1rst June | Air France | Lost Aircraft - A330 over the Atlantic Ocean.

search mission off its northeastern coast. 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. Brazils 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 at that time. Photo: Air France A330-202 F-GZCP (msn 660) was the aircraft involved in the incident. (Photo Copyright Olivier Corneloup) AIR FRANCE FLIGHT AF 447 Media Information on Air France AF 447 1 June 2009 Airbus regrets to confirm that an Airbus A330-200 operated by Air France has been lost about 3.5 hours after departure. The aircraft was operating a scheduled service, Flight AF 447, from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Paris (France). The missing aircraft, registered under the number F-GZCP, was MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 660, delivered to Air France from the production line in April 2005. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 18,800 flight hours in some 2,500 flights. It was powered by CF6-80E1 engines. At this time no further factual information is available. In line with ICAO Annex 13 international convention, Airbus has offered full technical assistance to the investigation board. The investigation remains the entire responsibility of the relevant board and it would be inappropriate for Airbus to enter into any form of speculation. The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families, friends and loved ones affected. Description of the A330 : The Airbus A330-200 is a widebody, twin-engine aircraft, which typically carries 253 passengers in a three-class, twin-aisle cabin on medium to long range routes of up to 6,750 nautical miles (12,500km). It can carry up to a maximum of 405 passengers in a high-density seating configuration. It also provides under-floor freight capacity for up to 27 industry-standard LD3 cargo containers. The A330-200 is designed to be operated by two pilots and a crew of cabin attendants whose number varies according to the operators seating configuration. It has a typical cruise speed of Mach 0.82 and a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.86. The maximum take-off weight for this aircraft series is 513,700lb (233 tonnes) and it can carry up to 109,100lb (49.5 tonnes) in payload. The A330-200 has a maximum fuel capacity of 36,750 US Gallons (139,100 litres). Fuel tanks for both versions are located in the wing and in the wing centre section, with an additional tank integrated into the horizontal tailplane. Engines The A330-200 can be equipped with CF6-80E1, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls Royce Trent 700 turbine engines, which generate between 68,000lb and 72,000lb (303-320kN) of thrust. History Airbus launched the A330-200 programme on November 1995. After its first flight on 13 August 1997, two aircraft participated in a rigorous flight test and airworthiness certification programme during which they accumulated 670 flight hours in 1,034 flights. The A330-200 was delivered for the first time in April 1998. Where the A330-200 is made A330-200 major sub-assemblies are produced in France, Germany, the UK and Spain. Final assembly takes place in Toulouse, southern France where the customers own choice of seats, galleys, toilets, furnishings and other equipment are installed.show less...