Missing Air France Jet over the Atlantic ...

[rondebmar]

<<<"A report by investigators says crumpled walls, a distorted toilet stall and food trolleys that appeared to be compressed from the bottom were among indications that the plane hit the water hard at a relatively shallow angle.">>>

<<<"Bouillard said airspeed sensors known as pitot tubes were an "element, but not the cause" of the accident.">>>

Emphasis mine.

Hm-m-m. Just "free thinking" here...but would not be the first time an airliner's flight was terminated by ground impact following a flat spin induced by loss of control as a result of discrepancy between flight instument pressure system (pitot/static problem...like icing) and gyro indicating system.

(Think Northwest B-727 near White Plains, NY circa 1974...)

 

[A4sForever]

I don't like to say 'never' as I've had to eat my words too many times ... but I'm gonna' say "NEVER HAPPEN" -- i.e., losing an aircraft for hours -- on the NORPAC/Pacific ICAO Route system -- that's based upon the experience of many, many years, thousands of hours, and hundreds of crossings ...

To wit: +/- 3 minutes past your reporting point and no report is received from a TransPac aircraft?? Well, SFO, HNL, and/or Tokyo ARINC start lookin' for you -- and they don't 'quit' until they find you. And that's just for starters -- in or out (usually OUT in this case) of radar coverage. I've 'seen' it.

Quote from the FED's DOT Pacific ICAO publication:
"When a periodic or waypoint change event report is overdue by 3 minutes (emphasis added), the controller shall take action to obtain a report."

Brazil, Africa (French) in Dispute Over Who Controlled Doomed Air France 447

Vital Hours Lost in Air France Search

Brazil Claims Jet 'in Senegal's Control' .... audio recording. The link works; I tried it ...

It would seem that both involved ATC bureaucracies are pointing fingers and trying to pass the buck ... and any collateral responsibility for tracking AF 447.