Flight 447: Data recorders may never be recovered

04 June 2009

The hunt for wreckage of the ill-fated Air France jet lost in an Atlantic storm gathered momentum with the arrival of the first Brazilian navy vessel. Four more are on their way. Pieces of wreckage from the doomed aircraft are likely to provide vital clues as to the nature of the accident.  

Image credit: Brazilian air force

So far, eleven aircraft are scanning the accident area, which lies about 1,100km (690 miles) north-east of Brazil's coast. No bodies have been recovered or sighted though the Brazilian air force is sighting increasing amounts of debris.

The Brazilian air force has released pictures of an oil slick stretching over 20km (13 miles).  Wreckage sighted so far is spread over a 5km area and includes a metallic object 7m in diameter.

"We are considering this 7m piece to be part of the plane, possibly part of the side, a piece of steel," said Brazilian air force spokesman Col Jorge Amaral. "It could be part of the fuselage or the tail."

Brazilian defence minister Nelson Jobim was quoted as saying that the presence of oil slicks may be an indication that neither fire nor explosion was responsible for bringing down the plane.