

But how they came so close to trying to land their jet without being ready to do so is now the subject of a serious incident investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Qantas has released a statement, agreeing it was a serious incident.

"This is an extremely rare event but one we have taken seriously," the statement said.

"The flight crew knew all required procedures but there was a brief communications breakdown. They responded quickly to the situation and instigated a go-around. The cockpit alert coincided with their actions."

The cockpit alert was an audible warning from the ground proximity warning system.

The airline says there was no issue of flight safety and it is fully cooperating with the investigation.

The president of the Australian and International Pilots Association that represents Qantas flight crew, Captain Barry Jackson, says coming in to land is when pilots are at their busiest.

"You're dealing with air traffic, you're dealing with slowing the aircraft down, configuration changes, changing frequencies, all those things," he said.

Mr Jackson says pilots welcome the investigation, to work out what went wrong and how to avoid similar problems happening again.

"It's very serious if the enhanced warning system is activated," he said.

"It's designed to go off when an aircraft is close to the ground and it's not configured for landing, it's designed for that. And so therefore it's done its job.

"I can't comment on the detail. The pilots have been stood down while an investigation takes place, the proper investigation process will take place, will find out the facts, then we'll start to ask the questions how the pilots got there and obviously deal with that as it comes up."

Mr Jackson says it is hard to speculate on the key areas the investigation will need to focus on.

"I believe the go-around was attempted a little bit higher than the altitude that the warning went off," he said.

"I don't know if they actually started to climb straight away because usually when you do a go-around you select the go-around switches. The aeroplane will climb rapidly and if for some reason it's continued to a lower altitude before it's gone around and that warning has been set off."

Northwest Airways Inc

Founded 1926 (as Northwest Airways)
Hubs Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

• Memphis International Airport
• Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
• Narita International Airport

Frequent flyer program :WorldPerks (merged with Delta SkyMiles on October 1, 2009)

Member lounge               :WorldClubs

Alliance                             :SkyTeam

Fleet size                          :304 (+25 orders, 50 options)

Destinations                    :254

Company slogan             :Now You're Flying Smart.

Parent company             :Delta Air Lines Inc.

Headquarters                 :Eagan, Minnesota, United States

Key people                      :Ed Bastian (President/CEO)

Website http://www.nwa.com

Wayward pilots were working on their laptops

By JOAN LOWY, Associated Press Writer – Mon Oct 26

Two Northwest Airlines pilots have told federal investigators that they were going over schedules using their laptop computers in violation of company policy while their plane overflew their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.

The pilots — Richard Cole of Salem, Ore., the first officer, and Timothy Cheney of Gig Harbor, Wash., the captain — said in interviews conducted over the weekend that they were not fatigued and didn't fall asleep, the board said in a statement.

Instead, Cole and Cheney told investigators that they both had their laptops out while the first officer, who had more experience with scheduling, instructed the captain on monthly flight crew scheduling. The pilots were out of communication with air traffic controllers and their airline for more than an hour and didn't realize their mistake until contacted by a flight attendant, the board said.

Many aviation safety experts had said it was more plausible that the pilots had fallen asleep during the cruise phase of their flight last Wednesday night than that they had become so focused on a conversation that they lost awareness of their surroundings for such a lengthy period of time.. Air traffic controllers in Denver and Minneapolis repeatedly tried without success to raise the pilots of the San Diego-to-Minneapolis flight by radio. Other pilots in the vicinity tried reaching the plane on other radio frequencies. Their airline tried contacting them using a radio text message that chimes.

Authorities became so alarmed that National Guard jets were readied for takeoff at two locations and the White House Situation Room alerted senior White House officials, who monitored Northwest Flight 188 with its 144 passengers and five crew members as the Airbus A320 flew across a broad swath of the mid-continent completely out of contact with anyone on the ground.

"It's inexcusable," said former NTSB Chairman Jim Hall. "I feel sorry for the individuals involved, but this was certainly not an innocuous event — this was a significant breach of aviation safety and aviation security."

Cheney and Cole are both experienced pilots, according to the NTSB. Cheney, 53, was hired by Northwest in 1985 and has about 20,000 hours of flying time, about half of which was in the A320. Cole had about 11,000 hours of flight time, including 5,000 hours on the A320.

Both pilots told the board they had never had an accident, incident or violation, the board said.

The pilots acknowledged that while they were engaged in working on their laptops they weren't paying attention to radio traffic, messages from their airline or their cockpit instruments, the board said. That's contrary to one of the fundamentals of commercial piloting, which is to keep attention focused on monitoring messages from controllers and watching flight displays in the cockpit.

"It is unsettling when you see experienced pilots who were not professional in flying this flight," said Kitty Higgins, a former NTSB board member. "This is clearly a wakeup call for everybody."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., called the incident "the ultimate case of distracted driving, only this time it was distracted flying."

The Air Transport Association, a trade group that represents major U.S. airlines, expects pilots to comply with federal regulations and airline policies, but hasn't taken a position on the use of electronic devices by pilots while in the cockpit, ATA spokeswoman Elizabeth Merida said.

Pilot schedules are tied to their seniority, which also determines the aircraft they fly and layoff protection. Those at the top of the list get first choice on vacations, the best routes and the bigger planes that they get paid more for flying.

Following Delta Air Lines' acquisition of Northwest last October, an arbitration panel ruled that the pilot seniority lists at the two carriers should be integrated based on pilots' status and aircraft category.

The panel ruled that pilots from one carrier would not, for a period of time, be able to fly certain planes the other carrier brought to the combination.

The panel's decision affected the roughly 12,000 pilots of Delta and Northwest.

___

AP Airlines Writer Harry R. Weber contributed to this report from Atlanta.

Indonesian Aerospace - N250 Aircraft

N250 Aircraft - Indonesian Aerospace Industry

N250 Aircraft

N250 Aircraft designed by Indonesian Aerospace Industry taking of from Husein Sastranegara airport Bandung.

Pilot of Hudson collision plane chose river route

By TOM HAYS and VICTOR EPSTEIN, Associated Press Writers 

It was easy banter about which route the pilot of a Piper airplane would take through the busy airspace over New York's Hudson River. The air traffic controller at Teterboro Airport gave him two choices: Head down the river, or take a southwest tack.

The pilot chose the river route, and shortly afterward the small aircraft carrying three family members clipped a sightseeing helicopter carrying a pilot and five Italian tourists. Both aircraft plunged into the river. Nine people died.

On Tuesday, divers are expected to go back into the challenging waters of the Hudson to search for the ninth body. Seven victims have been removed from the murky water, and divers found the eighth on Monday when they located the wreckage of the Piper. They were unable to remove the body and late Monday afternoon called off the effort until morning.

Police were consulting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about trying to pull the plane to the surface of the river, which is less than three-quarters of a mile wide at the crash site between New York and New Jersey. The wrecked helicopter was raised from the river Sunday.

Air traffic control transcripts described Monday indicate a worry-free exchange between controllers at Teterboro, in New Jersey, and Steven Altman, who was told he could pick his flight path toward Ocean City, where he was flying after picking up his brother Daniel Altman and teenage nephew Douglas Altman.

When a Teterboro controller asked the pilot if he wanted to go down the river or head southwest, he responded by saying: "Either."

"Let me know," the controller said.

"OK, tell you what," Altman replied, "I'll take down the river."

National Transportation Safety Board chief Debbie Hersman said air traffic controllers at Teterboro at some point told Altman to switch radio frequencies so controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport could communicate with him. Newark controllers never made contact, she said.

New York Police Department divers found the wreckage of the single-engine Piper in about 60 feet of water in the middle of the river, indicating it had drifted from the spot where it crashed, closer to New Jersey's riverbank, police said. It was on its side with no wings visible.

The divers couldn't remove the man's body from the aircraft wreckage on Monday.

All seven of the victims whose bodies were recovered have been positively identified through dental records and fingerprints, the New York medical examiner's office said. Autopsies found they died from blunt-impact injuries.

The collision at around noon on a sunny Saturday occurred in a congested flyway popular with sightseers. Hersman said an eight-day NTSB survey of the river corridor before the collision had counted about 225 aircraft flying within a 3-mile radius of the collision site each day.

Many of these tour craft fly below 1,100 feet, where pilots are largely free to choose their own routes, radioing their positions periodically but not communicating regularly with air traffic controllers.

The NTSB has issued at least 14 safety recommendations — 12 for collision avoidance — for flight in congested areas across the country, and more than 50 for the operation of air tours, Hersman said.

Italian Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta said he had met with the medical examiner in New York and with relatives of the five Italian victims.

"Today the relatives were asking me, 'How it can be that a holiday in New York can become such a tragedy?'" Castellaneta said in Italian.

About a half-dozen relatives of the Italians were still in New York waiting to return home with their loved ones' remains. A group of 10 tourists traveled from Italy, two of them to celebrate a 25th wedding anniversary.

"They are destroyed by pain," Castellaneta said.

The NTSB has declined to speculate about the cause of the crash. The agency's investigation is expected to take months.

The helicopter had just taken off from Manhattan's West Side for a 12-minute tour. Witnesses said the small plane approached the helicopter from behind and clipped it with a wing. Hersman said the helicopter was gaining altitude when the two aircraft collided.

Both aircraft split and fell into the river, scattering debris and sending weekenders enjoying the beautiful day on the New Jersey side of the river running for cover.

___

Hays reported from New York. Associated Press writers Sara Kugler and Maria Sanminiatelli in New York and Geoff Mulvihill and Samantha Henry in Hoboken, N.J., also contributed to this report.

Plane carrying 13 missing in Papua New Guinea

By KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press Writer 

A charter plane carrying 13 people to a popular tourist site in Papua New Guinea vanished on approach in bad weather to an airport nestled in rugged terrain on Tuesday. Australia's foreign minister said a "possible crash site" may have been found.

The twin-engine plane left the capital of Port Moresby en route to an airport near the country's Kokoda Track, a mountainous 60-mile (100-kilometer) trail. The plane's crew radioed air traffic controllers as it was approaching the airstrip, but the aircraft never landed, said Allen Tyson, a spokesman for Airlines PNG.

A search and rescue mission was immediately launched, Tyson said. The plane, carrying 11 passengers, including nine Australians, and two crew, had an emergency locator beacon, but it was not transmitting, he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in Canberra that a helicopter searching for the plane had landed in a village thought to be near a "possible crash site" Tuesday night.

"I say a 'possible crash site' because PNG authorities, PNG Airlines and Australian officials are relying on information relayed by villagers on the ground," Smith said.

Efforts to locate the plane were being hampered by bad weather, low visibility and rugged terrain in the mountainous region.

"We hope, weather permitting, that a substantially enhanced search and rescue effort can commence tomorrow morning," Smith said.

The Kokoda Track is a popular tourist destination for Australians. On board the plane were eight Australian tourists and an Australian tour guide planning to walk the trail as part of a trek organized by the adventure tour company No Roads Expeditions, the company said in a statement. Another guide from Papua New Guinea was also on board, the company said.

"We hold grave concerns for their safety and well-being," Smith said.

The Australian High Commission in Port Moresby was working with authorities in the Pacific island nation to determine what happened, Smith said. Searchers were also checking other small airstrips in the area to see if the plane may have landed elsewhere.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Schedule Still A Dream

By Glenn Pew, Contributing Editor, Video Editor

flightglobal.com

August 7, 2009

The economic slowdown may mean that some companies waiting on Boeing's next-generation, long-range composite fuel miser, the 787, are happy to continue waiting -- but with the aircraft already two years behind schedule the company's late-stage wing redesign is adding complications. The 787 was nearing flight tests when composite layers near the wing/fuselage seam separated during ground testing. Now, as engineers scramble to apply a workable solution, a new 787's test schedule may still be weeks away and until that mark is reached, the aircraft's development has been indefinitely delayed. Boeing last month said it wouldn't provide even a new target for the first flight, let alone first delivery. Industry watchers and customers will have to wait, though Boeing has indicated it expects to provide more information before the end of the quarter. The company has said it won't release any timetables until the redesign has passed rigorous testing. As it is, the jet is two years behind schedule, but still holds about 850 orders. But with nearly all of its programs suffering under the down economy, Boeing is well aware of its obligations to its customers.


Reuters reported Thursday that chief program engineer Chris Musoke told a breakfast meeting of the Organization of Black Airline Pilots in Atlanta, "Obviously, we've disappointed our customers." Musoke added that he believed the company was weeks away from setting a new schedule and that "we have to stick to our plan whenever we lay it out and perform to it."

Principal Dimensions of Boeing 787 Aircraft

Boeing 787 Aircraft Principal Dimensions 

• Overall length: 57 m
• Height: 17 m
• Fuselage Diameter: 5.91m
• Cabin width: 5.49 m
• Wingspan: 60 m
  

Weights 

• Maximum takeoff weight: 219,540 kg
• Empty weight: 110,000 kg
  

Speeds  

• Normal cruise: 902 km/h at 40,000 ft
• Max cruise: 945 km/h at 40,000 ft
  

Engine  

• Category Turbofan
• Max thrust 63600 lb
  

Performance  

• Range: 14,200 - 15,200 km
• Passenger capacity: 210 to 250
• Maximum Fuel Capacity: 126,903 L
• Service Ceiling: 43,000 ft
• Maximum Thrust Capability: 285 kN
  

Brief Description of Boeing 787-9 Dream Liner

Brief Description of Boeing 787-9:

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is a slightly bigger version of the 787-8. Both are super-efficient airplanes with new passenger-pleasing features. They will bring the economics of large jet transports to the middle of the market, using 20 percent less fuel than any other airplanes of their size.

• 
  Seating:
  250 to 290 passengers
• Range: 
  8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers)
• Configuration: 
  Twin aisle
• Cross Section: 
  226 inches (574 centimeters)
• Wing Span: 
  208 feet (63 meters)
• Length: 
  206 feet (63 meters)
• Height: 
  56 feet (17 meters)
• Cruise Speed: 
  Mach 0.85
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 
  540,000 lbs (244,940 kg)
• Total Cargo Volume: 
  5,400 cubic feet
  

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Fact Sheet

Brief Description of Boeing 787-8 Dream Liner

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a superefficient airplane with new passenger-pleasing features. It will bring the economics of large jet transports to the middle of the market, using 20 percent less fuel than any other airplane of its size.

• Seating:
  210 to 250 passengers
• Range:
  7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers)
• Configuration:
  Twin aisle
• Cross Section:
  226 inches (574 centimeters)
• Wing Span:
  197 feet (60 meters)
• Length:
  186 feet (57 meters)
• Height:
  56 feet (17 meters)
• Flight deck size:
  Similar to that of a 777
• Cruise Speed:
  Mach 0.85
• Total Cargo Volume:
  4,400 cubic feet
• Maximum Takeoff Weight:
  484,000 pounds (219,540 kilograms)
  

Boeing 787-3 Dreamliner Fact Sheet

Brief Description of Boeing 787-3 Dream Liner

The Boeing 787-3 Dreamliner is a super-efficient airplane with new passenger-pleasing features. It features a wing and structure optimized for shorter-range flights. It will bring the economics of large jet transports to the middle of the market, using 20 percent less fuel than any other airplane of its size.

• Seating:
  290 to 330 passengers
• Range: 
  2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (4,650 to 5,650 kilometers)
• Configuration: 
  Twin aisle
• Cross Section: 
  226 inches (574 centimeters)
• Wing Span: 
  170 feet (52 meters)
• Length: 
  186 feet (57 meters)
• Height: 
  56 feet (17 meters)
• Cruise Speed: 
  Mach 0.85
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 
  364,000 pounds (165,100 kilograms)
• Total Cargo Volume: 
  4,400 cubic feet

Source: boeing.com

• 
  

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a mid-sized, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Boeing 787's developing led by Boeing at its Everett facility near Seattle, Wash. Its maximum seating capacity in a 1-class seating is between 290 to 330 passengers depending on variant. Boeing stated that it will be more fuel-efficient than earlier Boeing airliners and will be the first major airliner to use composite materials for most of its construction. Boeing's development of the 787 is also innovative and large scale collaborative management approach with suppliers.
In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity.
Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.

On January 28, 2005, the aircraft's development designation 7E7 was changed to the 787. Early released concept images depicted a radical design with highly curved surfaces. On April 26, 2005, a year after the launch of the program, the final and more conventional external 787 design was set.

The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers). A third 787 family member, the 787-3 Dreamliner, will accommodate 290 - 330 passengers and be optimized for routes of 2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (4,600 to 5,650 kilometers).

Boeing featured its first 787 in a roll-out ceremony on July 8, 2007, at its Everett assembly factory, by which time it had become the fastest-selling wide-body airliner in history with nearly 600 orders. A total of 850 Boeing 787s have been ordered by 56 customers as of June 2009. Originally scheduled to enter service in May 2008, production has been delayed multiple times and as of May 2009 was planned to enter into service in 2010. The aircraft's maiden flight, originally planned for September 2007, has been delayed a number of times. Due to another delay there is no confirmed schedule for its first flight as of July 2009.

• Boeing 787-3 Dreamliner Fact Sheet
• Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Fact Sheet
• Brief Description of Boeing 787-9 Dream Liner

Plane, copter collide over Hudson River, killing 9

By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer

A sightseeing helicopter carrying five Italian tourists collided with a small plane above the Hudson River on Saturday, sending debris into the water and forcing people on New Jersey's waterfront to scamper for cover. Authorities believe all nine people aboard the two aircraft were killed.

The accident, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg called "not survivable," happened just after noon and was seen by hundreds and maybe even thousands of people out enjoying a crystal clear summer day.

The two aircraft went down just south of the stretch of river where a US Airways jet landed safely seven months ago. But this time, there was no miracle.

"This is not going to have a happy ending," Bloomberg said. He said, hours after the accident, that he thought it fair to say "this has changed from a rescue to a recovery mission."

Two bodies were recovered in the water, one floating free and one in the wreckage, and other bodies were spotted in the debris, the mayor said. The crash victims included five Italian tourists and a pilot on the helicopter and the three people on the plane, including a child, Bloomberg said.

Witnesses described the same scene: a low-flying plane smashing into the helicopter, and then wreckage scattering. The plane's wing was severed by the impact.

The plane, a Piper PA-32, was registered to LCA Partnership in Fort Washington, Pa., and had just taken off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey for Ocean City, N.J., authorities said. The helicopter was a Eurocopter AS 350 owned by Liberty Tours, a sightseeing and charter company. It was struck by the plane shortly after lifting off from a heliport on Manhattan's West side.

At least some people saw the crash developing. Another Liberty Tours helicopter pilot on the ground at the heliport saw the plane approaching the helicopter and tried to radio an alert to the pilots, New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. The warning either wasn't heard, or didn't happen in time.

Kelly Owen, who was visiting from Florida, saw the crash from a Manhattan park built upon an abandoned elevated rail line.

"First I saw a piece of something flying through the air. Then I saw the helicopter going down into the water," she said, adding that the crowd in the park seemed too stunned to react. "I thought it was my imagination."

On the Hoboken waterfront, people scattered as pieces of debris fell from the sky. A wheel from one of the aircraft lay on Hoboken's Sinatra Drive.

"We saw the helicopter propellers fly all over," said Katie Tanski, of Hoboken.

Afterward, much of the wreckage sank quickly into the river.

The cause of the crash wasn't immediately clear, but the National Transportation Safety Board was investigating, Bloomberg said.

The accident happened in a busy general aviation corridor over the river that is often filled with sightseeing craft on nice days.

Pilots have some freedom to pick their own route, as long as they stay under 1,000 feet and don't stray too close to Manhattan's skyscrapers. The skies over the river are often filled with pleasure craft, buzzing by for a view of the Statue of Liberty.

Accidents aren't frequent, but happen every few years. New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor died when their plane hit a skyscraper while flying a popular sightseeing route in 2006.

In January, the river was the scene of a spectacular aircraft landing that resulted in no loss of life after a US Airways flight taking off from LaGuardia Airport slammed into a flock of birds and lost power in both engines. The plane crash-landed in the river, and all 155 people on board were pulled to safety.

The identities of the victims of Saturday's crash were not immediately released. Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maurizio Massari confirmed there were Italians aboard the helicopter and said the ministry was working to find out further details through diplomats and authorities in New York.

A person who answered the phone at a Liberty Tours office declined to comment on the accident, but said the company would be releasing a statement. The company runs sightseeing excursions around the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan at costs ranging from $130 to about $1,000.

Two years ago, a Liberty helicopter fell 500 feet from the sky during a sightseeing trip. The pilot was credited with safely landing the chopper in the Hudson and helping evacuate her seven passengers.

In 1997, a rotor on one of its sightseeing helicopters clipped a Manhattan building, forcing an emergency landing. No one was hurt.

___

Associated Press writers David B. Caruso and Samantha Gross in New York and Beth DeFalco in Hoboken contributed to this report.

Air France Flight 447 Body (Tail Section) Found

Photo credit: Associated Press

Fifteen more bodies from Air France Flight 447 crash pulled from water

Brazilian military recovery operations collecting a piece of debris from Air France flight 447.

Air France Flight 447 Crash Cronology

• 01:48 -- Brazilian Air Force has last radar contact. Plane appears to be flying normally.
• 02:00 -- Aircraft hits a zone of stormy weather with strong turbulence. The pilot sends a manual signal indicating that he is flying through an area of "CBs" - black, electrically charged cumulonimbus clouds that come with violent winds and lightning.
• 02:10 -- Problems mount. The autopilot is disengaged, a key computer system is switched to alternative power and controls needed to keep the plane stable have been damaged, according to automatic messages. An alarm sounds, indicating that flight systems are deteriorating.
• 02:13 -- Automatic messages report the failure of systems to monitor air speed, altitude and direction. Control of the main flight computer and wing spoilers fail.
• 02:14 -- An automatic message was received from the aircraft as indicating a loss of cabin pressure and failure in the electric circuit. The plane is a long way from the coast. It is believed to be breaking up at this moment.
• 02:20 -- Plane fails to make previously scheduled radio contact with Brazil. Brazil notifies air traffic control in Dakar, Senegal.
  
  

Air France Flight 447 Victims Evacuation

The Brazilian Air Force transports a corpse from a chopper at the Fernando de Noronha airport on June 9. The helicopter carried the first human remains recovered from the downed jet. (EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images)

Brazilians Recover Tail Section of Lost Airbus

In this photo released by Brazil's Air Force, Brazilian sailors recover the tail section belonging to Air France Flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. (Brazil's Air Force/Associated Press)

Air crash bodies heading to DNA lab

(CNN) -- The first bodies to be recovered from the crash of Air France 447 are due to arrive at a Brazilian Air Force base in Recife, Brazil, Wednesday afternoon local time, the air force announced.

The 16 bodies are expected to be sent on for identification to the Legal Medical Institute, the statement said. Police will perform DNA tests at their lab in the capital, Brasilia, they said.

Another 25 bodies have been found and will go through the same procedure starting Thursday, the air force said.

A French nuclear submarine joined the hunt Wednesday for the "black box" flight data recorder and other wreckage of Air France Flight 447 as Brazilian air force and navy crews continued to pull bodies from the Atlantic.

France is leading the investigation into what caused last week's accident when the Paris-bound flight from Rio de Janeiro plunged into the sea off the Brazilian coast with 228 passengers and crew on board.

The French nuclear submarine Emeraude began patrolling the area Wednesday morning, the French defense ministry said.

Around 400 French military personnel are involved in the salvage effort. France has also sent two tugs towing 40 tons of recovery equipment, a surveillance ship and a ship equipped for amphibious operations.

Fourteen aircraft -- 12 Brazilian and two French -- are participating, along with five Brazilian ships. The U.S. Navy will contribute two high-tech acoustic devices to listen underwater for the emergency beacons that are attached to the voice and data recorders.

The "towed pinger locators," which help search for emergency beacons on downed aircraft to a maximum depth of 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) -- will be placed aboard the French tugs.

Total of 41 bodies recovered from Air France 447 crash

FERNANDO DE NORONHA, Brazil (CNN) -- Forty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash of Air France Flight 447, the Brazilian Navy Command and Aeronautical Command said Tuesday.
Sixteen bodies pulled from the Atlantic Ocean Tuesday were taken to Fernando de Noronha for transportation Wednesday afternoon by helicopter to the air base in Recife, Brazil.

The 25 bodies previously found were put aboard a Brazilian frigate.

Searches for the remaining bodies will continue overnight, the navy and aeronautical command said in a written statement.

The Airbus A330 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean June 1 en route from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France, carrying 228 passengers and crew.

The first bodies were recovered about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northwest of the Brazilian archipelago of Saint Peter and Saint Paul; Tuesday's recoveries were 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. It was not clear whether the bodies had drifted in the 1-2 knot currents or whether their separation suggested that the jet may have broken apart in the air. Watch bodies being returned to land »

Meanwhile, the French, who are leading the investigation, were increasing their naval efforts. The nuclear submarine Emeraude was expected to reach the search area Wednesday to search for wreckage, including the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. And the French sent two tugs towing 40 tons of recovery equipment, a surveillance ship and a ship equipped for amphibious operations.

The United States is also sending equipment to help with the search. Watch challenges faced by search crews »

Brazilian authorities said the plane debris will be taken to France for investigation but the bodies would undergo forensic tests in Recife.

The cause of the crash is not known, but investigators are looking at the possible role of airspeed sensors known as Pitot tubes, among other factors.

Air France has agreed to replace the sensors on its Airbus A330 and A340 jets, a pilots' union said Tuesday.

The airline said Saturday that it began replacing its fleet's sensors last month.

Another Air France pilots' union, ALTER, has advised its pilots not to fly planes until their Pitot tubes are replaced. ALTER, the smallest of three Air France pilots' unions, would not say what percentage of the carrier's pilots it represents. Watch an explanation of what could have caused the crash »

The biggest union, SNPL, said Tuesday it has accepted Air France's assurances that no Airbus A330 or A340 will take off unless at least two of its three Pitot tubes have been replaced.

Union spokesman Eric Derivry added that there is no indication that the Pitot tubes caused the accident.

Air France said over the weekend that it began to notice in May of last year that Pitot tubes sometimes briefly iced up at high altitude on A330s and A340s. That caused "a loss of airspeed data," according to the airline -- that is, the pilots didn't know the plane's speed.

Air France decided to replace all its probes starting April 27, following laboratory tests earlier in the year, the airline said. That is the program the pilots say the airline has promised to complete within days.

The location of the crash has not been determined, because ocean currents have moved the bodies and debris. Map of Flight 447's flight path »

The ocean depth where the debris and bodies have been found varies, but averages about 3,000 meters (nearly 9,900 feet) deep, according to the University of New Hampshire/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Joint Hydrographic Center. The search area covers 200,000 square km (77,220 square miles), nearly the size of Romania, Brazilian officials said.

Brazilian officials emphasized Monday that finding bodies was their main priority. The French are in charge of finding the voice and data recorders.

Fourteen aircraft -- 12 Brazilian and two French -- were participating, along with five Brazilian ships and one French frigate. The U.S. Navy will contribute two high-tech acoustic devices to listen underwater for the emergency beacons that are attached to the voice and data recorders.
The "towed pinger locators," which help search for emergency beacons on downed aircraft to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet -- will be placed aboard two French tugs that are part of the search efforts, the official said.

CNN's Karl Penhaul, Ayesha Durgahee, Niki Cook, Jim Bittermann and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

Major airline crashes in Indonesia in recent years

The Associated Press , Jakarta | Thu, 05/21/2009 8:45 AM | National 

Some of the deadliest military and commercial airline crashes in Indonesia in recent years: 

- June 8: NB0-105 military helicopter military crashes in Situhiang village, South Cianjur, West Java, killing three officers and injuring the other three.

- May 20: A C-130 Hercules military plane carrying troops and their families crashes in Magetan, East Java province, killing 98 people. 

- April 6: A Fokker 27 military aircraft slams into an airport hangar in the city of Bandung, West Java, killing 24. 

- March 7, 2007: A Boeing 737 jet operated by national airline Garuda shoots off a runway and erupts in flames in Yogyakarta, killing 21 people. 

- Jan. 1, 2007: A plane belonging to budget airline Adam Air plunges into the sea off Sulawesi in stormy weather, killing all 102 onboard. 

- Sept. 5, 2005: A Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashes shortly after takeoff from Medan, North Sumatra, killing at least 145.

Chopper crash adds to TNI accidents

Yuli Tri Suwarni , The Jakarta Post , Bandung | Tue, 06/09/2009 10:02 AM | Headlines 

Bad weather was believed to have caused the crash of an Indonesian Army helicopter in West Java province on Monday, the sixth military aircraft accident this year. 

Three of its five crew and passengers died in the accident in the Cianjur regency, the latest tragedy to hit the Indonesian Military (TNI). 

Heavy rains in the area at about 2 p.m. seemingly led to the NB0-105 helicopter crashing to the ground in Kampung Rawabeber, Situ Hyang village, Pagelaran district. 

The crash claimed the lives of the Army’s Special Forces Command (Kopassus) training center Col. Ricky Samuel and head of the training center's training section Capt. Agung Gunarto. 

Both officers were based in Kopassus' training center in Batujajar. 

The chopper’s co-pilot, First Lt. Agus Sudarso died while being transported to the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in Jakarta. 

His body was then returned to the Cianjur General Hospital. 

Meanwhile, pilot Capt. Hadi Isnarto and a third passenger, First Lt. Agus Sudarso, also from Kopassus, were in critical condition. 

“They [the victims] were on a routine training flight,” Siliwangi Military command chief Maj. Gen. Rasyid Qurnuen Aquary told reporters. 

On April 6, a Fokker F-27 Troopship from the Indonesian Air Forces crashed at a hanger in the Husein Sastranegara Air Force Base compound, Bandung, killing six crew and 24 soldiers from the Air Force' Special Force (Paskhas). Bad weather was also believed to have caused the accident. 

The deadliest and latest tragedy happened in Magetan, East Java on May 20 when the air forces C-130 Hercules heavy transport aircraft broke into pieces, claiming 101 people, including 52 officers and soldiers. 

The first accident this year was in March when a Hughes helicopter crashed in Semarang, with no casualties. Two other minor accidents occurred in April and May. 

Politicians, including Vice President Jusuf Kalla, also a presidential candidate, have used the accident to criticize the government’s decreased military budget. 

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono denied that his administration had cut the budget for the maintenance of military weaponry. 

Instead, the government was only postponing the purchase of new war equipment. 

Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Christian Zebua claimed the 1988-made chopper was still airworthy. 

“It was still very, very airworthy. So, it’s the bad weather,” Zebua told Antara. 

The helicopter had been conducting a training support mission when it was caught in hard rain and strong winds. 

The ill-fated helicopter was reportedly on its way from Pangalengan, Bandung to Batujajar training center in Cimahi. 

The utility helicopter was manufactured by state aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia under license from German firm Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm.

History of Airbus A300

The 253-335 seat Airbus A330 family of aircraft includes the A330-200; larger A330-300 and the recently added A330-200 Freighter.

Designed as a medium to long range aircraft, the A330 was designed to compete in the ETOPS market, specifically against the Boeing 767.

The twin-engined A330 is available with either General Electric CF6-80E, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.

History

Launched in 1987, the A330-300 entered service in 1993 with Air France domestic subsidiary Air Inter, with the A330-200 entering passenger service 5 years later in 1998.

To date Airbus has received over 1000 orders for A330 family aircraft with 550 having been deliver

Airbus A300B2 - Air France

Airbus A300B2 was first airline introduced by Air France  on its route network. In 1971 Air France ordered six aircraft of the A300B2 version and the first examples were delivered in 1974. The first revenue flight took place on Air France's Paris - London Heathrow service on 23 May 1974.

The aircraft on the picture, F-BVGB, was the second aircraft in Air France service. The Airbus A300B2 in the Air France fleet were soon followed by A300B4s. The French national airline operated a total of twenty-five A300s (nine B2s and sixteen B4s) but didn't buy the later A300-600 version.

Editorial: The Powerless Hercules

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 05/23/2009 11:54 AM | Opinion 

The whole nation is mourning the Wednesday morning crash of the Indonesian Air Force’s C-130 Hercules in Magetan, East Java, upon observing its fatal impact: 98 of the 112 passengers and crews on board and three residents have died. 

We send our condolences and express our deep sympathy to the victims’ families. But we strongly regret and question how the fatal crash could have happened. It was the third accident involving military aircraft and the 10th flight accident since January this year.

The air force, which is investigating the Hercules crash, has yet to announce the results of the investigation. But, military and aeronautical experts as well as members of the House of Representatives and the government, i.e. Vice President Jusuf Kalla, have concurrently blamed the limited military defense budget – in specific the budget for military aircraft maintenance – as the root cause of Wednesday’s crash.

The possible causes of the Hercules accident could be more than poor maintenance of our military aircraft as they could also involve human error and unfriendly bad weather, as reported Wednesday. 

However, one thing is certain – there must be a concerted effort by all stakeholders to bring an end to, or at least greatly reduce, such aircraft accidents.

One measure could be in the form of providing an adequate budget for military or defense affairs as it could be used for the procurement of new and modern military equipments, which are more sensitive to bad weather, to replace the aging and obsolete ones, such as the C-130 Hercules. An appropriate military and defense budget is also needed to provide our military pilots with the necessary skills and knowledge to prepare themselves for the worst possible flight environment and conditions.

Adequate budget provisions could also be understood as proper budget distribution among the three forces in the Indonesian military (TNI) – the army, the navy and the air force. While it is currently the air force and the navy that badly need funds to modernize and upgrade their personnel and equipments, it should then be a priority that both be allocated greater budget this year and possibly for the next few years. According to Defense Ministry data, of the Rp 36.39 trillion (US$3.5 billion) budget allocated for the TNI in 2008, the Army received Rp 16.1 trillion, while the Air Force and the Navy subsequently received Rp 3.99 trillion and Rp 5.5 trillion. The other Rp 6.3 trillion and Rp 4.5 trillon went to the Defense Ministry and the TNI headquarters, respectively.

Eventually, once all those budget problems are settled, it is highly expected there will not be, or at least the minimum tolerated, such aircraft accidents in the future anymore. Learning from past mistakes should become habit for the TNI and for all of us.

Missing French jet hit thunderstorms over Atlantic

Alan Clendenning and Greg Keller , The Associated Press , Sao Paulo | Mon, 06/01/2009 7:46 PM | Headlines 

A missing Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris ran into lightning and strong thunderstorms over the Atlantic Ocean, officials said Monday. Brazil began a search mission off its northeastern coast. 

Chief Air France spokesman Francois Brousse said "it is possible" the plane was hit by lightning. 

Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330, left Rio on Sunday at 7 p.m. local time (2200 GMT, 6 p.m. EDT) with 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board, company spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand. 

About four hours later, the plane sent an automatic signal indicating electrical problems while going through strong turbulence, Air France said. 

The plane "crossed through a thunderous zone with strong turbulence" at 0200 GMT Monday (10 p.m. EDT Sunday). An automatic message was received fourteen minutes later "signaling electrical circuit malfunction." 

Brazil's Air Force said the last contact it had with the Air France jet was at 0136 GMT (9:30 p.m. EDT Sunday), but did not say where the plane was then. 

Brazil's air force was searching near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, about 300 kilometers (180 miles) northeast of the coastal city of Natal, a spokesman said, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with department policy. 

The region is about 1,500 miles northeast of Rio. 

In Washington, a Pentagon official said he'd seen no indication that terrorism or foul play was involved. He spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject. 

Douglas Ferreira Machado, the head of investigation for Brazil's Civil Aeronautics Agency, told Globo TV the plane could have been near the coast of Africa by the time contact was lost, based on the speed it was traveling. 

"It's going to take a long time to carry out this search," he said. "It could be a long, sad story. The black box will be at the bottom of the sea." 

Air France-KLM CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, at a news conference at Charles de Gaulle Airport north of Paris, said the pilot had 11,000 hours of flying experience, including 1,700 hours flying this aircraft. No name was released. 

"We are without doubt facing an air catastrophe," Gourgeon said. "At this time, the plane's fuel reserves would not permit it to still be in flight." 

He said the plane was "very far" from Brazilian coast when last contact was made, without providing details. 

Aviation experts said the risk the plane was brought down by lightning was slim. 

"Lightning issues have been considered since the beginning of aviation. They were far more prevalent when aircraft operated at low altitudes. They are less common now since it's easier to avoid thunderstorms," said Bill Voss, president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation, Alexandria, Va. 

He said planes have specific measures built in to help dissipate electricity along the aircraft's skin. 

"I cannot recall in recent history any examples of aircraft being brought down by lightning," he told The Associated Press. 

Experts said the absence of a mayday call meant something happened very quickly. 

"The conclusion to be drawn is that something catastrophic happened on board that has caused this airplane to ditch in a controlled or an uncontrolled fashion," Jane's Aviation analyst Chris Yates told The Associated Press. 

"I would suggest that potentially it went down very quickly and so quickly that the pilot on board didn't have a chance to make that emergency call," Yates said, adding that the possibilities ranged from mechanical failure to terrorism. 

Families who arrived to meet passengers on board were cordoned off, away from reporters, at a special Air France information center at the Charles de Gaulle airport. That center said 60 French citizens were on the plane. Italy said at least three passengers were Italian. 

"Air France shares the emotion and worry of the families concerned," Barrand said. 

The flight was supposed to arrive in Paris at 0915 GMT (5:15 a.m. EDT), according to the airport. 

Air France said it alerted planemaker Airbus and France's civil aviation investigation office, known by its French acronym BEA. 

If all 228 people were killed, it would be the deadliest commercial airline disaster since Nov. 12, 2001, when an American Airlines jetliner crashed in the New York City borough of Queens during a flight to the Dominican Republic, killing 265 people. 

On Feb. 19, 2003, 275 people were killed in the crash of an Iranian military plane carrying members of the Revolutionary Guards as it prepared to land at Kerman airport in Iran. 

Airbus said it was cooperating with transport authorities and Air France, but would not further comment until more details emerged. 

"Our thoughts are with the passengers and with the families of the passengers," said Airbus spokeswoman Maggie Bergsma. 

The Airbus A330-200 is a twin-engine, long-haul, medium-capacity passenger jet that is 58.8 meters (190 feet) long. It is a shortened version of the standard A330, and can hold up to 253 passengers. It first went into service in 1998 and there are 341 in use worldwide today. It can fly up to 7,760 miles (12,500 kilometers). 

Rick Kennedy, a spokesman for GE Aviation, expressed doubt that the engine was at fault. He said the CF6-80E engine that powered the Air France plane "is the most popular and reliable engine that we have for big airplanes in the world." 

He said there are more than 15,000 airplanes flying in the world with that engine design and GE Aviation officials were on standby to help. 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his "extreme worry" and planned to visit the Charles de Gaulle airport later Monday.

Brazil confirms Air France jet crashed in ocean

The Associated Press , Fernando de Noronha, Brazil | Wed, 06/03/2009 12:36 PM | World 

Brazilian military planes found a 3-mile (5-kilometer) path of wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean, confirming that an Air France jet carrying 228 people crashed in the sea, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said Tuesday. 

Jobim told reporters in Rio de Janeiro that the discovery "confirms that the plane went downin that area," hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. 

"There isn't the slightest doubt that the debris is from the Air France plane," Jobim said. 

He said the strip of wreckage included metallic and nonmetallic pieces, but did not describe them in detai. No bodies were spotted in the crash of the Airbus A330 in which all aboard are believed to have died. 

The discovery came just hours after authorities announced they had found an airplane seat, an orange buoy and signs of fuel in a part of the Atlantic Ocean where ocean depths range from less than 1,610eters (one mile) to more than 4,800 meters (three miles). 

Jobim said recovery of the plane's cockpit voice and data recorders and other wreckage could be difficult because much of the wreckage sank. 

"It's going to be very hard to search for it because it could be at a depth of 2,000 meters or 3,000 meters (1.2 miles to 1.8 miles) in that area of the ocean," Jobim said. 

The initial discovery of wreckage announced before Jobim spoke came about 36 hours after the jet went missing as it flew from Rio de Janeiro toward Paris. 

A Brazilian air force spokesman said the two spots where debris was located suggested the pilots may have tried to turn the plane around to return to Fernando de Noronha. 

"The locations where the objects were found are toward the right of the point where the last signal of the plane was emitted," said the spokesman, Col. Jorge Amaral. "That suggests that it might have tried to make a turn, maybe to return to Fernando de Noronha, but that is just a hypothesis." 

Amaral said some of the debris was white and small, but did not describe it in more detail. 

Jobim made the announcement after two commercial ships that joined the search late Tuesday morning reached sites where the debris was found, a Navy spokeswoman said. 

"Once they come across the objects, they will be analyzed to determine if they are parts of the plane or just junk," she said. 

A U.S. Navy P-3C Orion surveillance plane and 21 crew members arrived in Brazil on Tuesday morning from El Salvador and was to begin overflying the zone in the afternoon, U.S. officials said in a statement. The plane can fly low over the ocean for about 12 hours at a time and has radar and sonar designed to track submarines underwater. 

The French dispatched a research ship equipped with unmanned submarines to the debris site. The subs can explore depths of up to 19,600 feet (6,000 meters). The U.S. was considering contributing unmanned underwater vehicles in the search as well, according to a defense source who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. 

The 4-year-old plane was last heard from at 0214 GMT Monday (10:14 p.m. EDT Sunday) about four hours after it left Rio. 

If no survivors are found, it would be the world's worst civil aviation disaster since the November 2001 crash of an American Airlines jetliner in the New York City borough of Queens that killed 265 people. 

Investigators on both sides of the ocean are trying to determine what brought the plane down, with few clues to go on. Potential causes include violently shifting winds and hail from towering thunderheads, lightning or some combination of other factors. 

The crew made no distress call before the crash, but the plane's system sent an automatic message just before it disappeared, reporting lost cabin pressure and electrical failure. The plane's cockpit and "black box" recorders could be thousands of feet (meters) below the surface. 

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said that if the debris is confirmed to be part of Flight 447, "This will allow us to better determine the search zone." 

"We are in a race against the clock in extremely difficult weather conditions and in a zone where depths reach up to 7,000 meters (22,966 feet)," he told lawmakers in the lower house of French parliament Tuesday. Black box recorders can emit signals for up to 30 days. 

The chance of finding survivors now "is very, very small, even nonexistent," said Jean-Louis Borloo, the French minister overseeing transportation. 

The Airbus A330-200 was cruising normally at 35,000 feet (10,670 meters) and 522 mph (840 kph) just before it disappeared. 

But just north of the equator, a line of towering thunderstorms loomed. Bands of extremely turbulent weather stretched across the Atlantic toward Africa. 

Borloo called the A330 "one of the most reliable planes in the world" and said lightning alone, even from a fierce tropical storm, probably couldn't have brought down the plane. 

"There really had to be a succession of extraordinary events to be able to explain this situation," Borloo said on RTL radio Tuesday. 

France's junior minister for transport, Dominique Bussereau, said the plane sent "a kind of outburst" of automated messages just before it disappeared, "which means something serious happened, as eventually the circuits switched off." 

French military spokesman Christophe Prazuck said France has three military patrol aircraft flying over the central Atlantic, but could shift its search operations closer to the site of the Brazilian discovery. He said an AWACS radar plane also had been dispatched and should join the operation on Wednesday. 

French police were studying passenger lists and maintenance records, and preparing to take DNA from passengers' relatives to help identify any bodies. 

French Defense Minister Herve Morin said "we have no signs so far" of terrorism, but all hypotheses must be studied. 

Alain Bouillard, who led the probe into the crash of the Concorde in July 2000, was put in charge of France's accident investigation team. 

President Barack Obama told French television stations the United States is ready to do everything necessary to find out what happened. 

On board the flight were 61 French citizens, 58 Brazilians, 26 Germans, nine Chinese and nine Italians. A lesser number of citizens from 27 other countries also were on the passenger list. 

Two Americans living in Rio de Janeiro were on board. Michael Harris, 60, a geologist, and his wife Anne, 54, were headed to Europe for work and vacation. They lived previously in Lafayette, Louisiana. 

Among the passengers were three young Irish doctors, returning from a two-week vacation in Brazil. Aisling Butler's father John paid tribute to his 26-year-old daughter, from Roscrea, County Tipperary. 

"She was a truly wonderful, exciting girl. She never flunked an exam in her life - nailed every one of them - and took it all in her stride," he said. 

--- 

Alan Clendenning reported from Sao Paulo. Associated Press writers Tales Azzoni in Sao Paulo; Marco Sibaja in Brasilia; and Angela Charlton, Emma Vandore, Jean-Pierre Verges and Laurent Joan-Grange in Paris contributed to this report.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

As Brazil and France disagreed Friday about whether pieces of a downed Air France jet have been found in the Atlantic, investigators used the last messages from the plane to try to avoid future disasters.

Brazilian officials have insisted for three days that military pilots have spotted wreckage from Flight 447 scattered across the ocean's surface. Air Force Brig. Gen. Ramon Cardoso again expressed confidence Friday that at least some of the objects — an airplane seat, a slick of kerosene and other pieces — are from the plane that vanished Sunday with 228 people on board.

"This is the material that we've seen that really was part of the plane," Cardoso said.

But ships guided by planes in the search area have been hampered by extremely poor visibility, and have recovered no wreckage. "We don't have any information yet that any of the ships are near any of the objects," Cardoso said.

The only piece retrieved so far, a cargo pallet, turned out to be sea garbage. Like other suspicious objects, it had to be hauled up and checked out, said Brazilian Navy Adm. Edson Lawrence.

"There is a lot of garbage in the sea, and sometimes what might seem to be wreckage is actually trash," Lawrence said Friday.

French officials stopped short of criticizing their Brazilian counterparts, but France's Transportation Minister Dominique Bussereau said his own country's searchers have found no signs of the Airbus A330.

"French authorities have been saying for several days that we have to be extremely prudent," Bussereau told France's RTL radio. "Our planes and naval ships have seen nothing."

A French Defense Ministry official, speaking only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, also questioned the Brazilian claims, saying French teams "cannot precisely confirm the zone where the plane went down."

Cardoso also said a large oil slick spotted by search plane pilots was not from the Airbus, but that authorities believe another slick of kerosene was probably from the downed passenger jet.

Prosecutors in Paris opened a manslaughter probe, their office said Friday — a routine step whenever French citizens die overseas.

Bussereau said the priority is finding the flight voice and data recorders that could help explain the cause of the world's worst civilian aviation disaster since 2001. 

Since these "black boxes" may be miles below the surface, investigators are looking for clues in the messages sent from the plane's computers just before it disappeared. One theory: outside probes that feed speed sensors may have iced over, giving incorrect information to the plane's computers. The autopilot may have then directed the plane to fly too fast or too slow when it encountered turbulence from towering thunderstorms. 

Airbus sent an advisory to airlines late Thursday reminding them how to handle the A330 in similar conditions. 

Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon said the message was sent after the French agency investigating the crash said the doomed flight had faced turbulent weather and inconsistency in the speed readings by different instruments. 

That meant "the air speed of the aircraft was unclear," Dubon said. 

In such circumstances, flight crews should maintain thrust and pitch and — if necessary — level off the plane and start troubleshooting, Dubon said. 

Meteorologists said the Air France jet entered an unusual storm with 100 mph (160 kph) updrafts that acted as a vacuum, sucking water up from the ocean. The moist air rushed up to the plane's high altitude, where it quickly froze in minus-40 degree temperatures. The updrafts also would have created dangerous turbulence. 

The jetliner's computer systems ultimately failed, and the plane broke apart likely in midair as it crashed into the Atlantic on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris Sunday night. 

The Pentagon has said there are no signs terrorism was involved. Brazil's defense minister said the possibility was never considered. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner agreed that there is no evidence supporting a "terrorism theory," but said "we cannot discard that for now." 

"Nothing leads us to believe that there was an explosion, but that doesn't mean there wasn't one." he said in Rio de Janeiro Thursday. "All the paths are open and we will not give priority to a single premise because that would be immoral." 

Brazil's Air Force was flying relatives of victims to the search command post in the northeastern city of Recife Friday to tour the operation and ask questions. Recife has a large air force base where debris and any human remains would be brought. 

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Alan Clendenning reported from Sao Paulo. Emma Vandore, Laurence Joan-Grange, Jamey Keaten and Philippe Sotto in Paris and Daniel Wools contributed to this report.

By MARCO SIBAJA and GREG KELLER, Associated Press Writer