heck, I’m surprised the HEADLINE of the breaking news story when the plane was first reported missing WASN’T
“Air France Jet Missing. Terrorism NOT Suspected.”
I’m sorry but this plane did not come down as a result of a bomb.
Some of the information coming out about the ACARS message exchange with AF maintenance center seems similar to those given by a Qantas Airbus in December.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0UBT/is_2_23/ai_n31189475/
I think we have a design/computer error that led to this aircraft’s autopilot disengaging and the pilots losing control (especially considering the time and atmospheric circumstances).
Also from the article:
“On Oct. 7, 2008, 70 of the 313 people onboard a Qantas A330 (also flying from Singapore to Perth) were injured when the aircraft pitched up and then dove twice after a failure of its ADIRU 1.
Australian air safety investigators said a fault in one of three Northrop Grumman air data inertial reference units is likely to have caused the Qantas A330-300 upset.
Flight QF72 from Singapore to Perth abruptly lost altitude. The A330 made an emergency landing in Manila. The ATSB said in its preliminary report, citing flight data recorder information, that the ADIRU likely fed incorrect information to the main flight computer.”
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Uhm, we have a problem.