26 June 2009

US authorities extend search for A330 clues

WASHINGTON - US aviation safety investigators are reported to be looking into possible problems with air speed and altitude indicators on two further Airbus A330s, as part of investigations into the Air France crash.

Reuters says the US National Transportation Safety Board is helping French and Brazilian authorities determine if speed indicators factored into the crash of the Air France A330 on June 1.

It has now said it is also investigating incidents involving a TAM Airlines flight from Miami to Sao Paulo in May and Northwest Airlines flight between Hong Kong and Tokyo on Tuesday.

Both flights experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information, the safety board said in a statement.

Both planes landed without incident.

In related news, the body of the chief pilot of the Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic on June 1 has been identified, the company said.

It said the remains of the pilot and also a flight attendant were among some 50 bodies recovered by search teams.

All 228 people on board the Airbus 330 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris are believed to have been killed.

Brazilian and French teams are continuing their search for more bodies some 800km north-east of Brazil's Fernando de Noronha islands where the plane disappeared in turbulent weather.