Finding Air France 447 Members of the Brazilian Air Force preparing to tow part of the wreckage of Air France flight 447 in June 2009. The plane, carrying 228 people, crashed during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. (more) What Happened to Air France Flight 447? It disappeared without even a Mayday call and took two years to find. Written by Isabel Brodsky Isabel Brodsky is a Chicago-based journalist, playwright, and comedian. Isabel Brodsky Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Jan. 23, 2026 •History Finding Air France 447Members of the Brazilian Air Force preparing to tow part of the wreckage of Air France flight 447 in June 2009. The plane, carrying 228 people, crashed during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.© Forca Aerea Brasileira—LatinContent/Getty Images About 1:35 am on June 1, 2009, the pilots of Air France flight 447 contacted Brazilian air traffic control to routinely report their location over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean....

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