Germanwings plane crashes in southern France, 148 feared dead: officials

An Airbus plane operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline has crashed in southern France en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, police and aviation officials say.

French president Francois Hollande said he believed none of the 148 people on board the plane had survived.

"There were 148 people on board," Mr Hollande said. "The conditions of the accident, which have not yet been clarified, lead us to think there are no survivors."

He said there was likely to be a significant number of German victims.


He added: "The accident happened in a zone that is particularly hard to access."

French prime minister Manuel Valls told reporters the cause of the crash was unknown.

A spokesman for the DGAC aviation authority said the airplane crashed near the town of Barcelonnette, about 100 kilometres north of the French Riviera city of Nice.

The local La Provence newspaper said the Airbus A320 was carrying 142 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew, citing aviation officials.

Debris from a crashed airliner was found near a French village, the interior ministry said.

Lufthansa's Germanwings unit said it was as yet unable to verify reports of the crash.

The crashed A320 is 24 years old and has been with the parent Lufthansa group since 1991, according to online database airfleets.net.

An Airbus spokeswoman said the company was trying to assess the situation after the crash reports.

Reuters


Germanwings plane crashes in southern France, 148 feared dead: officials - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)



Tinfoilers, to your keyboards....

An A320 the aircraft they tell us is so safe.

Pilot error, usually, and an inability to deal competently with anomalies.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Pilot error, usually, and an inability to deal competently with anomalies.

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Ahem, latest information from BBC is the aircraft decompressed, a distress signal was sent. The reasons why we will have to wait for. 'Inability to deal with anomalies?' Rather a crass statement isn't it?

It crashed in the Alps at 2,900 metres altitude. No survivors. And very difficult to get to it by road. Bits of it are strewen over 12 hectares.

I'm watching the French TV at the moment. It's a bit iffy the news, but a guy who was flying his private plane supposedly saw it go down.

Very sad, 150 people gone.

The French Airforce are now trying to get there. But with the snow and winds up to 60km an hour it may be difficult.

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Originally Posted by Ronin

An A320 the aircraft they tell us is so safe.

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.....and a so-called "budget" carrier.

A tragedy anyway one looks at it.

RIP to those...

I don't think Budget should come into it. How many thousands of people fly Budget every day. If they couldn't then the airlines would be sitting on the Tarmac.

All planes are checked.

The helicopters are going up now. The Firemen and Police and Army are using every way to get up there.

Oh, and Hollande and the King of Spain shall arrive to make their speeches in about an hour.

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Originally Posted by patsycat

Oh, and Hollande and the King of Spain shall arrive to make their speeches in about an hour

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ambulance chasers

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2015/03/1431.jpg
A view from the rescue helicopter, shown on French television (France 2)

Latest report on Sky news,helicopter landed near crash site no survivors.
Largest piece of plane left about the size of a car,reports come from rescuers aboard the helicopter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ronin

An A320 the aircraft they tell us is so safe.

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Statistically, the safest ever.

I have no knowledge of plane operation. I will be waiting for analysis. But what I gatherered from news seems weird to me, I may be wrong though.

There was no distress call from the plane. It was issued by ground control after losing the plane from radar. The rate of descent suggests that the pilot was in at least partial control trying for emergency descent and landing though the terrain gave little hope. A plane spiralling down out of control would have descended much faster according to that comment.

So if they were fighting for control for several minutes why no distress call? Sure the pilot was too busy but the co pilot? Maybe he wasn't in the cockpit at the time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Takeovers

I have no knowledge of plane operation. I will be waiting for analysis. But what I gatherered from news seems weird to me, I may be wrong though.

There was no distress call from the plane. It was issued by ground control after losing the plane from radar. The rate of descent suggests that the pilot was in at least partial control trying for emergency descent and landing though the terrain gave little hope. A plane spiralling down out of control would have descended much faster according to that comment.

So if they were fighting for control for several minutes why no distress call? Sure the pilot was too busy but the co pilot? Maybe he wasn't in the cockpit at the time.

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One needs to wait, I am sure you and anybody else reading this knows how much spectulation and conjecture along with rumours there are every time a plane goes down.

I saw on a website that it was in an 8 minute descend to impact, oh that is just unbelievable for the poor folk on board.
Traffic accidents are bad but having to endure 8 minutes is just sickening and I like all others on this site fly many times a year, there but for the grace......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ronin

One needs to wait, I am sure you and anybody else reading this knows how much spectulation and conjecture along with rumours there are every time a plane goes down.

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You are right and I did not mean to start a conspiracy theory. I would not even have any idea how that could look like.

They've found one of the black boxes.

And the French TV that i am watching are being really nasty about the fact that the victims were Spanish or German and no French victims. Two babies.

They really have no idea sometimes about what they talk about, and are waffling on about the costs. Shise, any other plane crash if there was even an inkling that there was a French victim they would be all over it.

Just seen a picture - Jaysus, that is one crash site.

Looking on TV now too. All that is visible are very small pieces. Heard the largest piece found has car size.

The airbus was old but fully updated to the newest standard, like a new plane.

There is a whisper of one Israeli on board

Airbus has built 6000 A320 and has orders for another 4000. The Hamburg factory builds one every working day. There is another factory in France.

RIP, in the cold hard mountains...

I just hope that non of the Thai community where on board.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dobella

having to endure 8 minutes

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the horror, 2 babies,16 students, 67 germans , 47 spaniards ,a dutch and belgium nat. + crew.

Blame the low cost carriers, not nationality or gender or secular orientation.

Why blame low cost carriers, especially an airline like Germanwings . . .

MAS?
SQ?
Garuda?
Korean?
Air France?
Swissair?
Thai?
American?
Alaska Airlines?
Gulf Air?
Air India?
Asiana?


The list goes on . . .

Germanwings is a full subsidiary of Lufthansa. The planes are serviced to the same standards.

The emergency response by the french looks very professional and efficient. They have already overnight prepared for arrival of family members today. Emergency beds and food are ready, even german and spanish speaking aides will be ready to help.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Pilot error, usually, and an inability to deal competently with anomalies.

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Nope, this plane was hacked.

8 minutes before the crash the plane began a perfectly controlled descent from 38,000 feet to 6,800 feet. It never deviated from it’s course. And then it flew right into a mountain. And shattered into a billion pieces.

why no naming of the pilots and crew?
whats to hide ?

Worse than the malaysians in giving info

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Pilot error, usually, and an inability to deal competently with anomalies.

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Nope, this plane was hacked.

8 minutes before the crash the plane began a perfectly controlled descent from 38,000 feet to 6,800 feet. It never deviated from it’s course. And then it flew right into a mountain. And shattered into a billion pieces.

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I read somewhere today that it did make a deviation. (and the descent.)
And no emergency calls.
A few years ago I was sitting in the most forward seat of an airasia a320 waiting to depart when the engineers boarded and went into the cockpit leaving the door open.
They plugged a laptop in and did what I don't know, diagnostic or rebooted the aircraft, who knows.
But it's possible that a bug or virus has found its way into the system somehow.
That's my theory anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nigelandjan

There is a whisper of one Israeli on board

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possibly a couple o brits also.

News here in Oz said that an Airbus takes off or lands somewhere in the world every 2.5 seconds.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Latindancer

News here in Oz said that an Airbus takes off or lands somewhere in the world every 2.5 seconds.

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Short reality check. 6000 are built. At least 5000 of those should be operating now. They are mostly short and medium range planes so say they do 3 flights a day, that's 15.000 flights.

A day has 24x3600 seconds. My calculation would give a launch of one every 5,76 seconds. So the order of magnitude seems right. Maybe they are all still flying and they do 5-6 short haul flights a day.

Edit: the note says "Airbus" not "A320". Yes 2,5 seconds seem reasonable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Pilot error, usually, and an inability to deal competently with anomalies.

---

Nope, this plane was hacked.

8 minutes before the crash the plane began a perfectly controlled descent from 38,000 feet to 6,800 feet. It never deviated from it’s course. And then it flew right into a mountain. And shattered into a billion pieces.

---

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2015/03/1474.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boon Mee

this plane was hacked

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A pilot on TV this morning said there have been instances where the flight control computer unexpectantly goes into anti stall mode which automatically forces the plane into a glideslope with pilot unable to override. Could have been but too soon to speculate. Black box is badly damaged but data could be recovered.

A software bug. Not really a hack.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Pilot error, usually, and an inability to deal competently with anomalies.

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Nope, this plane was hacked.

8 minutes before the crash the plane began a perfectly controlled descent from 38,000 feet to 6,800 feet. It never deviated from it’s course. And then it flew right into a mountain. And shattered into a billion pieces.

---

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2015/03/1474.jpg

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Not so fast. All the reports I'm reading state that there was indeed an eight minute descent and a slight course deviation without any communication with ATC. The course deviation and descent were observed and attempts to contact the plane were made....no response from the cockpit....and then it flew straight into a mountain.

There is some confusion because some reports say there was a course deviation while others do not mention it, but the eight minute descent is consistent.

Eight minutes is a long time. If these reports are accurate, that's a pretty weird set of circumstances No word from the crew, no distress call, no indication of anything wrong. They have found the cockpit voice recorder damaged but not the other "Black box" yet.

All Germanwing flights have been temporarily cancelled because the flight crews are refusing to fly. Very strange happenings.

Hmmmm... Seems A320s crash quite easily. Last 5 odd were 320s.
737 seem not to.
If it ein't Boeing, it ein't going. I'm not getting on another 320.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Norton

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boon Mee

this plane was hacked

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A pilot on TV this morning said there have been instances where the flight control computer unexpectantly goes into anti stall mode which automatically forces the plane into a glideslope with pilot unable to override. Could have been but too soon to speculate. Black box is badly damaged but data could be recovered.

A software bug. Not really a hack.

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Which could lead many into suggestive speculation towards the ability to allow the pilots to fly manually, instead of becoming forcibly dependent on the fucking computer systems -

Quote:

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Originally Posted by koman

no indication of anything wrong.

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I think an aircraft descending to below the height of the mountain it's flying straight at is an indication of something wrong.

Don't you?

Quote:

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flight control computer unexpectantly goes into anti stall mode which automatically forces the plane into a glideslope with pilot unable to override

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One would think that if the plane went into some kind of anti-stall nose down glide, and the crew could not override it, a distress call would go out... or at least give some kind of response to the calls from ATC......they had eight minutes.

Any automated system than can not be over-ridden by the cockpit crew seems like an accident waiting to happen.... why would they design something like that to transport hundreds of people around at 35,000 ft...?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Quote:

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Originally Posted by koman

no indication of anything wrong.

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I think an aircraft descending to below the height of the mountain it's flying straight at is an indication of something wrong.

Don't you?

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I meant no report from the aircraft....of course the ATC guys figured out that something was wrong. That's why they were trying to contact the crew.