German plane crash kills 150 people in French Alps

[Buzz Killington]

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Plane crash kills 150 people in French Alps; Europe in shock





SEYNE-LES-ALPES, France (AP) — A Germanwings jet carrying 150 people from Barcelona to Duesseldorf slammed into a remote section of the French Alps on Tuesday, sounding like an avalanche as it scattered pulverized debris across a rocky mountain and down its steep ravines. All aboard were assumed killed.
"The site is a picture of horror. The grief of the families and friends is immeasurable. We must now stand together. We are united in our great grief," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement after being flown over the crash scene and briefed by French authorities.The pilots sent out no distress call and had lost radio contact with their control center, France's aviation authority said, deepening the mystery over the A320's mid-flight crash after a surprise 8-minute descent.
The crash left officials and families across Europe reeling in shock. Sobbing, grieving relatives at both airports were led away by airport workers and crisis counselors. One German town was rent with sorrow after losing 16 high school students coming back from an exchange program in Spain.
"This is pretty much the worst thing you can imagine," a visibly rattled Haltern Mayor Bodo Klimpel said at a hastily called press conference.
After night fell on the hard-to-reach site, French authorities called off the search and helicopters stopped flying over the area.


About 10 gendarmes will spend the night at the crash site to guard it, and search operations will resume at daybreak, Lt. Col. Jean-Marc Meninchini of the regional police rescue service, told The Associated Press in the mountain town of Seyne-les-Alpes. Recovery operations are expected to last a week, he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted, "We still don't know much beyond the bare information on the flight, and there should be no speculation on the cause of the crash.
Lufthansa Vice President Heike Birlenbach told reporters in Barcelona that for now "we say it is an accident."
In Washington, the White House said American officials were in contact with their French, Spanish and German counterparts.
"There is no indication of a nexus to terrorism at this time," said U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan.


Video and photos of the site showed scattered white flecks across a stony mountain and several larger airplane body sections with windows. French officials said a helicopter crew that landed briefly in the area saw no signs of life.
"Everything is pulverized. The largest pieces of debris are the size of a small car. No one can access the site from the ground," Gilbert Sauvan, president of the general council, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, told The Associated Press.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said a black box had been located at the crash site and "will be immediately investigated." He did not say whether it was a data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder.
Germanwings is low-cost carrier owned by Lufthansa, Germany's biggest airline, and serves mostly European destinations. Tuesday's crash was its first involving passenger deaths since it began operating in 2002. The Germanwings logo, normally maroon and yellow, was blacked out on its Twitter feed.
Germanwings said Flight 9525 carried 144 passengers, including two babies, and six crew members. Officials believe 67 Germans were on board, including the 16 high school students from Haltern and two opera singers.

[kit_cebu]

could there be some sort of natural occurrence mo-interrupt aning electronics/aviation industry these days?
murag last 5-10 years, murag pile-up naman ang mga crash...

[bleedingboi]

With 150 dead, this is bad. A toss of prayer to the families.

[Scott Bernard]

OT: Actually, karon na hinuon nga nagka idaran nako, every time I ride a plane makuyawan na jud ko. Labi na if naana kay idea nga pwede mo fail ang iyang electronic system.

Just like in any system (even in ships, factories and power plants)... Mostly mas safer pa gani nang manual or mechanical and electrical type lang kaysa fully automated.

[snayomit]

tsk tsk... naa ni sa discussion last 2 years na naa gaingon plane daw is the safest way of transpo. giunsa pag calculate. plane man gani ang deadliest transpo. its a ride to hell.

condolense sa mga kaanak na naulila

[chL0e]

Rest in Peace!

[makal34]

cge nlng ug crASh...

[zagaboI]

Lisod mana ang bukid2x labi na ug ingana ang elevation kay daghan kaayo changes mahitabo sa hangin, could be pressure, temp, ug uban pa. Daghan factors maka affect sa ilang dials or gadgets sa eroplano. Mas maka explain cguro ug maayo ang mga nangeskwela ug aviation ani. Possibility sad kay human error and or naay external factor like hijack or unsa pa.

Ang statistics about plane crash kay nag ihap sa mga crashes and deaths. If icompare nimo sa car crash, train, ug ship sinking, mas gamay gihapon cya.


Risk of death and transportation

[Pussifier]

tsk tsk... naa ni sa discussion last 2 years na naa gaingon plane daw is the safest way of transpo. giunsa pag calculate. plane man gani ang deadliest transpo. its a ride to hell.

condolense sa mga kaanak na naulila

statistically mas safer ang plane kaysa land vehicles,

[shiekdomz]

Rest in peace sa katong mga namatay. Daghana rba. tsk3