AIR FRANCE TRAGEDY
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Fresh AF 447 debris found, no trace of passengers
Published on Thu, Jun 04, 2009 at 11:08, Updated on Thu, Jun 04, 2009 at 18:22 in World section
Tags: Air France, AF 447 , Fernando de Noronha
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Fernando de Noronha: Search crews flying over the Atlantic found debris from a crashed Air France jet spread over more than 55 miles (90 km) of ocean on Wednesday, reinforcing the possibility it broke up in the air.
Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said the existence of large fuel stains in the water likely ruled out an explosion, undercutting speculation about a bomb attack.
"The existence of oil stains could exclude the possibility of a fire or explosion," he said at a news conference in Brasilia.
"If we have oil stains, it means it wasn't burned." Experts said extreme turbulence or decompression during stormy weather may have caused the Airbus A330, which took off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Paris on Sunday night, to splinter over the ocean with 228 people on board.
Two Brazilian navy ships arrived in the crash area, about 685 miles (1,100 km) northeast of Brazil's coast, but had not yet retrieved any debris by nightfall.
French officials said they may never discover why the plane went down as the flight data and voice recorders may be lost at the bottom of the ocean.
Air force pilots searching the area have reported no signs of survivors. Officials said recovering bodies may be extremely difficult.
"As well as bodies sinking, you also have problems along the coast of Pernambuco (state) that you know about," Jobim said in reference to sharks.
He added bodies could take several days to float to the surface.
Newly spotted traces of the plane included a 12-mile (20-km) fuel stain and various objects spread across a 3-mile (5-km) area, including one metallic object 23 feet (7 metres) in diameter.
The Air France plane sent no mayday signals before crashing, only automatic messages showing electrical faults and a loss of pressure shortly after it entered stormy weather.
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I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY WAS THE AIRCRAFT ALLOWED TO TAKE IN SUCH A TURBULENT WEATHER?!
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