144 passengers and six crew members are suspected to be dead after a Germanwings plane crash that occurred in the French Alps this morning – all 150 of which are believed to be of either German, Spanish, or Turkish descent. While some information is beginning to trickle in, the general cause is unknown and details will likely come to the surface in the coming days.
According to the New York Times, French president François Hollande was quick to announce, “The conditions of the accident, which have not yet been clarified, suggest that there might not be any survivors.”
What they do know is that the plane, a subsidiary of the much larger airline Lufthansa, was operating an Airbus A320 from Barcelona, Spain to Düsseldorf, Germany.
The plane took off at 10:01 AM and at 10:45 AM local time, the pilots of the plane did declare an emergency. However, some reports indicate that the plane had already crashed at 10:37 AM, as it is possible for an aircraft to automatically send a distress signal following a crash.
This was either before or after the rapid descent from 38,000 feet to 5,000 feet. The time of the distress call as well as the reason for descent are two factors that are currently not understood.
Most signs lead towards an engine problem – but not an engine failure. The plane appeared to maintain a constant speed during its descent, and the descent path was straight. However, with an engine failure, the plane would have shot straight down. A gradual descent – although the plane left the radar at around 15,000-10,000 feet – suggests that the pilot had some level of control.
It also seems that the pilots were very close to an airport, where they could have landed. However, they continued for over 100 miles before losing radar contact.
As it is in the Alps, the area in which the Germanwings plane crash occurred is not reachable by most vehicles. However, helicopters populate the area in great quantities. It’s a very remote area and difficult to reach due to its high altitudes and mountains. A French military helicopter spotted wreckage as it was flying near the town of Prads-Haute-Bléone.
Family members are arriving at the airport, calling the Germanwings hotline, attempting to find confirmed answers regarding family members. In the mean time, experts will be working to figure out exactly what went wrong in a surprising and tragic Germanwings plane crash .
