Brazilian pilot reports possible sighting of disappeared French plane’s wreckage
June 2nd, 2009 - 8:04 am ICT by IANSRio de Janeiro, June 2 (DPA) A pilot from Brazil’s airline TAM possibly spotted a burning piece of wreckage on the Atlantic Ocean while he was crossing the Atlantic early Monday morning.
The Brazilian Air Force confirmed late Monday that the pilot saw “orange-coloured spots” in the middle of the Atlantic. The observation could have approximately corresponded to the time Air France 447 disappeared from radar.
AF447, with 228 people on board, went missing at about 0215 GMT Monday. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in Paris the chances of finding any survivors are “very slim”.
The TAM crew “saw glowing spots on the high sea on its path between Europe and Brazil, about 1,300 km off the island Fernando de Noronha,” according to media reports based on an announcement by the TAM airline.
Fernando de Noronha is about 350 km off the Brazilian coast. TAM informed Brazilian authorities of the sighting.
The Brazilian defence ministry said the search for the missing plane started around 0530 GMT, four hours after the plane disappeared from radar screens, around the island.
- Search continues for missing Air France jet with 228 aboard (Lead) - Jun 02, 2009
- Wreckage found in search area for missing Air France plane (Third Lead) - Jun 02, 2009
- Bodies Found from downed Air France flight AF447 - Jun 07, 2009
- AF447 flight of death official timeline - Jun 02, 2009
- Possible Air France AF447 2009 crash debris sighted - Jun 02, 2009
- Debris is from missing Air France jet - Jun 03, 2009
- Brazil confirms Air France AF447 Bodies found - Jun 07, 2009
- French airliner missing over Atlantic, 228 on board (Second Lead) - Jun 01, 2009
- More Air France AF447 bodies recovered - Jun 08, 2009
- Wreckage seen in search area for missing Air France plane: Report (Second Lead) - Jun 02, 2009
- Brazil confirms wreckage is from Air France AF447 crash - Jun 03, 2009
- Air France flight AF447 lost en-route to Paris - Jun 01, 2009
- Downed Air France AF447 debris found - Jun 02, 2009
- Terrorism a possible cause for AF447 death plunge - Jun 02, 2009
- Brazilians top Air France AF447 passenger list - Jun 02, 2009
Tags: AF447, air france, brazilian air force, brazilian authorities, brazilian coast, coloured spots, defence ministry, early monday morning, fernando de noronha, french president nicolas, french president nicolas sarkozy, high sea, missing plane, nicolas sarkozy, possible sighting, president nicolas sarkozy, radar screens, rio de janeiro, tam airline, time air, wreckage