June 1, 2009 marked a tragic day when an Air France Airbus A330 vanished over the Atlantic Ocean.
It was a doomed flight, taking off from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, in which all 228 passengers lost their lives in the crash that followed.
After two years of searching, the wreckage was found, revealing crucial information from the cockpit recordings. The co-pilot, Pierre-Cedric Bonin, aged 32, uttered his chilling last words: “I don’t have control of the aeroplane anymore now.”
The investigation revealed technical errors and pilot mistakes. Ice crystals caused the autopilot to disconnect unexpectedly.
Confused by wrong airspeed readings, the pilots reacted incorrectly, worsening the situation.
As the plane plummeted at a terrifying speed of 11,000 feet per minute, chaos reigned in the cockpit.
Despite efforts to regain control, it was futile. Captain Marc Dubois, aged 58, desperately questioned the situation, while co-pilot David Robert, aged 37, struggled to understand.
In a moment of realization, Bonin acknowledged their fate. “We’re going to crash!” he exclaimed.
As the tragedy unfolded, an eerie voice muttered, “We’re dead.”
In 2023, Airbus and Air France were cleared of manslaughter charges related to the incident. However, the aviation industry underwent significant changes.
Tighter regulations on airspeed sensors and improved pilot training became paramount to prevent such disasters in the future.
