Evaluate the possibilities that make Flight 447 disappear

Scientists are in the process of assessing the causes of aircraft 447 Air France. They are considering the causes: lightning, air turbulence and electrical system faults.

Air turbulence

Typhoons in equatorial areas are one of the possible causes of the disappearance of the mystery of Flight 447 of Air France. This is the meeting area of ​​two large air currents, creating giant storm clouds at altitudes above 12km.

Eight years ago, British Airways' former captain Roger Guiver faced a major storm during a flight from Cape Town to London Heathrow airport. 'Storm is a formidable' rival 'of civilian aircraft and you certainly never want to face them directly ,' he remarked.

The area of ​​AF 447 aircraft is missing in the Atlantic.Photo: MSNBC

During the storm, the aircraft can be lifted or lowered under the action of air turbulence, making it difficult for automatic driving in the limit.'It is not a scary thing for us but it confuses passengers in the back,' Roger said.

Investigators are currently examining whether the Air France Airbus has been severely affected by air turbulence, causing the aircraft to lose control, overloaded engines and even broken wings. However, this hypothesis is less likely to occur because the wing on the modern experimental aircraft is able to withstand strong bending forces of about 50% of the impact forces created by the storm.

Lightning strike

Another theory that explains the cause of the accident is lightning. Lightning can appear anywhere, which are electric currents that appear in the sky and can damage electromagnetic systems. However, on the wings of the aircraft were also equipped with a section called 'static wick' that dissipated that electricity safely.

St Elmo's Fire phenomenon is a sign that lightning is about to happen.Photo: weather.gov.hk

Roger Guiver said one of the warnings could clearly see that lightning strikes are coming thanks to St Elmo's Fire phenomenon, which helps to see unusual light trails when the plane passes through the storm. This natural phenomenon is when the glowing plasma appears as a fire on other objects, such as a stick sticking out a bow or lightning pillar, in a charged area during a storm. This phenomenon is named after Saint Elmo, the guardian of the sailor.

However, lightning is not nearly the direct cause of aircraft accidents. According to statistics, there were only 15 aircraft accidents due to lightning in the past 50 years in the history of international aviation. The most serious incident was the disappearance of Boeing 747 aircraft of the Indian airline in 1976 near Madrid. Lightning has "ignited" the aircraft's fuel tank, causing a big explosion.

Error about electrical system

Can not defeat the plane, but lightning can affect the electrical system. Accordingly, the assumption of electrical incidents mentioned in the automatic message segment is sent through the satellite system just before the aircraft disappears more convincingly. Electrical incidents will cause the crew to lose control over the entire system or may also cause a fire.

Weather radar is a tool to help aircraft deal with storms.Photo: BBC

However, pilots are equipped with tools to cope with the impact of weather on flight operations. These are weather radar, the nose-mounted receiver can collect signals of storm clouds in the front, and display on the aircraft's cockpit. Then the crew will let the plane 'take a walk' about 16 km around the storm area for safety reasons and reassure passengers.

Weather radars can detect unusual moisture first and can sometimes identify ice crystals, a factor that often occurs in the most brutal storms. And when flying at night, the sign of a storm can be seen with the naked eye.

Assuming that it is only hypothetical, the investigation process can only reach the end result when the recorder (black box) is found. This will be the 'key' to answer all questions. However, those parts may be thousands of meters below the surface of the sea. According to military rescue experts, there is no place on the ocean floor that long-range vehicles cannot come, but finding these devices requires great skill, and takes time. .

The National Traffic Safety Commission said that their detection devices could operate at a depth of 4,300m. When the black box is found as well as other important parts of the aircraft, the fate of the AF 447 flight will gradually be revealed.