The race is on for searchers to locate the black boxes from Air France flight 447, as their locator beacons are only active for 30 days. However, preliminary evidence has been released by the airline which shows that, in the minutes leading up to the crash, two key computers malfunctioned and the plane was not flying at its ideal speed.
The data provides a chronology, albeit cryptic, of what happened in the minutes before the plane’s failure.
3am (BST) – The pilot reports hitting tropical turbulence, data says the plane had passed through “tall, dense cumulonimbus thunderclouds.”
Apparently at this stage, the plane’s speed was “erroneous.” Every plane has an ideal speed at which to travel through difficult weather, and AF 447 was not traveling at that speed – it is unknown at this point, however, if the plane was traveling too fast or too slowly.
3:10am – Pilot is presented with a series of error messages in the four minutes leading up to the disaster.
The auto-pilot system was disconnected, either by the pilot or automatically. (Auto-pilot shut down when the system is faced with a serious error.)
It is possible the pilot disconnected the system to try to manually avoid a dangerous cloud zone – at this high altitude, this maneuver is extremely dangerous.
At this same time, another emergency backup system switched on – this system allows the plane to keep flying using minimum power, but reduces stability.
3:12am – Two vital computers, which provide information on altitude, speed and flight direction, stopping working correctly.
3:13am – Electricity breakdowns in two principal and auxiliary flight computers.
3:14am – Final message: “cabin in vertical speed,” which suggests a sudden loss of cabin pressure. It is unclear whether this loss of pressure was because the plane broke apart in midair, or if the loss of pressure caused the plane to break apart. (The theory that the break broke apart in the air is lent credence by a Spanish pilot who was in the area who claims to have seen an “intense white flash” in the air.)
Sources close to the investigation argue that some of the details in the chronology are false, namely the fact that the computers providing info on altitude, etc, malfunctioned.
Searchers are continuing to scour the area for debris, and more information on what happened. Read more…
An Air France overnight flight from Paris to Rio de Janeiro has disappeared off radar, and is presumed crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. 228 people were on-board the Airbus 330. The plane was last heard from when it encountered severe turbulence and thunderstorms, when it reported some electrical faults and loss of cabin pressure.
It is unusual for a modern airliner to disappear over open ocean without notification, although there is no evidence of hijacking or terrorism. Read more…
While you have to admit the recession sucks, there are some positive results. One is that travel, if you can afford it, can be relatively cheap, depending where you go. Either airfares are down, or the local currency is sagging so everything once you arrive is discounted. Here are a few locations you should think about taking advantage of before the recession ends:
Check out WatchMojo’s travel profile on the #1 cheap recession destination, Hungary:
Looking at a monument is like an historical study in itself: many of these structures and sculptures have survived for many years. Here is a list of ten monuments you should check out, if you get the chance:
Check out WatchMojo’s profile of the Washington Monument:
You’re on vacation and you want to go somewhere special. It’s hard to say what makes a bar sexy, but good music, good drinks and good-looking people probably have a lot to do with it. Fortunately for you, here is a list of some of the world’s sexiest bars. Use it at your own risk… (*Wink*):
Le Ti St. Barth, St. Barths
Denis Simachëv, Moscow
Bellini Bar, Hôtel du Cap Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
Nublu, New York City
Buzz Beach Bar, Ölüdeniz, Turkey
Moon Bar, Banyan Tree Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
Nuth Lounge, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Dino’s Beach Bar, Tofo, Mozambique
Giardino d’Inverno, Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan, Italy
Shalvata, Tel Aviv
Sharks are just scary. Period. There’s not much you could say to change public opinion on that one. To that end, here is a list of the top ten beaches you should avoid if you, like most, do not want to encounter one of these great creatures on your next surfside trip (however, you should keep in mind that the likelihood of you ever getting attacked by a shark is not high. Except at these beaches.):
CNN reports on it here.
The final tally produced this list of the world’s top human-built wonders:
• The Great Wall of China
• Petra in Jordan
• Brazil’s statue of Christ the Redeemer
• Peru’s Machu Picchu
• Mexico’s Chichen Itza pyramid
• The Colosseum in Rome
• India’s Taj Mahal
Before the vote ended Friday, organizers said more than 90 million votes had been cast for 21 sites.
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