Air France Jet missing over Atlantic
- Thread starter TexasGirl
- Start date
Lefty
Yank
I am hoping for the best. Miracles do happen.
buzzard767
golfaknifeaholic
Very little information released so far. I wonder what the final communications were about? If they were normal I always expect an explosion. Aviate, navigate, communicate.
joec
New member
I have one question about air flight in general. Now I can go to Radio shack and buy a transponder for a few bucks so why isn't every air craft on the planet wired up with one. If for no other reason it would make it easier to find I would think. Lo jack has been around now for over a decade and works world wide.
Jim_S
Resident Curmudgeon
Unless Lo Jack has drastically changed since I worked with them several years ago it won't work off shore. The radio signals are terrestrial based and only work to the horizon like the land based radar.
Jim
joec
New member
Yes but the gadget I'm speaking off for example sold by radio shack it satellite based similar to a cell phone. As for Lo Jack I really don't know much about it but figured it was also a satellite based technology so I assumed wrong then. I used a sat nav system on my sail boat back in the early 80's.
Maverick2272
Stewed Monkey
I was wondering the same thing, was there anything in the communications that would indicate what happened? Lots of the questions asked here are the same ones I have, like can't they track the plane by the black box?
Another one, there is a map you can look at (I forget where it is) that shows where all the major passenger jets are at any given moment. IE a billion dots moving over a picture of the globe.
So, if they can do that and display it on the web, why can't they use similar technology to track and find this jet?
buzzard767
golfaknifeaholic
Aircraft transponders have been around as long as I have. In the beginning it was identification only, then came altitude encoding in the late 60's. Now the transponders talk to other airplanes for collision avoidance as well. Great stuff.
On the ground you don't fuel during a thunderstorm. You don't take off or land with a near by thunderstorm because of wind shear, an event we knew was there but didn't fully understand until about 20 years ago. In the air, avoid thunderstorms like the plague. I've flown through two of them (military jets) and came out of the first one upside down and about 5000 feet higher than I entered it. Lightning strikes while airborne are generally no biggie because you aren't grounded. Once in a while small parts like antennas will get blown off the fuselage. I've been hit at least a hundred times and only incurred minor damage a couple of times. It keeps you awake though.... LOL
They can.
joec
New member
Then I ask again how do you lose an airplane even in the ocean at least the location of where it went down?
Maverick2272
Stewed Monkey
I guess I am wondering the same thing here Joe. Seems scenarios like Lost and Castaway would be impossible these days with this kind of tracking around, and they should at least know where the jet is right now.
I'm sure no expert on this subject but my understanding was once they drop below a certain altitude the signal does not broadcast the same. Underwater would surely stop the signal from sending. Maybe a ship dangling a sensor in the water could pick it up but I doubt anything else can.
joec
New member
Well like I said earlier Doc I had a 60' sail boat with a Sat Nav system. I could ping a satellite and it would tell me where I was on the planet with in a few yards. Subs also have the same system as that is what the system was originally designed for tracking them. It is also the basis for the cheap systems one can buy in Radio Shack for example. Now if it stopped working upon impact one should still know where it was when the transmission stopped sending. Now I know they make them that will give a constant echo so tracking a plane, ship or even a cell phone is available.
smoke king
Banned
So does anyone know if theres been any kind of update? I've been away from the TV all day.
TexasGirl
The Invisible
only what they keep putting up on cnn, Bob
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/06/01/air.france.brazil/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/06/01/air.france.brazil/index.html
Maverick2272
Stewed Monkey
Yea, basically they still don't know anything but fear the worst.
smoke king
Banned
Probably a good a time as any to say a little prayer (for those who are so inclined) for these people and their families.
I've got to believe with all the technology available to us these days that when a big bird like this just vanishes, its almost certainly going to end badly.
That being said, I hope not.
TexasGirl
The Invisible
buzzard767
golfaknifeaholic
This is the best information out there. You can try and read it good luck but the bottom line is that the mostly likely cause was airframe failure, probably the empannage (tail section).
http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/af447/
The problem with Airbus design is their emphasis on building with composite materials that have sometimes been found to shatter under pressure.
It "looks" like the plane suffered enough turbulence to come apart.
Sad story. Now watch the politics in France as Airbus continues to blame the pitot static system instead of the real problem, one which would put them out of business.
http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/af447/
The problem with Airbus design is their emphasis on building with composite materials that have sometimes been found to shatter under pressure.
It "looks" like the plane suffered enough turbulence to come apart.
Sad story. Now watch the politics in France as Airbus continues to blame the pitot static system instead of the real problem, one which would put them out of business.