Several factors eyed in case of missing Air France plane
-
-
- ClipsFC
- added this
The lightning and turbulence that may have hit an Air France jet flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris are rarely the cause of plane crashes, analysts say. But they note that rough weather may have triggered a series of malfunctions that led to the disappearance of the jetliner.
Chief Air France spokesman Francois Brousse suggested the plane could have been struck by lightning.
But most experts say lightning doesn't usually bring down a modern airliner, unless it coincides with other factors that contribute to the accident.
Aviation safety statistics indicate that each large passenger jet — such as the Airbus A330 — is struck by lightning about once every three years on average. Regional aircraft, however, which fly at lower altitudes, are hit more frequently — about once a year.
Although lightning may have been a contributing factor in a handful of accidents since World War II, only one major crash was attributed directly to a strike. In 1963, a Pan American World Airways Boeing 707 exploded in midair when its fuel tank fumes were ignited by lightning.
It remains unclear whether Flight 447 took evasive action to avoid the area of heavy turbulence.
Air France reported that the aircraft's ACARS (Aircraft Communications and Addressing System) — a digital datalink that automatically transmits service messages from the aircraft to ground stations — messaged the company's headquarters regarding a problem with the aircraft's electrical and pressurization systems.
"At this point accident investigators can't rule out anything," he said. "But these aircraft are designed to withstand almost any lightning strikes or any level of turbulence."
Chief Air France spokesman Francois Brousse suggested the plane could have been struck by lightning.
But most experts say lightning doesn't usually bring down a modern airliner, unless it coincides with other factors that contribute to the accident.
Aviation safety statistics indicate that each large passenger jet — such as the Airbus A330 — is struck by lightning about once every three years on average. Regional aircraft, however, which fly at lower altitudes, are hit more frequently — about once a year.
Although lightning may have been a contributing factor in a handful of accidents since World War II, only one major crash was attributed directly to a strike. In 1963, a Pan American World Airways Boeing 707 exploded in midair when its fuel tank fumes were ignited by lightning.
It remains unclear whether Flight 447 took evasive action to avoid the area of heavy turbulence.
Air France reported that the aircraft's ACARS (Aircraft Communications and Addressing System) — a digital datalink that automatically transmits service messages from the aircraft to ground stations — messaged the company's headquarters regarding a problem with the aircraft's electrical and pressurization systems.
"At this point accident investigators can't rule out anything," he said. "But these aircraft are designed to withstand almost any lightning strikes or any level of turbulence."
-
- groups:
- Community, News and Politics, World News, US News, 1 more
-
- tags:
- News, News and Politics, World News, US News, 2 more
