Airbus A320 on test flight crashed into sea . . .

[robbreid]

Story is still breaking, but an Airbus A320 on a test flight in France, crashed into the sea. Reports are between 5-7 persons on board.

Unconfirmed as an ex New Zealand Airbus?

[Rubberbiscuit]

I guess this is the one. Not good:

"UPDATE 1-Airbus crashes in training off France, 5 aboard


MARSEILLE, France, Nov 27 (Reuters) - An Airbus A320 aircraft with five people on board crashed into the sea off the southwest coast of France on Thursday while on a training flight, regional authorities said.

"An aircraft crashed at around 5.00 p.m. (1600 GMT) off the coast near Perpignan. It was an A320," said a spokesman for the maritime prefecture, the regional authority that covers the area in southwestern France.

The A320 is one of Airbus's best-selling single-aisle airliners.

Officials from the DGAC, the French civil aviation authority were checking reports of the crash.

No further details were immediately available and there was no immediate comment from Airbus, a unit of European aerospace group EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz). (Reporting by Jean-Francois Rosnoblet; writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Matthew Jones) "

[mabcan]

They just found a third body.

[Starfighter]

More info here. It was an acceptance flight by Air New Zealand of a previously leased aircraft.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4775726a12.html

[Panama Jack]

Tragically, yesterday's Air New Zealand A320 accident coincided with the 29th anniversary of the Air New Zealand DC-10 crash at Mt. Erebus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_New_Zealand_Flight_901

[BTD]

An aviation enthusiast said on a website that the Airbus didn't send out a mayday before the crash, but that a nearby airplane reported the plane crashing as it plunged into the ocean.

WTF does that mean?

[DA900]

I guess they are "enthusiastic" about aviation and they love getting mentioned in the media about something they have no clue about!

[Widow]

This is a translation of the post to a French aviation forum which is likely the one seen by the press.

"Good evening,
I was listening on the Perpignan approach and tower frequencies all afternoon, and can assure you that living a crash "live", and living a few km from the location, gives me cold shivers.
The aircraft in question contacted approach about 1645. He was direct PPG descending through FL120. He was taken under radar control because the preceding traffic, a Ryanair, was on the STAR [approach, I presume]. Heading 90, I don't recall the level. Once the preceding traffic was established, the controller (our charming Perpignanaise controller) gave it a direct LANET, cleat LANET ILS 33, descend 4000 feet, qnh 1016. The pilot acknowledged and that was the last time he was heard from. No mayday, nothing. Then the pilot of a PA28 yelled "an aircraft crashed, an aircraft crashed" and everything went very fast. "Ulysse 34, confirm an aircraft crashed? Position?" "We are off Canet en Roussillon on 110 PPG, 10.5nm, Ulysse 34, we are beginning to orbit the crash site, 300 feet above sea level." Very quickly the Securité Civile helicopter took off from Perpignan. "Dragon66, authorized immediate takeoff from position, wind calm, left turn." As soon as the helicopter was on site, he announced "no visual on the aircraft, large white spot on the water, we can see debris over more than one km."
I will spare you the other details. The controllers kept their calm, made all the VFR traffic in the area land. EAS, who was to have met the A320, announced there were 7 people on board. As I write this, I am listening to the various aircraft at the crash site, and so far they are not finding anybody. I hope there will be survivors, but given the cold and the water temperature...
A Dauphin with specialized equipment is awaited in the next few minutes. An SNSM launch is also there.
I hope we'll quickly have explanations. I have a colleague who saw the aircraft 'fall' in the sea. It really dove as it had just begun its DME arc to establish. Really strange....

Philippe"

"Phillippe" subsequently removed the post once he realized that the press was on to him.

[robbreid]

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