[danielsan]

A Germanwings Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIPX performing flight 4U-9525 from Barcelona,SP (Spain) to Dusseldorf (Germany) with 144 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL380 about 30nm southeast of Marseille (France) when the aircraft initiated a rapid descent.

Radar contact with the aircraft was lost at about 6800 feet at approx. 10:45L (09:45Z) about 12nm southwest of Barcelonnette (France), 75nm northwest of Marseille. The aircraft was found at approximate position N44.2979 E6.4670, all on board perished.

Search, Rescue and Recovery

French Police reported two helicopter spotted the remains of the aircraft on the ground at about 2700 meters elevation (8800 feet) between Prads-Haute-Bleone and Barcelonnette (France), about half way between the two cities there is a mountain ridge rising up to 8900 feet.

The President of France reported, it does not appear there are any survivors. The crash site is very difficult to reach.

On Mar 25th 2015 more than 300 policemen and 380 fire fighters departed Seyne-les-Alpes, the base for the search and recovery, to continue the recovery efforts, that were suspended during the night. Weather conditions are better than expected, no precipitation and less strong winds than forecast.

Statements, mainly to sequence of events

France's DGAC reported the crew transmitted an emergency call just prior to the aircraft disappearing from radar near Bassinet.

Germanwings and Lufthansa, parent company of Germanwings, confirmed flight 4U-9525 suffered an accident in the French Alps. There were 144 passengers and 6 crew on board. A hotline for family member was opened at Phone Number (Germany): 0800 11 33 55 77.

In a press conference about 4.5 hours after the aircraft disappeared from radar Germanwings reported 144 passengers, amongst them 2 babies, and 6 crew were on board.

The aircraft reached its cruise level at 10:45L, one minute later the aircraft left cruise level and initiated a descent over 8 minutes. Radar contact was lost at 10:53L at about 6000 feet. The aircraft had been delivered by Airbus to Lufthansa in 1991 and had undergone all needed maintenance checks including a last check on Mar 23rd 2015, the last major maintenance check had been in Summer 2013.

The captain had 6000 flight hours of experience. The airline received contradicting information from ATC France as to whether an emergency call had occurred.

France's Air Traffic Control reported there had been no emergency call from the aircraft. There had been confusion initially, Marseille controllers declared Mayday for the aircraft when they observed the aircraft below safe altitude.

The French Ministry of Interior reported in the afternoon, about 8 hours after the aircraft disappeared from radar, that a first blackbox has been found.

The French BEA reported they have dispatched seven investigators on site, a press conference is going to be held on Mar 25th 2015 at 15:00Z.

Germany's BFU have dispatched three investigators on site.

On Mar 25th 2015 France's Minister of Interior reported that the recovered black box was the cockpit voice recorder. The CVR is damaged but usable.

Radar data

Radar data suggest the aircraft had reached FL380 about 3 minutes prior to leaving FL380 and descended from FL380 through FL110 in 8 minutes (average rate of descent 3375 fpm).

The aircraft appeared to have levelled off at FL068 for one minute while on a northeasterly heading of 26 degrees true, mountains rise up to 8900 feet about 1nm north of the last reported aircraft position.

[Clubhouse]

Damm.

[danielsan]

No more info at present. Sorry.

[Clubhouse]

Its going to be a very difficult search being in such an inhospitable mountainous region...The chance of any survivors must be zero...BBC news is saying the plane was off course and the pilot broadcast a mayday message...It apparently descended from 38,000 to 6,800ft rapidly at which point contact was lost.

[danielsan]

Are we looking at terrorists again?

[Clubhouse]

No idea, the German chancellor simply said the details are scant and its not a time to speculate...Strange, it was well off course.

[Clubhouse]

CAA (civil aviation authoritie) have just told the ABP news agency saying their was no mayday call from the pilots and that ATC issued a distress message on the flight as it hadn't had any contact with the plane.

[StanSmith]

The AVHerald will have a lot of great info: http://avherald.com/h?article=483a5651&opt=0

It's also a permalink and will be updated as time goes on

[Kelseecat65]

Very sad.

With that said, I am relieved this happened after my kids plane landed last night.
I was a nervous wreck the entire time, until they landed safely.

[b0g]

I just figured out the the a320 was on altitude of 2135 meters constant for about 1 minute in a region alpes haute-provence the massif 'les 3 évêchés' has 3 summits where 1 is 3130 meters altitude.

damn 900 pixs limit: go see here http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7VcovtoVbE...2B12.21.19.png