A321 Crashes in France.

[TheAnimus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32030270

Thoughts go out to the families of those on board, another sad day for aviation.

[Galant]

Awful.

Key points from the BBC:

A Germanwings Airbus A320 has crashed in French Alps near Digne, with 148 people on board
Flight 4U 9525 was travelling between Barcelona and Duesseldorf
French President Francois Hollande said he believed none of those on board had survived
Cologne-based Germanwings says it was aware of reports
The low-cost airline owned by giant German carrier Lufthansa

[HalloweenJack]

speculation is rife but

from pprune - 320knts is the speed of the A320 descending with speed brakes on

[excalibur2]

H'mm is that the normal route i.e. an arc and not a straight line.

[kalniel]

H'mm is that the normal route i.e. an arc and not a straight line.

The earth isn't flat, which causes straight routes to look arched, but it could also be that this flight path avoids populated areas.

[ik9000]

H'mm is that the normal route i.e. an arc and not a straight line.

The earth isn't flat, which causes straight routes to look arched, but it could also be that this flight path avoids populated areas.

also flight planners try to take into account wind currents so sometimes it is quicker and more fuel efficient to deviate slightly to pick up a fast wind current.

[excalibur2]

from the net......"Actually they dont take the shortest route, they take the safest route as determined by the insurance agent covering the airline. "

Well flying over the alps there can't be many airfields or flat ground handy for an emergency landing.

[HalloweenJack]

MRS was within 20nm.....

[abaxas]

MRS was within 20nm.....

Is she going to torque about it?

(maybe not the time for jokes)

[HalloweenJack]

Is she going to torque about it?

(maybe not the time for jokes)

I`ll mention it to the 16 dead school children on the GW flight............

[excalibur2]

MRS was within 20nm.....

Ah! Marseille airport.......as long as a mountain wasn't in the way.

[TheAnimus]

"Debris spread over more than 2 kilometers."
http://www.airlive.net/2015/03/break...-south-of.html

I hope this doesn't turn out to be what that immediately makes the speculators say it will be. On the plus side, guess they wouldn't have suffered much.

[HalloweenJack]

http://www.laprovence.com/actu/faits...les-lieux.html

reports of `movement` in the wreckage - French military throwing a lot of helicopters that way for boots on the ground asap.

apparently in another accident - a policemen on the scene said , some could have survived if resources where brought in quickly for help. looks like the French are doing just that (even in bad weather)

also `lessons learnt` from the MH 370 loss - the chairmain of GW is on tv , helpline and support already in place and social media (twitter , fb etc) with statements.

https://twitter.com/airlivenet/statu...772800/photo/1

[peterb]

I guess that general commercial aviation is so safe, and flying so routine that something like this is a sharp reminder that there is risk associated with it.

On the other hand, deaths per passenger miles flown is very low, but when an accident does happen. There are usually many fatalities.

Very sad.

[Ferral]

This is why I hate flying, you are powerless if something goes wrong just sat there.

If we were meant to fly we would have been given wings

[excalibur2]

This is why I hate flying, you are powerless if something goes wrong just sat there.

If we were meant to fly we would have been given wings

HuH in that case all humans should just use two legs for moving around and nothing else