On the evening of May 31, 2009, Air France journey 447 took out on a routine journey from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, but it crashed at sea, killing all 228 passengers and crew members on board. Years after the tragedy, audio recordings from the cockpit were discovered, exposing the horrifying moment before it plummeted into the Atlantic Ocean.On the evening of May 31, 2009, Air France Flight 447 prepared for its long flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Captain Marc Dubois, a veteran pilot with approximately 11,000 flight hours, and junior co-pilot Pierre-Cédric Bonin were in command.
The team arrived in Rio three days before their disastrous flight to Paris. Bonin, 32, brought his wife but left their two sons at home. Dubois was joined by an off-duty flight attendant and an opera singer, who all loved visiting the bustling city while lodging at Copacabana Beach.The Airbus A330 took off at 7:29 p.m. The flight plan carried it along Brazil’s coastline, soaring to 35,000 feet in an otherwise ordinary night.
The pilots calmly discussed the night ahead in the cockpit, but their conversation soon got heated, which was critical to understanding Flight 447’s unexplained and terrible end. Captain Dubois declared that he needed to sleep because he hadn’t slept well the night before. Meanwhile, senior co-pilot Robert oversaw the cockpit as the Pilot Not Flying, while Bonin remained as the Pilot Flying.
The Airbus A330 was cruising at 35,000 feet, maintaining a speed of 0.82 Mach and a modest nose-up attitude that was essential for creating lift. Despite previous concerns with pitot tube freezing, they had thawed by this point, restoring the airspeed indications. However, the pilots were unaware of the proper speed measurements and did not use the GPS-derived ground speed for guidance.
The cockpit was silent for 12 seconds while alarms continuously warned of a stall. The plane soared to 38,000 feet before swiftly descending. In just one minute and 17 seconds, the plane began to descend rapidly, signaling the start of a very hazardous crisis. As the danger escalated, Dubois was summoned back to the cockpit. In his absence, Robert made desperate attempts to manage the situation and constantly indicated for Dubois’ return.
Robert attempted to seize control from Bonin, who instantly overruled him, producing further confusion about who was in command of the airplane. Bonin admitted he was perplexed by their speed and believed they were accelerating despite the aircraft’s nose being significantly up and power being low.Dubois ultimately returned to the cockpit, which was filled with bewilderment and dread.
The airplane was now dropping at 10,000 feet per minute, exceeding its original cruise height. The audio recordings revealed the pilots feverishly attempting to recover control of the plane.Robert, seeming urgent, added, “But we have the engines! “What the hell is going on?” Bonin, scared, replied, “I don’t have control of the plane anymore! “I have no control over the plane at all!”
As Robert exclaimed, “Controls to the left!” and attempted to seize charge, Bonin used his priority button to regain control without saying anything, prompting Robert to exclaim, “What’s going on?”Bonin, still perplexed, continued, “I have the impression we’re going crazily fast.” Dubois, trying to appraise the situation, remarked calmly, “What’s going on?” Robert said, “I’m not sure what’s going on!”
“We’re losing control of the airplane!” Bonin exclaimed. In his final plea to Dubois, Robert declared, “We absolutely lost control of the flight, and we don’t understand anything! “We tried everything.”Four hours and 15 minutes later, it was unclear if Robert or Bonin said, “[expletive], we’re dead,” as the plane plunged into the Atlantic.
After Air France Flight 447 crashed, killing all 228 persons on board, years of investigations and legal cases were conducted to discover the cause of the catastrophe and who was to blame.The French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) investigated both the technical faults and how the pilots handled the situation. They found that the crash was caused by a combination of ice blocking the speed sensors and pilot error.
Simultaneously, a legal investigation was conducted to determine who was legally responsible. Air France and Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer, were accused of failing to keep the plane safe and training the pilots adequately. After many years, the courts determined in 2019 that there was insufficient evidence to hold Air France and Airbus responsible for what transpired.
They were not legally responsible.The decision not to hold Air France and Airbus accountable was contentious. While some individuals recognized that numerous circumstances contributed to the catastrophe, others said it was unfair that the firms were not held liable.Many families who lost loved ones in the horrific disaster were devastated by the decision.
They thought that the trial would provide some closure by holding someone accountable. People were disappointed and believed that the judgment neglected the firms’ mistakes, but some families pledged to continue fighting for justice. The anguish of losing loved ones in a plane tragedy is indescribable. Something went wrong upon takeoff for this student and instructor, resulting in both of their deaths.