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Weather Seen as Likely Cause of Air Algérie Crash French Soldiers Reach Air Algérie Crash
(35 minutes later)
PARIS — As a detachment of French soldiers made its way early Friday to the crash site in Mali of an Air Algérie jetliner, officials in Paris said that the accident was most likely weather-related and that the distribution of the wreckage over a limited area suggested that the plane probably hit the ground intact. PARIS — As a detachment of French soldiers reached the crash site in Mali of an Air Algérie jetliner, officials in Paris said Friday that the accident was most likely weather-related and that the distribution of the wreckage over a limited area suggested that the plane probably hit the ground intact.
A midair explosion “is not the most likely hypothesis,” Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, said in an interview on the French radio station RTL. “We think the aircraft crashed for reasons linked to the weather conditions.” “We rule out — and have from the start — any ground strike,” Frédéric Cuvillier, the French junior minister for transport, told France 2 television on Friday, and President François Hollande of France said that a black box had been found at the crash site and confirmed that there were no survivors.
The wreckage of Flight 5017 was found by an international search team just before nightfall on Thursday in an isolated area, about 60 miles south of the town of Gao in western Mali. Soldiers from Burkina Faso, who were the first to arrive on the scene, said they had found several bodies among the burned-out hull of the plane, a Boeing MD-83, but no survivors.The wreckage of Flight 5017 was found by an international search team just before nightfall on Thursday in an isolated area, about 60 miles south of the town of Gao in western Mali. Soldiers from Burkina Faso, who were the first to arrive on the scene, said they had found several bodies among the burned-out hull of the plane, a Boeing MD-83, but no survivors.
Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, said in an interview on the French radio station RTL. “We think the aircraft crashed for reasons linked to the weather conditions.”
Gen. Gilbert Diendéré, chief of the Burkina Faso general staff, told local television that troops had discovered the remains of the plane “totally burned out and scattered on the ground.”Gen. Gilbert Diendéré, chief of the Burkina Faso general staff, told local television that troops had discovered the remains of the plane “totally burned out and scattered on the ground.”
A French Defense Ministry spokesman said roughly 100 French troops and 30 vehicles had departed by road from Gao early on Friday “to secure the site and gather any elements useful to the investigation, as well as the bodies of passengers.” Roughly 100 French troops and 30 vehicles had departed by road from Gao early on Friday “to secure the site and gather any elements useful to the investigation, as well as the bodies of passengers,” a French Defense Ministry spokesman said.
The spokesman said the troops were to join an international team that arrived at the crash site late Thursday. He said the wreckage was located by a Reaper surveillance drone operated by the French military based on information provided by the authorities in Burkina Faso. French troops were brought to the site around 2 a.m. Paris time and identified the aircraft.The spokesman said the troops were to join an international team that arrived at the crash site late Thursday. He said the wreckage was located by a Reaper surveillance drone operated by the French military based on information provided by the authorities in Burkina Faso. French troops were brought to the site around 2 a.m. Paris time and identified the aircraft.
The crash comes at a time when the aviation industry is already reeling from the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine last week, the crash of TransAsia Airways Flight 222 in Taiwan on Wednesday and the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv this week because of rocket fire from Gaza.The crash comes at a time when the aviation industry is already reeling from the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine last week, the crash of TransAsia Airways Flight 222 in Taiwan on Wednesday and the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv this week because of rocket fire from Gaza.
President François Hollande of France has canceled a trip to the island of Comoros and the French territories of Réunion and Mayotte, and he was expected to hold further meetings with his cabinet on Friday to discuss the recovery operation. Mr. Hollande has canceled a trip to the Comoros islands and the French territories of Réunion and Mayotte, and he was expected to hold further meetings with his cabinet on Friday to discuss the recovery operation. French ministers were due to convene again on Saturday, followed by a meeting with the families of some of the victims at the Foreign Ministry.
France, which was once a colonial power in the region, retains extensive political and economic interests and a significant military presence in West Africa. It led an international effort last year to expel Islamist militants from towns in northern Mali that were overrun by Al Qaeda’s North African affiliate in 2012. The militants left behind stacks of manuals explaining in detail how to use SA-7a and SA-7b shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, which can shoot down an airliner flying low for takeoff or landing. But those militants are not known to possess heavier weapons that could strike an aircraft at cruising altitude.France, which was once a colonial power in the region, retains extensive political and economic interests and a significant military presence in West Africa. It led an international effort last year to expel Islamist militants from towns in northern Mali that were overrun by Al Qaeda’s North African affiliate in 2012. The militants left behind stacks of manuals explaining in detail how to use SA-7a and SA-7b shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, which can shoot down an airliner flying low for takeoff or landing. But those militants are not known to possess heavier weapons that could strike an aircraft at cruising altitude.
Flight 5017’s usual northward route to Algiers would have taken it over desert areas where the militant groups have been active. But French military officials in the region said it was highly unlikely that the Air Algérie flight had been shot down, the way Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is believed to have been over eastern Ukraine a week ago. Flight 5017’s usual northward route to Algiers would have taken it over desert areas where the militant groups have been active. But French military officials in the region said it was highly unlikely that the Air Algérie flight had been shot down, the way Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is believed to have been over eastern Ukraine a week ago. The distribution of the wreckage in the Air Algérie crash was limited, while the Malaysia Airlines Flight came down in pieces, many of them miles apart and scattered across wheat fields.
Instead, early guesses about the cause of the crash have focused on the weather.Instead, early guesses about the cause of the crash have focused on the weather.
The Burkina Faso government said that the aircraft’s last contact with ground control came a few minutes after it had passed northward out of the country’s air space. It said the crew contacted air traffic controllers in Niamey, Niger, at 1:47 a.m. local time, and informed them that the plane had encountered storms.The Burkina Faso government said that the aircraft’s last contact with ground control came a few minutes after it had passed northward out of the country’s air space. It said the crew contacted air traffic controllers in Niamey, Niger, at 1:47 a.m. local time, and informed them that the plane had encountered storms.
The jetliner belonged to a Spanish company, Swiftair, and was operated by Air Algérie. Swiftair confirmed that all six crew members were Spanish citizens. Government sources gave varying information about the nationalities of the passengers, who came from 14 countries. The French government counted 51 of its citizens among the victims, the highest number, while Burkina Faso said 28 of its nationals were on board the plane.The jetliner belonged to a Spanish company, Swiftair, and was operated by Air Algérie. Swiftair confirmed that all six crew members were Spanish citizens. Government sources gave varying information about the nationalities of the passengers, who came from 14 countries. The French government counted 51 of its citizens among the victims, the highest number, while Burkina Faso said 28 of its nationals were on board the plane.
Swiftair said on Thursday that the jet, bearing the tail number EC-LTV, was built by McDonnell Douglas in 1996. The company merged with Boeing in 1997 and stopped producing MD-80-series planes the next year, but hundreds of the aircraft remain in use around the world. Air Algérie’s last major accident was in 2003, when Flight 6289, a Boeing 737, crashed shortly after takeoff from Tamanrasset in southern Algeria on its way to Algiers. Mechanical failure was blamed for the crash, which killed 102 people.Swiftair said on Thursday that the jet, bearing the tail number EC-LTV, was built by McDonnell Douglas in 1996. The company merged with Boeing in 1997 and stopped producing MD-80-series planes the next year, but hundreds of the aircraft remain in use around the world. Air Algérie’s last major accident was in 2003, when Flight 6289, a Boeing 737, crashed shortly after takeoff from Tamanrasset in southern Algeria on its way to Algiers. Mechanical failure was blamed for the crash, which killed 102 people.