Incident Overview
At approximately 0220 UTC, Air France flight 447, an Airbus A330 with registration F-GZCP, lost contact with air traffic control while flying from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France. The aircraft disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean during its scheduled flight.
Communication and Wreckage
Following the loss of contact, automatic maintenance messages were received from the aircraft. Subsequent search efforts recovered some wreckage from the ocean surface, confirming the aircraft's demise.
Weather Conditions
Meteorological reports indicated strong convective weather in the vicinity of the flight's last known position. The presence of such weather was noted in the vicinity.
Investigation
The French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA) is leading the investigation into the incident. The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is participating as the State of Manufacture of the General Electric engines installed on the aircraft.