Black box recording to unlock mystery of Flight 4U 9525: Experts extract 'usable data' that leads up to final moments in cockpit of doomed jet

  • Investigators say it could take 'weeks or even months' to analyse exactly what is being said or what the noises are
  • Reports on professional pilot forum suggest black box voice recorder reveals 'structural failure' caused disaster 
  • At least three Britons, two Americans, 52 Spanish and 72 German nationals are understood to have been on flight 
  • Reports suggest the aircraft had been grounded just 24 hours before it crashed into remote region of French Alps 
  • One Germanwings flight from Dusseldorf to Barcelona cancelled because pilots 'don't feel they're in a position to fly'

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Investigators have obtained an audio recording that could unlock the mystery of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the Alps killing all 150 people board, it emerged today.

Experts said they had extracted 'usable data' from the damaged black box cockpit voice recorder salvaged from the obliterated wreckage of the Airbus A320.

It is hoped the audio will help piece together the final moments of the flight which plummetted 32,000ft in eight minutes without any mayday from the pilots. 

But one flight safety expert said the plane's data recorder will need to be accessed before experts are able to draw a full picture of the circumstances surrounding the crash.

One theory that emerged today suggested the plane may have crashed because the windscreen cracked, causing a sudden drop in oxygen levels that rendered the pilots unconscious.

Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa which owns the budget Germanwings airline, said it remained ‘inexplicable’ that a well-serviced aircraft with an experienced crew would fall from the sky.

Lufthansa also confirmed that the 24-year-old Germanwings jet - which had clocked up more than 58,000 flying hours - had not yet received the ‘life-extending’ upgrade but that it would have done so at some point.

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Solving the puzzle: Remi Jouty, of France's BEA accident investigation bureau, announces at a press conference that they have obtained an audio recording that could unlock the mystery of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the Alps killing all 150 people board

Solving the puzzle: Remi Jouty, of France's BEA accident investigation bureau, announces at a press conference that they have obtained an audio recording that could unlock the mystery of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the Alps killing all 150 people board

Crumpled: The first picture of the black box voice recorder recovered from the Germanwings Airbus crash site shows it has been badly damaged. Investigators announced that they had been able to extract 'usable' data from the device, but had not yet deciphered it

Crumpled: The first picture of the black box voice recorder recovered from the Germanwings Airbus crash site shows it has been badly damaged. Investigators announced that they had been able to extract 'usable' data from the device, but had not yet deciphered it

Professional pilots have been reporting on online forums that the black box had already been analysed and revealed that the plane may have crashed because the windscreen cracked, causing a sudden drop in oxygen that rendered the pilots unconscious

Professional pilots have been reporting on online forums that the black box had already been analysed and revealed that the plane may have crashed because the windscreen cracked, causing a sudden drop in oxygen that rendered the pilots unconscious

The company also revealed that specially-chartered flights from Germany and Spain will take relatives to the crash site tomorrow. Mr Spohr added additional support would be given to those living outside of those two countries.

Investigators said voices are audible on the recording, which covered the whole flight 'from departure to crash'. But they warned that it could take 'days, weeks and even months' before analysts know exactly what it being said or what the noises are. 

Remi Jouty, of France's BEA accident investigation bureau, said at a press conference at Le Bourget, near Paris: 'There were a few problems trying to decipher the recording, but we succeeded in getting an audio file which has usable sounds and voices.

'We haven't fully understood it all yet. I can't say if the pilots are talking, we've only just managed to extract this file.'

The cockpit voice recorder is designed to store two hours of conversation and withstand impacts of as much as 3,400 times the force of gravity.

It could yield clues about whether the crew became incapacitated or were battling a technical malfunction.

The device should also allow investigators to detect automated aural alerts from the plane that would help in reconstructing the sequence of events that led to the plane's sudden descent.

There was confusion over the status of the second black box flight recorder - one which stores 25 hours of data on the aircraft's systems.

At an earlier press conference, French President Francois Hollande said the case of the second black box has been found, but not its contents. 

However, Mr Jouty said the device had not been located.

BEA, which is leading the technical inquiry into the crash, sent seven investigators to the crash site on Tuesday. They were joined by their counterparts from Germany, as well as by technical advisers from Airbus and CFM International, the manufacturer of the plane's engines. 

Speaking to BBC News tonight, experienced pilot Stephen Landells, BALPA safety specialist, said the flight's data recorder was needed in order to piece together the circumstances leading up to the crash. 

He said: ‘The area that is damaged contains electronic components that link the aircraft to the cockpit voice recorder, included in that is a timeline facility, so by losing it they have lost the timeline of when the calls or conversations were taking place inside the cockpit.’

Earlier, speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Mr Hollande promised that French investigators would do everything to determine the cause of the crash.

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel flew over the crash site to see the devastation for themselves before meeting rescue workers outside the crisis centre set up on Tuesday after the worst crash in France in four decades. 

Obliterated: Search and rescue teams sift through the wreckage of the Germanwings plane as the recovery operation enters its second day

Obliterated: Search and rescue teams sift through the wreckage of the Germanwings plane as the recovery operation enters its second day

French military personnel walk up the mountainside towards the crash site
French military personnel walk up the mountainside towards the crash site

Arduous journey: French military personnel walk up the mountainside towards the crash site deep in the French Alps

French mountain troopers are climb a hill near the makeshift helicopter landing pads in Seyne Les Alpes to secure the area for the visit of French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy

French mountain troopers are climb a hill near the makeshift helicopter landing pads in Seyne Les Alpes to secure the area for the visit of French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also visited the centre to be briefed on the gruelling rescue operation in difficult mountain terrain where Flight 4U9525 crashed early Tuesday, scattering debris over a wide area.

Buffeted by strong mountain winds, the ashen-faced leaders spent several minutes inspecting a line-up of blue-uniformed rescue workers, chatting intently with the help of interpreters.

'My deepest sympathies with the families and all my thanks for the friendship of the people of this region and in France,' wrote Merkel in a book of condolence. Hollande wrote: 'Tribute to the victims. Support to the families.'

Grieving families were also gathering near the crash site, where a counselling unit has been established. 

Police, doctors and rescue workers today combed the mountainside in pairs, methodically criss-crossing the terrain. The commander for the high mountain police in Alpes-Grenoble, Laurent Jaunatre, said identification of the bodies would be a difficult task.

He said: 'Victim identification will be difficult. Identification will essentially be done by DNA.'

Brice Robin, the Marseille prosecutor in charge of the investigation, said the process could take weeks.

He said: 'The identification of bodies will take several weeks. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable. We will explain this to the families.' 

Reports circulating on professional pilot forums suggested the black box on the Airbus A320 had already been analysed and revealed that a 'structural failure' was responsible for the disaster.

Flight 4U 9525 dropped out of the sky and ploughed into a mountainside in the French Alps at more than 400mph yesterday, killing all 150 people board. 

In the latest theory to emerge, it is thought the windscreen gave way, incapacitating the pilots and leaving them unable to send out a distress call.

That may explain what happened in what top French official Segolene Royal has described as the crucial minute between 10.30am - when the pilots were apparently chatting away - and 10.31am when contact was lost. 

French President Francois Hollande (centre), Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (right) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) walk on a field near the crash site of Germanwings Airbus A320 near Seyne-les-Alpes ahead of an international tribute to the 150 victims

French President Francois Hollande (centre), Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (right) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) walk on a field near the crash site of Germanwings Airbus A320 near Seyne-les-Alpes ahead of an international tribute to the 150 victims

Show of solidarity: French President Francois Hollande (centre) embraces Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as German Chancellor Angela Merkel (second right) looks on while they walk on a field near the crash site of Germanwings Airbus A320 near Seyne-les-Alpes

Show of solidarity: French President Francois Hollande (centre) embraces Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as German Chancellor Angela Merkel (second right) looks on while they walk on a field near the crash site of Germanwings Airbus A320 near Seyne-les-Alpes

Tribute: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, French President Francois Hollande, left, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy pay respect to victims at the makeshift morgue prepared for the 150 victims who died

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, French President Francois Hollande, left, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy pay respect to victims at the makeshift morgue prepared for the 150 victims who died

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT PILOTS AFTER RADIO SILENCE, CLAIMS REPORT 

Air traffic controllers made several failed attempts to contact the pilots of the doomed Germanwings plane in the minutes after losing radio communication with the cockpit, an air crash report has revealed.

Germany's BILD newspaper published on its website details of the first report about the crash which it claims was submitted by the French to the German government after the disaster.

It states: 'Normal operating conditions for the French air traffic control. All technical systems were in normal operation.'

It corroborates earlier reports that contact with the pilots was lost at 10.31am, adding: 'Germanwings 4U9525 leaves its cruising altitude without informing French air traffic control and starts a descent at an average rate of decline observed by radar... of 3,500 feet per minute'.

Air traffic controllers attempted to establish 'wireless connection on the operating frequency which is not answered' by the cockpit, the report says.

Further attempts are made by radio contact on the international emergency frequency, but there was again no response. 

At 10.35am, air traffic controllers 'raise the internationally standardized "emergency level" (DETRESFA distress phase) and contacts the national headquarters of the French search and rescue service.'

One final and attempt is made to contact the pilots on the international emergency frequency a minute later, but that also fails.

The Germanwings flight disappeared from radar at 10.40am at an altitude of around 6,200ft, the report states.

Two minutes later - at 10.42am - air traffic control informs the national headquarters of the French search and rescue service about the loss of the radar target.

Two military helicopters are sent in the direction of the last known location, but are unable to detect the aircraft's emergency transmitter. 

Flight radar data revealed the plane started its nosedive at 10.31am from an altitude of 38,000 feet.

However, experts are also discussing other theories including faulty speed sensors and technical problems related to the age of the aircraft.

France's transport minister says work had begun on retrieving vital data from the cockpit voice recorder, although first pictures showed it had been badly damaged and it was not clear how much, if any, information could be analysed.  

Alain Vidalies told Europe 1 radio that the initial focus for the black box investigators will be 'on the human voices, the conversations,' followed by the cockpit sounds. 

Helicopter search operations resumed at first light this morning in near-freezing conditions for debris and bodies - including those of at least three Britons feared dead, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond revealed today. 

This afternoon, the Foreign Office named 28-year-old Paul Bramley, originally from Hull, as one of those killed. Another was earlier identified as Martyn Matthews, a father-of-two and businessman from Wolverhampton.  

Marina Bandres, a Spanish-born mother from Manchester, and her seven-month-old baby, Julian, who is a British national, were also among those killed.

Two Americans, U.S. government contractor Yvonne Selke and her graduate daughter Emily of Nokesville, Virginia, were named as among the dead today. 

Newlyweds who were married on Saturday in Barcelona are also believed to be among those who lost their lives. The victims are understood to also include 72 Germans and 51 Spaniards.

The cracked windscreen theory was being discussed today on the Professional Pilots Rumour Network (PPRuNe), a leading online aviation forum, following an anonymous report that the black box had been successfully accessed for information.   

A French Red Cross staff member waits to greet the families of victims of the Germanwings Airbus A320 at the convention centre of Digne-les-Bains as they await news of the search and rescue operation a day after the plane crashed in the French Alps

A French Red Cross staff member waits to greet the families of victims of the Germanwings Airbus A320 at the convention centre of Digne-les-Bains as they await news of the search and rescue operation a day after the plane crashed in the French Alps

Grim task continues: A French Gendarmerie helicopter takes off for another search and rescue operation from Syne Les Alpes after a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed into a mountainside in the French Alps killing all 150 people on board

Grim task continues: A French Gendarmerie helicopter takes off for another search and rescue operation from Syne Les Alpes after a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed into a mountainside in the French Alps killing all 150 people on board

Scouring the landscape: A rescue helicopter from the French Gendarmerie flies over the French Alps during a search and rescue operation. Investigators will sift through wreckage for clues to why the Airbus operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings airline plowed into a mountainside

The anonymous report on the pilots forum initially appeared on the Aviation Herald forum - but quickly removed - and is now being widely discussed by pilots online.  

Tony Newton has been a commercial pilot flying A320 aircraft for 20 years and is also a Civil Aviation Authority examiner.

Speaking to MailOnline, he said it is 'entirely possible and plausible' that the disaster was due to structural damage to the cockpit, possibly a crack in the windshield, as the unconfirmed report has suggested.   

'If there was sudden structural failure, the reduction in pressure would cause all the gas in the body to expand,' he said.

'The pilots would have been in pain as their ears and guts burst and they would have been extremely disorientated.

'The procedure is to get their oxygen masks on as soon as possible as they would only have a few seconds of useful consciousness without it.

'Then they should have programmed the plane to descend to a random altitude, just to get it going down to where there is thicker air and it's easier to breathe.

'Later on, when things are under control, they should have taken the time to refine the figures so the plane levelled off at about 10,000 feet, where they could remain conscious and continue to fly.'  

Eyes in the sky: Helicopter search operations resumed at first light this morning in near-freezing conditions for debris and bodies - including those of British nationals - that have been scattered over four acres of inaccessible terrain

Reporters and television crews gather near where French police and military helicopters are landing during the search operation in Seyne

Reporters and television crews gather near where French police and military helicopters are landing during the search operation in Seyne

GREMANWINGS DISASTER WAS A MILE FROM CRASH 60 YEARS AGO

The Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps came down less than a mile from an almost identical air disaster more than 60 years ago when 44 people were killed.

The fate of the Airbus A320 appears to mirror that of Air France flight 178 which crashed close by in 1953.

The aircraft, a Lockheed L-749A Constellation, was coming into land at Nice airport, when it crashed into the side of Mont Le Cimet, close to Barcelonette. 

According to accident investigators at the time, the service was en-route to Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, from Paris with stops in Nice, Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan and India.

However, the plane encountered stormy weather over the French Alps with residents in the small village of Fours St Laurent reporting seeing the aircraft crash into the mountainside and burst into flames. 

When rescue teams reached the scene the next day, there were no survivors, with all 35 passengers and nine crew members killed.

Among those that died was French violinist Jacques Thibaud. 

However, the pilots appeared to put the plane into a steep descent but did not update the figures later, he said. 

This could be because they failed to apply their oxygen masks in time and lost consciousness.

According to Newton, once the investigation has been completed, the procedure could be changed so that 'sensible altitude figures' are programmed into the aircraft to start with, preventing an immediate crash if the pilots lose consciousness.   

The theory has similarities to a near-disaster on British Airways flight 5390 in 1990, when a badly-fitted windscreen splintered, blowing the pilot, Tim Lancaster, halfway out of the aircraft's window.

On that occasion, the co-pilot carried out an emergency landing in Southampton with Lancaster pressed against the window frame. 

There was no loss of life, and Mr Lancaster was treated for shock, frostbite and a broken arm.

Mr Newton, who knew Mr Lancaster, said: 'That was a maintenance error. The engineer used the wrong bolts. 

'They looked identical to the correct ones, but had a difference sized thread. 

'That meant that they didn't engage properly, and the windshield just popped out.

'Standards have been tightened up since then, but it is possible that a similar scenario occurred here.' 

Mr Newton also said that the age of the Germanwings aircraft, which was produced 24 years ago, may have been a factor.

'Some commercial airlines have got rid of planes of this age some time ago because they are harder to maintain as get older,' he said. 

'There is concern generally about older fleets.'

The pilots on the forum also raised concerns about the reliability of the 1990 aircraft, which one user referred to as an 'old girl'.  

They pointed out that the Airbus A320 would normally be programmed to 'level out' automatically when diving below a certain altitude.

'How reliable are the autopilots on these older aircraft?' a user called Pace wondered. 

Germanwings airline employees comfort each other during a ceremony to observe a moment of silence for the victims of the Airbus 320 crash at the company's headquarters in Cologne, Germany

Germanwings airline employees comfort each other during a ceremony to observe a moment of silence for the victims of the Airbus 320 crash at the company's headquarters in Cologne, Germany

Lufthansa employees observe a minute's silence in Frankfurt, Germany, for the 150 victims who died in the Germanwings plane crash

Lufthansa employees observe a minute's silence in Frankfurt, Germany, for the 150 victims who died in the Germanwings plane crash

'They are old girls and the Airbus would have flown far, far more hours than the corporate jet of that vintage. Is it possible that the aircraft was programmed to level at 10,000ft, but didn't and continued down?'

Another pilot, however, thought that autopilot failure was unlikely.

'In 20 years, I have never seen an A320 fail to capture an altitude,' he wrote. 

Experts are also discussing a variety of other theories.

Some believe that there was 'slow decompression' in the cockpit that gradually caused the pilots to pass out and lose control of the aircraft, although Mr Newton believes that this is unlikely. 

'The warning systems are very robust on the A320,' he said. 'There are many levels, from subtle to assertive. Finally, an alarm goes off that I would defy anyone to ignore or not notice.'

Another theory is that the speed sensors malfunctioned, feeding false information to the pilots and making it difficult to fly.

Airbus has had problems of this sort in the past, notably with the Air France 447 accident in 2009 and the Air Asia disaster in 2014.

New images show debris at the site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 crash in the French Alps above the southeastern town of Seyne

A photo provided by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows debris of the crashed Germanwings passenger jet scattered on the mountain side

A photo provided by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows debris of the crashed Germanwings passenger jet scattered on the mountain side

According to Mr Newton, this theory is also unlikely due to the new checks and balances that have been introduced since. 

He also dismissed speculation that the plane crashed due to double engine failure as 'almost certainly rubbish'.

'People are arguing that the plane was travelling at 350mph in an attempt to re-light the engines,' he said.

'But that doesn't tell us anything. I fly at 350mph regularly, and so do other pilots. There was nothing out-of-the-ordinary about the speed.' 

In a separate development, a number of pilots at low-cost airline Germanwings refused to fly today in the wake of yesterday's Alps crash.

Their decision came as it emerged the Airbus A320 that dropped out of the sky and ploughed into a mountainside had been grounded over technical fears just 24 hours before. 

Reports revealed the aircraft had suffered technical issues, including a landing gear problem, a day before it was due to fly from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.

Urgent safety checks are now being carried out on other A320s - popular with budget airlines - while passengers were left stranded at Heathrow, Stansted and Manchester yesterday after several Germanwings crews refused to work.

A spokeswoman for the airline's parent company, Lufthansa, said one Germanwings flight from Dusseldorf to Barcelona had been cancelled because the pilots 'don't feel they are in a position to fly'.

Inaccessible: Search and rescue personnel make their way to the site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed in the French Alps

She declined to say how many pilots declined to work today, adding that all Lufthansa flights were going ahead as planned.  

A spokesman for the pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit, Joerg Handwerg, insisted the decision was not because of concerns about safety.

'It has nothing to do with safety. The pilots have friends and colleagues who have died,' Handwerg said on public television.

'That is such a heavy emotional burden that it's better not to get into the cockpit.'

Yesterday, Germanwings had reported 'occasional flight disruptions within its route network' as pilots were too shocked to fly following the news of the crash of an A320 Germanwings jet.

It was the first fatal accident in the history of Germanwings and the deadliest on the French mainland since 1974.

'We understand their decision,' said Germanwings executive Thomas Winkelmann. 

Industry experts also sought to reassure Airbus A320 pilots that they will be safe. 

Steve Landells, a safety specialist from the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) who is himself a former A320 pilot, said the aircraft is 'incredibly reliable with a good safety record'.

He said hundreds of A320s are flying today and pilots should have 'no qualms getting on one today'. 

16 TEENAGERS, TWO OPERA SINGERS, TWO BABIES AND A FATHER: THE VICTIMS OF THE GERMANWINGS FLIGHT

Germanwings chief executive Thomas Winkelmann said those who died came from at least 13 different countries - with 72 German nationals and 49 people from Spain confirmed to have been on passenger lists for the plane. 

There has been some confusion over numbers of passengers and countries they are from, because of dual nationalities.      

Paul Andrew Bramley who was one of the British victims on board the Germanwings flight
Victims: Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio (left)  a 37-year-old Spanish woman living in Manchester and travelling with seven-month-old son, and Oleg Bryjak (right) were killed in the crash, while it is likely that a number of British nationals were also among those who died

Victims: Paul Andrew Bramley (left), originally from Hull, Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio (centre), a 37-year-old Spanish woman living in Manchester who was travelling with her seven-month-old son were among those killed in the crash on board the Germanwings flight

UK

Martyn Matthews, a father-of-two with another child on the way. Mr Matthews, of Wolverhampton, was on business in Barcelona. 

Marina Bandrés López-Belio, from Huesca, was travelling with her seven-month-old baby Julian from her uncle's funeral in Zaragoza. 

They had been living in Manchester. Ms Lopez-Belio had not been able to fly home direct to Manchester, so had opted for a flight to Dusseldorf. 

Paul Andrew Bramley, 28, originally from Hull, was also a passenger on the flight, the Foreign Office confirmed.  

Germany

Class of 16 year 10 pupils from Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium school in west Germany on an exchange trip to Barcelona

Their two Spanish teachers -  Sonja Cercek and Stefanie T.

Maria Radner, 34, an opera singer at the Deutsche Oper am Rhine in Dusseldorf. The contralto was travelling with her husband and baby after having performed in Barcelona, with fellow opera singer Oleg Bryjak, who also perished.

Thomas Treppe, a fashion consultant, had been travelling on business when the plane crashed, El Pais reported. 

María de Pablo Nuño, a Spanish teacher who had travelled to see her family in Barcelona.  

Victim: Opera singer Maria Radner  who was travelling with her baby was among the passengers who lost their lives in the crash
Victims: Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio (left)  a 37-year-old Spanish woman living in Manchester and travelling with seven-month-old son, and Oleg Bryjak (right) were killed in the crash, while it is likely that a number of British nationals were also among those who died

Victims: Opera singer Maria Radner (left), who was travelling with her baby, and Oleg Bryjak (right) were among those killed in the crash

Spain

Josep Sabaté Casellas, worked for Espirit and was travelling to a business meeting in Germany. He was married with three children and was believed to have a fourth child on the way. 

Teacher Pilar Vicente Sebastián, 52, had been on her way to see her two children who were studying in Dusseldorf, according to Levante. 

A newly married 23-year-old man from La Llagosta, who got married on Saturday, was travelling with his wife, es reported. 

A grandmother, her daughter and grandaughter from Sant Cugat del Vallès in Catalonia were all travelling together on a visit to Dusseldorf, according to the Huffington Post. 

Manuel Rives, 52, was a married father of three and representative for the major Spanish trade union in Delphi, reported El Pais. Colleagues were seen carrying his photo, remembering the worker, today. 

The newspaper also reported that businessman and amateur rower Carles Masanas Milla was going to a food fair in Cologne. 

Ariadna Falguera, 33, wife of a member of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) party, was confirmed to have been among the passengers, according to El Pais.   

Australian victims: Mother and son Carol and Greig Friday, from Victoria, were among the 150 passengers and crew on board doomed Germanwings Flight 4U 9525
Australian victims: Mother and son Carol and Greig Friday, from Victoria, were among the 150 passengers and crew on board doomed Germanwings Flight 4U 9525

Australian victims: Mother and son Carol and Greig Friday, from Victoria, were among the 150 passengers and crew on board Flight 4U 9525

Australia 

Mother and son Carol and Greig Friday, of Victoria in Australia.  

Belgium

Christian Driessens, 59, a father and grandfather, travelled on planes almost every week for business and was fondly remembered by his family as an avid globetrotter, who loved to travel.   

Kazakhstan

Opera singer Oleg Bryjak, 54, a baritone, had just performed Richard Wagner's 'Siegfried' at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu.

Base: Search and rescue teams are seen being dropped near the crash site by helicopter, where a number of vehicles were waiting 

Base: Search and rescue teams are seen being dropped near the crash site by helicopter, where a number of vehicles were waiting 

Operation:  Rescue workers and gendarmerie arrive on helicopter as they continue their search operation near the site in the French Alps

Operation:  Rescue workers and gendarmerie arrive on helicopter as they continue their search operation near the site in the French Alps

'BODIES HAVE BEEN VAPOURISED - I SAW A CHILD'S OPEN BRIEFCASE, A SCHOOL NOTEBOOK AND A PINK PENCIL CUT IN HALF. IT WAS BEYOND IMAGINATION': RESCUERS DESCRIBE APOCALYPTIC SCENES AT GERMANWINGS CRASH SITE

By Nick Fagge in Le Vernet, France, and Fidelma Cook for MailOnline

The first rescuers to reach the Germanwings crash site today described a scene of 'utter devastation' where bodies appear to have been 'vapourised'.

Bernard Deverley, a doctor and captain of the Fréjus firefighters and a specialist in hazard intervention, said what he's seen was neither easy to live with nor could be forgotten.

'What I saw was beyond imagination - things I had not seen before,' he told Paris Match. 'On site, there are only bits. 

'There were 150 people on board but we have identified less than fourteen. The others seem to have been vapourised.

'What grabbed me by the throat was the smell of burning and of kerosene.  

Mountain guide Jean-Louis Bietrix
Wreckage of the Germanwings Airbus A320 plane that crashed between the towns of Barcelonnette and Digne in the French Alps

'Very savage territory': Mountain guide Jean-Louis Bietrix has described a scene of 'utter devastation' after he led rescuers to the site of the Germanwings crash site in the French Alps (right)

'But what touched me most are the children's things lying around on the ground. I saw a child's open briefcase, a school notebook beyond it, photos and a pink pencil cut in half.

'It's hard to remain detached when you have children yourself. This is a tragedy. Not easy to live with. I shall be reliving this a long time.' 

A mountain guide also recalled similar apocalyptic scenes after he led rescuers to the site of the Germanwings crash site in the French Alps.

 What touched me most are the children's things lying around on the ground. I shall be reliving this a long time' 
 Doctor Bernard Deverley

Jean-Louis Bietrix told MailOnline: 'You cannot believe that a plane, a big Airbus 320, can disintegrate in such tiny pieces.

'Apart from a few pieces of the aircraft that are the size of a car door everything is in small pieces. There are thousands of fragments scattered over a huge area.' 

Mr Bietrix declined to describe the dozens of corpses which are scattered over the high mountain site.

But he said: 'There are a lot of bodies and luggage everywhere. I didn't interfere. I let the professionals do their jobs.'  

He added: 'The crash site is in very savage territory. Most of the wreckage is on an 85 per cent slope. It is rock and shale. 

'There is running water passing through the scene. It is below the snow line but there was some snow fall last night. 

'Only mountain goats and other animals can live up there.' 

Jeanine and Yves Aubin who witnessed the fatal Germanwings crash

Disaster: Jeanine and Yves Aubin (left) have told how they saw and heard the final moments of the doomed Germanwings flight before it plunged into a mountain in the French Alps (right)

Mr Bietrix is a member of the local mountain rescue team based at Seyne Les Alps and was one of the first to be alerted to the tragedy.

He said: 'I got a call on my mobile about 11.15 yesterday morning that there was a major incident in the mountains.

'We assembled at Le Vernet at about 1pm and we reached the crash site at about 2.00pm, 2.30pm.'

 The crash site is in very savage territory. Only mountain goats and other animals can live up there 
Mountain guide Jean-Louis Bietrix

Meanwhile, witnesses have told how they saw and heard the final moments of the doomed Germanwings flight before it plunged into a mountain in the French Alps.

Yves Aubin told MailOnline: 'I saw the plane out of the corner of my eye and I heard the sound of an aircraft passing low overhead. The next minute there was a terrible noise.

'At first, I thought it was a landslide, an avalanche, we have a lot of them here.

'A few minutes after that, I saw two military jets fly overhead, Mirage fighters. I thought it was not normal.'

His wife Jeanine Aubin, 66, added: 'I heard the plane fly overhead but my husband saw it, out of the corner of his eye.'

Mr Aubin, 63, a retired post master, said he only learned of the significance of his brief sighting after watching the news.

He told MailOnline: 'The plane went down just behind the mountain by our house. It called the Mountain of Animals, it's a summer pasture for cattle, sheep and goats. 

Destruction: The distinctive colours of the Germanwings plane are seen in this close-up photo of the destroyed rudder of the aircraft

Destruction: The distinctive colours of the Germanwings plane are seen in this close-up photo of the destroyed rudder of the aircraft

Mr Aubin and his wife Jeanine had only recently opened up their mountain chalet which had been closed for the winter.

Mrs Aubin added: 'It snowed last night on the crash site. You can see the white on the mountain, that fell over night.'

However, five French Gendarmes are understood to have remained at the high mountain crash site overnight to preserve the crime scene.

Mr Aubin said: 'Five gendarmes spent the night at the crash site in the snow. They are part of a specialist Alphine brigade but it must have been hard.'

French police have created a 10km exclusion zone around the crash site, which is situated close to the village of Le Vernet, in the French Alps.

Wild animals including wolves, wild boar, mountain goats and deer live in the woods surrounding the site. 

A spokesman from BALPA told MailOnline: 'BALPA has gained information from the German pilot union that Lufthansa and Germanwings are giving pilots time off for grief.

'British pilots sympathise with their German colleagues and completely understand.

'Pilots have to be fit to fly, and if they feel emotionally unfit to fly, it is important they do not take to the air. It appears the company are doing the right thing in supporting them.'   

France's interior minister said investigators are looking into all possible causes of Tuesday's Germanwings crash in the French Alps, but he appeared to rule out the likelihood of a terrorist attack. 

'The debris from the plane is spread over one and a half hectares, which is a significant area because the shock was significant but it shows that the plane did not appear to have exploded,' Bernard Cazeneuve told French radio station RTL. 

Nevertheless, the minister added cautiously that 'all theories must be carefully examined until we have the results of the enquiry.' 

PICTURED: THE TRAGIC GERMAN EXCHANGE STUDENTS WHO DIED ON BOARD DOOMED GERMANWINGS FLIGHT

These are some of the young German exchange students who had been on their way home from a week-long trip in Barcelona before they perished on the Germanwings flight.

Sixteen children and two teachers from the same school were among the 150 people who died when the plane crashed in a remote region of the French Alps. 

The German pupils were pictured last December at a bowling alley enjoying a visit from 12 Spanish pupils at Giola institute in Llinars del Valles, near Barcelona, who had come to visit Germany on an exchange trip. 

These are some of the German pupils who died on the Germanwings flight, which crashed in the Alps, killing all 150 passengers. The teenagers had been on a week-long exchange trip to Barcelona and were flying home when the plane crashed. They are pictured in December, when their Spanish counterparts visited Germany

These are some of the German pupils who died on the Germanwings flight, which crashed in the Alps, killing all 150 passengers. The teenagers had been on a week-long exchange trip to Barcelona and were flying home when the plane crashed. They are pictured in December, when their Spanish counterparts visited Germany

Just a few months later the 16-strong class at Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium school in Haltern-am-See, an English speaking grammar, went to visit their Spanish counterparts in Barcelona.

Yesterday, after a successful week, they were flying home from Barcelona to Dusseldorf when the Germanwings flight suddenly lost altitude suddenly and plummeted towards the mountainside, at a speed of almost 500mph.   

A Spanish teacher, thought to be called Sonja, is also understood to have perished on the flight, Bild reported. 

Spanish teacher Sonja is one of two teachers on the flight, thought to have perished along with her class 

Spanish teacher Sonja is one of two teachers on the flight, thought to have perished along with her class 

Around 50 counsellors are helping children and teachers at the school.

At a press conference today Headmaster Ulrich Wessel said he was 'shellshocked and lost for words' by the deaths of his students yesterday.

He said: 'When we first got the call we were hopeful thinking maybe they had missed the flight. But the minister told us that our students and teachers were on the passenger list.

'Our sympathy most of all goes out to the parents who have lost their children, the grandparents who have lost their grandchildren. All the relatives. 

'At the school at the moment is the husband of one of the young colleagues who died. They have been married for less than half a year. I'm speechless faced with this tragedy.' 

He added: 'I was asked how many pupils were at the school and I said 1,283, but then I realised I had to say it was 16 less.'  

A one-minute's silence is due to take place tomorrow, at 10.53am - the last time contact from the plane was made - Sylvia Lohrmann, the Minister of Education confirmed. 

Ms Lohrmann told the press conference: 'All of Germany is grieving and from all around the world we are receiving messages about how everyone is taking part in the grieving process.' 

In a tragic twist it emerged yesterday that the children almost escaped death because one 15-year-old girl had left her passport behind. 

However her host family offered to race the girl and all her travel documents to the airport in Barcelona directly, allowing them all to get on the flight in time.

Hundreds of children and parents turned up at the school on Tuesday evening to light candles and pay tribute to the students. 

Classes at the school were stopped yesterday after teachers were forced to confirm to pupils that some of their fellow classmates had died. 

Ivonne Bobb, 48, the mother of a student told Bild newspaper: 'My niece Janina was supposed to be there. 

'But she has not taken part in the exchange then. Maybe it was inspiration.'

Yesterday, parents who had expected to welcome their children home at Dusseldorf Airport were in tears as news of the horrifying crash began to break. 

The distressed families were ushered into private rooms at the airport by the police and representatives of Germanwings, where they were offered counselling. 

Airport workers said several families refused to believe the news, and some women had to be sedated. 

One worker said: 'They collapsed, and the screams of women echoed through the VIP room where they were taken.

'It was heartbreaking to see them punching in the numbers of their childrens' mobile telephones to try to reach them. And dropping them into their laps when there was no reply.'  

Students have been gathering at a memorial of flowers and candles in front of the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium secondary school in Haltern am See this morning, paying tribute to their classmates who have perished

Students have been gathering at a memorial of flowers and candles in front of the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium secondary school in Haltern am See this morning, paying tribute to their classmates who have perished

Candles, flowers and cards have been placed on the steps outside the school, following news of the deaths 

Candles, flowers and cards have been placed on the steps outside the school, following news of the deaths 

Grim details have also begun to emerge about the scale and complexity of the operation that faces rescuers.

The plane was 'totally destroyed', according to a local member of parliament who flew over the site, describing the scene as 'horrendous'.

'The biggest body parts we identified are not bigger than a briefcase,' one investigator said.

More than 300 policemen and 380 firefighters have been mobilised for the grisly task of searching the site.   

Interior Ministry spokesman Paul-Henry Brandet says overnight rain and snow in the crash zone has made the rocky ravine slippery, increasing the difficulty of reaching the steep and remote area.

Lieutenant Colonel Jean-Marc Menichini said a squad of 30 mountain rescue police would resume attempts to reach the crash site by helicopter, while a further 65 police were seeking access on foot.

Five investigators had spent the night camped at the site.

It would take 'at least a week' to search the remote site, he said.

Photographs taken of the scene today show pieces of debris strewn across the mountainside, as rescue workers continue their operation

Photographs taken of the scene today show pieces of debris strewn across the mountainside, as rescue workers continue their operation

Fragments of the plane, including a section containing windows (pictured), were photographed at the remote crash site earlier today
Fragments of the plane, including a section containing windows (left), were photographed at the remote crash site earlier today

Fragments of the plane, including a section containing windows (left), were photographed at the remote crash site earlier today

'Ground access is horrible... it's a very high mountainous area, very steep and it's terrible to get there except from the air during winter,' local resident Francoise Pie said.

The mayor of a town close crash site says bereaved families are expected to begin arriving in the town Wednesday morning.

Francis Hermitte, mayor of Seyne-Les-Alpes, says said local families are offering to host the families because of a shortage of rooms to rent.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will also meet with them in a makeshift chapel set up in a gymnasium, Hermitte said.

Marion Cotterill, head of civil protection there, says the priority is to welcome families humanely. 'We offer a hot drink, a smile, a warm regard, or psychological counseling if asked for.'  

Pictures have now emerged of those who died when the Airbus A320 crashed during the 90-minute flight from Spain to Germany. 

Among the dead were 16 German schoolchildren, six crew and an opera singer who was travelling with her baby. Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio, a 37-year-old Spanish woman living in Manchester, and her seven-month-old son, Julian, also died.

Two Australian nationals, a mother and son, are among the confirmed victims. There were early reports that an American passenger was on board but this has not been confirmed.  

President Barack Obama expressed his condolences over the 'awful' crash which he called 'particularly heartbreaking' as so many of the plane's passengers were young.

Rescue workers begin the difficult task of searching through the hundreds of pieces of debris scattered across the Alpine crash site

Rescue workers begin the difficult task of searching through the hundreds of pieces of debris scattered across the Alpine crash site


A further two Japanese citizens were also believed to have been on board the doomed plane, Tokyo said. 

Experts said Flight 4U 9525's rate of descent did not suggest it had simply fallen out of the sky – prompting speculation that the pilots may have suddenly fallen unconscious. As the French authorities appeared to rule out terrorism, it also emerged that:

  • Five years ago two pilots from the same Germanwings airline nearly passed out on landing in Cologne. Contaminated air was suspected;
  • It is the third serious incident involving the Airbus 'family' in six months – two of them fatal crashes that have left more than 300 dead;
  • A safety warning was issued last November after a sister plane of Flight 4U 9525 went into a dive over Spain, falling at 4,000ft a minute before the pilot regained control.

All 144 passengers, two babies and six crew died on the morning flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, in Germany's Ruhr region.

The German pupils, from the small town of Haltern, were with two teachers. Others who were on board the flight included a 37-year-old Spanish woman who lives in Manchester – whose child also died – and the Spanish opera star Maria Radner, who was with her child.

Mother and son Carol and Greig Friday from Victoria were confirmed as the two Australian victims of the French Alps plane disaster. 

Red flags have been used to mark out sections of the crash site, as seen in this photograph taken today 

Red flags have been used to mark out sections of the crash site, as seen in this photograph taken today 

FEARS THAT WOLVES COULD PREY ON THE REMAINS OF VICTIMS 

Fears that wolves could prey on the remains of the victims of the crash swept the French internet and websites yesterday amid claims that police were positioned through the night to guard against attack

But although wolves do roam parts of the French Alps, such fears were played down by a leading expert yesterday.

While police are guarding the remote site 24 hours a day and wolves are in the region, the hypothesis was 'unlikely.'

Discounting the animals could be drawn to site by the smell of bodies, Yannick Léonard, responsible for monitoring the wolves in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, said: 'With everyone present on the site plus helicopters, animals will flee and stay away.'

Speaking to a news website, Francetvinfo, he added: 'We must remember that wolves fear man. Also they could have been far from the site at the time of the tragedy. Their territory extends over 200 to 300 km. They could be far, far from the area.'

It is estimated there are some 300 wolves in the country and the number is growing each year. Sheep farmers claim they increasingly attack and kill their flocks and want them removed from breeding regions.

The Government operates a 'wolf plan' and pays millions in euros annually in compensation, prevention measures and staff. 

The family of the pair released a statement on Wednesday, which said: 'They were both extraordinary and exceptional people who were loved by many who they loved in return. They will forever be with us in our hearts, memories and dreams.' 

Last night, more than 500 members of search and rescue teams worked to reach the remote site of the disaster above the small village of Barcelonette in the Massif des Trois Evêchés.

Pictures of the crash site showed debris - with no pieces larger than a small car - and wreckage scattered on the bare, bleak mountainside over an area said to be more than a mile square.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, described the site as a 'picture of horror' while Christophe Castaner, deputy of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region where the jet crashed, tweeted: 'Horrible images in this mountain landscape. There is nothing left, but debris and bodies.'

Such was the disintegration of the 24-year-old jet yesterday that little appeared recognisable apart from a section containing several windows.  

One local spoke of hearing an explosion 'like dynamite' while another said he had seen the plane flying far too low. Sebastien Giroux said: 'There was no smoke or particular sound or sign of anything wrong, but at the altitude it was flying it was clearly not going to make it over the mountains.

'I didn't see anything wrong with the plane, but it was too low. I didn't see much, perhaps for two or three seconds … it seemed it was going down.'

Gilbert Sauvan, a local council spokesman, said the plane disintegrated on impact, leaving the 'largest piece of wreckage the size of a car.'

The weather was calm at the time of the accident with the sky completely clear, with almost no wind.

Bookshop owner Dominique Casson, 38, said: 'I heard a loud bang and then saw just smoke and flames at the top of the hillside.

'The plane came down so quickly there was no notice at all. There could have been even more loss of life if it came down in a more populated area.'

Bruce Robin, a prosecutor from Marseille, said: 'The body of the plane is in a state of destruction, there is not one intact piece of wing or fuselage.' 

Germanwings chief executive Thomas Winkelmann said the aircraft began descending again shortly after it reached its cruising height of 38,000ft, having taken off from Barcelona at about 10am local time.

It started losing altitude at around 10.33am with the speed reportedly increasing to 548mph. The last reported radar returns had the aircraft descending to 6,800 feet at 434mph – eight minutes later – at 10.41am. 

Vast wilderness: An aerial view of the area in the French Alps where the Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed, between Barcelonette and Digne

Vast wilderness: An aerial view of the area in the French Alps where the Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed, between Barcelonette and Digne

Mr Winkelmann said the captain was experienced and had been with the Germanwings' parent company Lufthansa for more than ten years, having clocked up 6,000 flying hours.

The plane, he said, had had a normal service at Dusseldorf on Monday and its last major check-up had been in the summer of 2013. It flew regularly to London and was there last Sunday. 

Passengers reported seeing several Germanwings planes still stuck on the tarmac at Dusseldorf yesterday hours after they should have departed. 

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said Tuesday evening that he understood the crew members' sentiments.

'One must not forget: many of our Germanwings crews have known crew members who were onboard the crashed plane,' Spohr said.

'It is now more important to ensure psychological assistance if needed. And we will get back to a full flight operation as soon as possible then. But for me, this is rather secondary now,' he added. Yesterday, Heike Birlenbach, the airline's vice president told reporters: 'we say it is an accident'.

Helicopter and foot search operations resumed at first light this morning in near-freezing conditions for debris and bodies

Helicopter and foot search operations resumed at first light this morning in near-freezing conditions for debris and bodies

Red and yellow flags on the charred and rough terrain mark out sections of the crash site - spread across hundreds of metres

Red and yellow flags on the charred and rough terrain mark out sections of the crash site - spread across hundreds of metres

Aviation expert Chris Yates told MailOnline it was difficult to explain why the pilots would not send an emergency call.

'Air crash investigators will need to examine the black boxes, the flight data recorder and the voice recorder to determine exactly what happened,' he said. 'It is possible that the pilots sent a distress signal that was not received by air traffic control.'

Around 100 of the dead are German. Two Australians, and one person each from the Netherlands, Turkey, and Denmark were among the victims, according to their respective governments. Another 45 victims are Spanish and relatives were bussed to hotels near Barcelona's El Prat airport.

The Mexican government said there were indications that one Mexican national was also among the victims.

Two leading opera singers, German-born Maria Radner and Oleg Bryjak from Kazakhstan, were among those who lost their lives in the crash.

Ms Radner, who performed all over the world including the Metropolitan Opera in New York and theatres in Milan and Buenos Aires, was on the plane with her husband and baby. 

She had just finished performing alongside Mr Bryjak in the Richard Wagner opera Siegfried at Barcelona's Liceu.

TIMELINE OF TERROR: HOW THE LAST 40 MINUTES OF FLIGHT 4U 9525 UNFOLDED
TIME 
(CET)
EVENT ALTITUDE (FEET) MPH
10:01Flight 4U9525 departs Barcelona for Dusseldorf  
10:27Flight reaches its cruising altitude without incident  38,000 520
10:29Aircraft crosses the French coast just east of Marseille 38,000 532
10:30Aircraft continues at its cruising altitude  38,000 547
10:31The aircraft appears to have dropped more than 2,000 feet  37,975 549
10:32The pilot fails to inform Air Traffic control of the drop in altitude 35,575 544
10:33The jet continues along its course but has lost almost 8,000 feet 32,625 544
10:34Radar returns show the jet starts to increase its speed 28,875 552
10:35After five minutes, the aircraft has dropped almost 14,000 feet 24,650 560
10:36The doomed jet passed over Montagnac-Montepezat  20,300 547
10:37 Next the jet passed Puimoisson Airport continuing its rapid descent 17,050 518
10:38 Seven minutes into the emergency the jet had lost 25,000 feet 13,300 496
10:39 Now the jet was passing the 4,000ft high Upper Bleone Forest 10,475 473
10:40 One minute from impact, the jet was 4,000 feet above the ground 8,250 442
10:41 Air traffic controllers lose contact with the aircraft 6,800 435
10:47 French Air Traffic declares an emergency  
 
 Source: FlightRadar24   

Debris from the jet, operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline, was found near Barcelonnette

Christoph Meyer, director of Dusseldorf opera house Deutsche Oper am Rhein, said: 'We have lost a great performer and a great person in Oleg Bryjak. We are stunned.' He added that the theatre's employees will hold two minutes of silence on Wednesday in the singers' honor.

Spanish national Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio, from the city of Jaca in Huesca, and her seven-month-old baby were also named as passengers. Local media reported the 37-year-old lived in Manchester but had returned to Spain for her uncle's funeral. It is not known whether her husband was with her.

Sources close to the Spaniard said she had decided to return via Germany after being unable to get a direct flight. 

A schoolgirl, her mother and grandmother, and an unnamed father of four, are also understood to have died in the crash.

The Foreign Office has set up a helpline for anyone concerned about a friend or family member who may have been on board. 

In a statement released tonight, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond described the crash as a 'tragic incident' and sent his condolences to those who have lost family or friends. 

He said: 'I don't want to speculate on numbers of British nationals involved until we have completed our checks on all the passenger information.

'However, based on the information available to us, it is sadly likely that there were some British nationals on board the flight. We are providing consular assistance and will give further help as more information becomes available.'

Scattered: This photograph of the remote area of the French Alps where the plane crashed reveals the scale of the site that will be searched

This photograph of the remote area of the French Alps where the plane crashed reveals the scale of the site that will be searched

He added Britain was working closely with the French, German and Spanish authorities, and the airline to establish the facts surrounding the crash. 

President Barack Obama expressed his condolences and said America stood by their allies in this 'moment of sorrow.'

'Our thoughts and prayers are with our friends in Europe, especially the people of Germany and Spain,' he said ahead of a joint press conference with President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan at the White House.

'I called German Chancellor (Angela) Merkel and I hope to speak with President Rajoy of Spain later today to express condolences of the American people, and to offer whatever assistance that we can as they investigate the awful tragedy.

'It's particularly heartbreaking because it apparently includes the loss of so many children.' 

The search of the plane crash site was called off for the night after conditions became too difficult and will resume tomorrow morning, French authorities said. Ten French police officers will guard the site overnight.

It is France's first air crash since Concorde crashed minutes after take-off from Charles de Gaulle airport in 2000, killing 113 people. 

Yesterday, debris from the jet was found scattered over a wide area near Barcelonnette in an inhospitable region of the Alps. 

One witness, a local farmer named only as Jean-Christophe led rescuers to the scene. He told French radio: 'The plane smacked straight into the wall of the mountain and just blew up completely.

'I saw smoke, bits of plane, none very big. Everything has exploded and sprayed over the scene. There is really nothing left. Given the impact I cannot imagine the bodies are whole.'   

Charred wreckage was photographed on the mountainside on Wednesday, where one rescue worker described seeing children's belongings

Charred wreckage was photographed on the mountainside today, where one rescue worker described seeing children's belongings

'It is possible that the pilots sent a distress signal that was not received by Air Traffic Control. A thorough examination of the recorders will help provide a precise sequence of events.'  

Grieving families, including those of the 16 schoolchildren killed in the crash, gathered at Dusseldorf airport in Germany yesterday, where the jet was due to land, to await news of the rescue and recovery operation. 

French president Francois Hollande said he did not expect there to be any survivors. 

He said: 'It's a loss, a tragedy which has happened on our soil. I am seeking information about homes in the area it came down. It's difficult place to access. In the meantime solidarity must prevail.' He said he believes most of the passengers were German, Spanish and Turkish. 

Speaking last night, President Obama said his thoughts were with the families of those killed in the crash. He added that he had spoken to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and planned to call Spanish President Mariano Rajoy later in the day. 

The White House and the airline chief said there was no sign that terrorism was involved and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged reporters not to speculate on the cause. 

'We still don't know much beyond the bare information on the flight, and there should be no speculation on the cause of the crash,' she said in Berlin.

 'All that will be investigated thoroughly.' Mrs Merkel, Mr Hollande and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy were to visit the site on Wednesday.

According to flight data from FlightAware 24, the aircraft was cruising at 38,000 feet at 532mph at 9.30am local time (10.30am GMT).  It started losing altitude to 37,975 by 10.31am with the speed reportedly increasing to 548mph.

But 10.41am, the last reported radar returns had the aircraft descending to 6,800 feet at 434mph. The aircraft took around ten minutes to drop 31,200 feet.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, with weather conditions described as good in the region and the airliner flying at an altitude high above the Alps. 

The area is inaccessible for vehicles but helicopters are able to deposit vehicles at the site. 

About 150 firefighters and high mountain police were deployed to the scene, including 40 officers from Grimp – a unit within the Fire Service that specializes in rescue operations in dangerous and inhospitable environments.

Fifty vehicles, including 4x4s, quads and ambulances, are also being deployed. Dog teams will also investigate at the scene.   

It emerged yesterday that a safety warning was issued last year when a sister plane of the one involved in yesterday's disaster suddenly lost altitude.

The European Air Safety Agency (EASA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive after an Airbus A321 went into an uncontrollable dive north of Pamplona, Spain before pulling out.

According to the safety warning, the Lufthansa jet, with 109 passengers and crew aboard, was at 31,000 feet when it started to descend without any input from the pilot, at a rate of 4,000 feet per minute, before the flight crew managed to regain control at 28,000 feet.

According to the EASA, a safety system designed to protect the jet reacted to incorrect data due to a faulty sensor.   

The safety warning related to all Airbus A318, A319, A320 and A321 – including the Airbus A320 involved in yesterday's disaster.  

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls last night confirmed that all 150 people on board the aircraft were dead. Alain Vidal, Secretary of State for Transport, Sea and Fisheries, was more final, insisting there were no survivors. 

Spanish vice-president Soraya Saez de Sanataria said 45 people with Spanish surnames were travelling on the Airbus A320. 

Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy said in a hastily-arranged press conference he was cancelling his diary and heading back to Madrid to head a crisis cabinet.  He described the accident as a 'dramatic and sad' piece of news but declined to talk about the victims. 

He said: 'I profoundly regret this very sad accident. We are going to do all we can.'

He also confirmed he had spoken with German chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish King Felipe VI.

The monarch announced yesterday shortly after arriving in France for a three-day official visit that he was cancelling the trip. 

German media reports say there is a wide field of debris visible. 

Pierre Polizzi, the owner of a nearby camping site told Al Jazeera: 'The plane crashed just 2km from here, high on a mountain.

'There was loud noise and then suddenly nothing. At first I thought it came from fighter jets that often hold drills in the area.' 

Lucille Polizzi, 18, said: 'We were outside and then suddenly we heard this big noise.

'I thought it was an earthquake. We have earthquakes fairly frequently here, just small ones. I wasn't afraid. My father thought it was a fighter jet but we couldn't see any.

'The noise lasted probably seven or eight seconds. Then it stopped. There was nothing for maybe 15 to 30 seconds. Then a second noise. 

'The same as the first noise and it lasted about the same time. I wondered then if it was perhaps an avalanche.' 

AIRBUS A320: THE WORKHORSE OF THE SKIES

The Airbus A320 - the model of aircraft involved in yesterday's accident - is known as 'the workhorse of the skies' and is used by British Airways and a number of popular budget airlines.

Since the first version of the Airbus A320 was released in 1987, around 4,000 have been built and the company say one takes off or lands somewhere in the world every 2.5 seconds.

The short-haul, narrow-body airliner is assembled in France, Germany and China and was ranked as the world's fastest selling aircraft bewteen 2005 and 2007 when it became popular with low-cost airlines.

This Germanwings Airbus A320 carrying 144 passengers and six crew has crashed in the French Alps

This Germanwings Airbus A320 carrying 144 passengers and six crew has crashed in the French Alps

And the single-aisle aircraft, which typically seats around 150 passengers, 'sets industry standards for comfort and operating economy on short- to medium-haul routes', according to Airbus.

Despite the Airbus A320 having one of the best safety records in the world, the widely-used family of aircraft have been involved in a number of crashes in the three decades they have been used, resulting in scores of deaths.

One the first accidents to involve one of the planes happened in the north east of France, not far from the current crash site, when an Air Inter flight came down in the Vosges mountains in 1992.

The single-aisle aircraft, which typically seats around 150 passengers, 'sets industry standards for comfort and operating economy on short- to medium-haul routes', according to Airbus. Above, file photo of inside an A320 aircraft

The single-aisle aircraft, which typically seats around 150 passengers, 'sets industry standards for comfort and operating economy on short- to medium-haul routes', according to Airbus. Above, file photo of inside an A320 aircraft

The Airbus A320-111 was on its approach to Strasbourg airport when it hit La Bloss Mountain, killing 87 of the 96 people on board.

The best-known recent incident involving the plane was when a domestic flight in the US had to put down in the Hudson River in New York.

The US Airways flight from the city's LaGuardia Airport heading for Charlotte, North Carolina when it is believed to have flown into a flock of geese.

One of the deadliest accidents involving one of the planes was in May 2006, when Armavia flight 967 crashed into the sea near Sochi, Russia. 


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