Last clues to the fate of Air France flight 447

In Paris, hope turned to despair as the relatives of those onboard Air France flight 447 were told to expect the worst.

The plane was carrying 228 passengers and crew of 32 nationalities – including seven children and one baby.

Some say a lack of radar cover in the area may have contributed to the disaster:

Former pilot, Gerard Feldzer said: “I have often flown this route on the same type of aircraft. Everyone knows that the storms blow up really badly at this time of year and if you don’t have radar you are basically flying blind and you can’t avoid them. They can be really severe, with hail the size of your fist, and it is a difficult situation to get out of.”

A series of automatic messages were sent to warn of failures on board the A330 after it had gone through an area of heavy turbulence.

But the truth about what happened may never be known. The plane’s two flight recorders in all probability lie on the bottom of the Atlantic which in places is ten thousand feet deep.

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: Airbus, Brazil, France