This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8076848.stm
The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 3 | Version 4 |
---|---|
French plane lost over Atlantic | French plane lost over Atlantic |
(20 minutes later) | |
An Air France plane carrying at least 228 people from Brazil to France has gone missing over the Atlantic. | |
Paris Charles de Gaulle airport said contact was lost with the flight from Rio de Janeiro at 0600 GMT. | Paris Charles de Gaulle airport said contact was lost with the flight from Rio de Janeiro at 0600 GMT. |
Brazil's air force confirmed the plane was missing and said a search and rescue mission was under way near the island of Fernando de Noronha. | Brazil's air force confirmed the plane was missing and said a search and rescue mission was under way near the island of Fernando de Noronha. |
An airport official told AFP the Airbus 330-200 had been expected to arrive in Paris at 1110 local time (0910 GMT). | An airport official told AFP the Airbus 330-200 had been expected to arrive in Paris at 1110 local time (0910 GMT). |
Another official said it was possible that the plane had a transponder problem but this was very rare. | Another official said it was possible that the plane had a transponder problem but this was very rare. |
"We are very worried," he said, quoted by AFP news agency. | |
An Air France spokeswoman said there had been no radio contact with the plane "for a while". | |
Brazilian air force spokesman Col Henry Munhoz told Brazilian TV it had failed to be picked up by radar on the Cape Verde Islands on its way across the Atlantic. | |
"Air Force planes left Fernando de Noronha and are flying towards Europe to start the search for the missing plane," he said. | |
Flight AF 447 left Rio at 1900 local time (2200 GMT) on Sunday. It had 216 passengers and 12 crew on board, including three pilots. | Flight AF 447 left Rio at 1900 local time (2200 GMT) on Sunday. It had 216 passengers and 12 crew on board, including three pilots. |
Airport authorities have set up a crisis centre at Charles de Gaulle. | Airport authorities have set up a crisis centre at Charles de Gaulle. |
An Air France official told AFP that people awaiting the flight would be received in a special area at the airport's second terminal. | An Air France official told AFP that people awaiting the flight would be received in a special area at the airport's second terminal. |
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been informed of the incident and has expressed his deep concern, his office said. | |
He has demanded that the relevant authorities do everything they can to find the plane and "shed light on the circumstances surrounding its disappearance as rapidly as possible". | |
Have you been affected by this story? Have you got friends or relatives on the flight? Send us your comments using the form below. | Have you been affected by this story? Have you got friends or relatives on the flight? Send us your comments using the form below. |
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |