Air France plane missing off Brazil
Air France plane missing off Brazil
An Air France plane has gone missing over the Atlantic Ocean. The plane, carrying 228 people on a flight from Brazil, has disappeared from radar screens.
CNN reports that the plane was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members. Air France told the news channel that flight AF447 was travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that a search for the plane is underway near the island of Fernando de Noronha. Brazil's Air Force confirmed that the search and rescue mission was mounted after the plane failed to make regular radio contact.
A crisis centre has been set up at Charles de Gaulle airport. Despite the reports in the media, Brazil's Air Force has declined to say how many people were on board the Air France plane, or the make and flight number.
The Air France flight had been expected to arrive in Paris at 09.10 am (GMT). According to the AFP news agency, contact with the plane was lost at 6am (GMT).
An official at the Paris airport said: "We are very worried. The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected."
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1 June 2009
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