[microgood]

If Flight 447 was flying at approximately 50,000 feet there aren’t very many missiles of the normal kind that could have taken it out from what I understand.

The plane just got approval to increase their elevation to 15,000 feet when contact was lost.

[AlexW]

“The plane just got approval to increase their elevation to 15,000 feet when contact was lost.”

WHAT???? The plane would not have been at 15,000 in that location, much less below that.
He would have been at maybe 30,000 at that point.

[DB]

They were flying into a major storm at 15,000 feet?

That doesn’t sound even remotely correct.

[LS]

This is still at the extreme, extreme end of any hand-held missile. Remember, it's not just altitude---it's distance. You can say 15,000 feet, but that's if you are directly underneath. For every foot away from the target you are, it is altitude PLUS distance.