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Debris found from missing Air France plane
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-02 21:29 French police were studying passenger lists and maintenance records, and preparing to take DNA from passengers' relatives to help identify any bodies. France's Defense Minister Herve Morin said "we have no signs so far" of terrorism, but all hypotheses must be studied.
President Barack Obama told French television stations the United States is ready to do everything necessary to find out what happened. On board the flight were 61 French citizens, 58 Brazilians, 26 Germans, nine Chinese and nine Italians. A lesser number of citizens from 27 other countries also were on the passenger list, including two Americans. Among them were three young Irish doctors, returning from two-week vacation in Brazil. Aisling Butler's father John paid tribute to his 26-year-old daughter, from Roscrea, County Tipperary. "She was a truly wonderful, exciting girl. She never flunked an exam in her life -- nailed every one of them -- and took it all in her stride," he said. The Airbus A330-200 was cruising normally at 35,000 feet (10,670 meters) and 522 mph (840 kph) just before it disappeared nearly four hours into the flight. No trouble was reported as the plane left radar contact, beyond Brazil's Fernando de Noronha archipelago. But just north of the equator, a line of towering thunderstorms loomed. Bands of extremely turbulent weather stretched across the Atlantic toward Africa.
The pilot had 11,000 hours of flying experience, including 1,700 hours flying this aircraft. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said that if the debris is confirmed to be part of Flight 447, "This will allow us to better determine the search zone." "We are in a race against the clock in extremely difficult weather conditions and in a zone where depths reach up to 7,000 meters," he told lawmakers in the lower house of French parliament Tuesday. The legislature held a moment of silence to honor the victims and the French soccer team will wear black arm bands and hold a moment of silence ahead of a match against Nigeria on Tuesday night.
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