Accident description
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| Status: | Preliminary - official |
| Date: | 01 JUN 2009 |
| Time: | ca 00:15 |
| Type: | Airbus A330-203 |
| Operator: | Air France |
| Registration: | F-GZCP |
| C/n / msn: | 660 |
| First flight: | 2005-02-25 (4 years 3 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 18870 |
| Cycles: | 2644 |
| Engines: | 2 General Electric CF6-80E1A3 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 12 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 216 / Occupants: 216 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 228 / Occupants: 228 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | c 160km NNW off São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago (Atlantic Ocean)
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| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport, RJ (GIG/SBGL), Brazil |
| Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG), France | |
| Flightnumber: | 447 |
An Air France Airbus A330-200 was destroyed when it crashed into the sea while on transatlantic flight from Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport, RJ (GIG) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
The airplane carried 12 crew members an 216 passengers. Flight AF447 departed at 19:29 local time (May 31) from Rio de Janeiro (GIG). The takeoff weight was 232.8t (for a MTOW of 233 t), including 70.4 tonnes of fuel.
The flight progressed as planned with the crew contacting several air traffic control centres along the way. Cruising altitude was FL350.
At 23:35 local time (01:35 UTC), the crew informed the Atlantic Area Control Centre (CINDACTA III) controller that they had passed the INTOL waypoint. INTOL is an RNAV waypoint located in the Atlantic Ocean, 565 km from Natal, Brazil. The TASIL waypoint is located 1228 kilometers from Natal. TASIL, the following waypoint, is at the border of the Recife FIR and Dakar Oceanic FIR.
At 01:48 UTC the aircraft went out of the radar coverage of CINDACTA III, Fernando de Noronha. Information indicated that the aircraft flew normally at FL350 and a speed of 453 kts.
The meteorological situation in the area of AF447's flight path over the Atlantic was typical of that encountered in the month of June in the inter-tropical convergence zone. There were powerful cumulonimbus clusters on the route of AF447. Some of them could have been the centre of some notable turbulence.`
Then, over a time span of four minutes, starting at 02:10 UTC, a series of twenty-four ACARS messages were sent -automatically- from the plane. The messages indicated amongst other speed measurement inconsistencies, the disconnection of the autopilot and the airplane going into 'alternate law' flight control mode. This happens when multiple failures of redundant systems occur.
From 02:11 to 02:13, multiple faults regarding the Air Data Inertial Reference Unit (ADIRU) and ISIS (Integrated Standby Instruments System) were reported. Then on 02:13 the system reported failures of PRIM 1, the primary flight control computers that receive inputs from the ADIRU and SEC 1 (secondary flight control computers). The last message at 02:14 was a 'Cabin vertical speed' advisory.
The airplane had descended until it struck the ocean. Visual examination showed that the airplane was not destroyed in flight. It appears to have struck the surface of the sea in a straight line with high vertical acceleration.
Sources:
» Air France news releases
» BBC News
» Ministério da Defesa news releases
» Air France Flight 447: A detailed meteorological analysis / by Tim Vasquez
» Air France Flight AF447. The Last 4 Minutes. / Tim Marshall
Official accident investigation report
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Statistics
5th loss of a Airbus A330
The worst accident involving a Airbus A330 (at the time)
The worst accident involving a Airbus A330 (currently)
2nd worst accident in Atlantic Ocean (at the time)
2nd worst accident in Atlantic Ocean (currently) » figures explained
The worst accident involving a Airbus A330 (at the time)
The worst accident involving a Airbus A330 (currently)
2nd worst accident in Atlantic Ocean (at the time)
2nd worst accident in Atlantic Ocean (currently) » figures explained
Photos
Recovery of parts of a galley by Brazilian Navy
Recovery of parts of the airplane cabin by Brazilian Navy
Recovery of the vertical stabilizer by Brazilian Navy
Wreckage recovered by Brazilian Navy
Recovery of the vertical stabilizer by Brazilian Navy
Recovery of wreckage by Brazilian Navy
alleged final ACARS messages from the AF447
Flight route of AF447
Flight route of AF447
Video/animation
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport, RJ (GIG/SBGL) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG) as the crow flies is 8860 km (5538 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
Distance from Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport, RJ (GIG/SBGL) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG) as the crow flies is 8860 km (5538 miles).
