Engines
ACARS Signals from Doomed Air France Jet Point to Catastrophic Break-Up
Brazilian search teams found more wreckage from Air Fra

Brazilian search teams found more
wreckage from Air France Flight 447 yesterday and today as evidence mounted that the Airbus A330 likely broke apart above the ocean while flying through a violent storm. Messages sent by the airplane’s ACARS reportedly indicate that after the pilot sent a manual signal that he was entering an area of cumulonimbus clouds, the autopilot disengaged, followed by a cascade of avionics faults and finally a loss a cabin pressure and complete electrical failure.

The NTSB today said it has accepted an invitation from France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) to assist in the investigation, which now involves search teams from Brazil and France, along with technical advisors from the U.S. FAA, engine manufacturer General Electric and Honeywell–the maker of the FDR and CVR.