More human remains and lots of bags found at Air France crash scene

Brazil navy crew member secures Air France wreckage piece

Vancouverite News Service©

Update: Searchers say more human remains, parts from the Air France plane and lots of bags have been retreived by the French Navy. But Brazilian authorities do not confirm the number of bodies found until they are handed over to Brazil.

“The Brazilian Navy Command and Aeronautical Command inform that this Wednesday, June 17th, the Amphibious Assault ship Mistral, of the French Navy, retrieved remains sighted in the search area. Wreckage and luggage are also being retrieved from the region,” said an announcement from Brazil Air Force, FAB.

“This afternoon, at 14:30 (Brasilia local time) a C-130 Hercules aircraft landed in Recife (PE) carrying the six bodies that were in Fernando de Noronha, and were delivered to the Legal Medical Institute, in order that the identification task be concluded,” FAB said.

These six bodies were picked up by French naval units and transferred into the custody of Brazilian officials.

“The Corvette Caboclo, that is carrying a significant quantity of wreckage and baggage on board, is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Recife on the 19th of June, when it will transfer to the representatives of the French Investigation Committee (BEA) all this material,” FAB said.

Update: Brazilian authorities have confirmed they only have 43 bodies and not 44 as earlier thought after forensic evidence produced that some parts may have come from one body they were examining on the Island of Fernando de Noronha.

“The total number of bodies found is 43 and not 44 (as previously disclosed). The correction came after the pre-identification work done by experts from the Federal Police and the Department of Social Defense of Pernambuco,” said a communique issued by Brazilian authorities on Sunday.

Because of the state of bodies, relatives have been told visual identification is not possible, the communique said.

Brazil authorities say to avoid further complications with number of bodies, future references will not include body counts but rather “human remains.” This is because only pathologists can confirm with DNA whether whole bodies have been found.

Six bodies may now have been identified and have been flown to Recife, Brazil said.

The French are believed to have an additional six bodies which will be counted when Brazil officially receives them from a French vessel.

Earlier Update: A French vessel searching the Atlantic discovered six more bodies of victims of the crash of Flight AF 447 to take the tally of corpses found to 50.

But Brazil said a wide aerial and naval search on the part of its forces resulted in no new discoveries  apart from pieces of debris – similar to what is seen in the photo above.

O Globo said on its website on Friday that authorities have found no burn marks on the bodies but they have explained to relatives that the deteriorated condition of the bodies precludes visual identification. Many bodies were without clothes because they fell from high altitude.

In most crashes of this type, victims demonstrate flailing injuries suffered when wild gyrations of limbs occur during falls from high altitude. In these types of injuries arms and legs detach from bone sockets but remain attached by tissue and muscles. Part of the deterioration of bodies may be due to being at sea for nearly one week before the first bodies were found.

Authorities are thinking of suspending the search for more bodies around June 25, however, the deadline is flexible, they said.

Only three  bodies turned up near the scene of the Air France crash after a day-long search on Thursday. Meanwhile, Brazil said the frigate Constitution will arrive at the port of Recife on Sunday with debris and personal items of passengers including bags that have been recovered.

The baggage is to be handed to Air France while wreckage will be examined by experts from France for any sign of metal curling, damage or fire.

Preliminary medical examination of 16 bodies recovered from the crash scene of Air France Flight 447 has been completed while 25 more bodies on Thursday. The three recovered on Thursday are aboard the Brazilian vessel Constitution and will reach land on Sunday.

A communique says French frigate Ventose has asked for two psychologists to be sent aboard from Brazil, presumably because crew is having trouble coping.

Brazil’s Air Force announced pathologists and forensic experts are attempting to identify the 16 bodies following which they will be flown to Recife for final legal work.

DNA may have to be used to identify some of the bodies.

Experts suggest the recovery of the virtually intact vertical stabilizer and rudder of the aircraft is suggestive of the rear portion of the aircraft breaking up in mid-air. Brazil also published a picture of the intact toilet cabin which appears to be from the tail end of the plane.

Vertical stabilizer and rudder being transported for examination

Authorities suggested that once the bodies are identified and collated with seating arrangements they will be able to say with certainty that most of the bodies found belonged to passengers sitting in the tail section of the aircraft.

“The Command of the Navy and the Air Command announced that  16 bodies  have undergone preliminary work .. in Fernando de Noronha,” said a communique.

Authorities said the frigate Bosísio arrived at Fernando de Noronha , with 25 bodies on board. Initial examinations will be followed by air transport to Recife.

Meanwhile, Brazilian officials said he French ship Mistral and nuclear-powered submarine Emeraude have reached the search area along with a tug Fairmont Expedition hired by France.

Air France toilet cabin with warning in French prohibiting smoking

These vessels will use sensors and sonar to search for the Cockpit Voice Recorder, CVR, and Flight Data Recorders. The back boxes are vital in providing clues about what the crew was saying inside the cockpit along with flight parameters of the aircraft at the time of its disintegration in mid-air.

Bad weather hampered an air search but ships were unaffected, said a statement by Brazilian authorities.

It was the French vessel Mistral that found six additional bodies on Friday

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3. Searcher have now recovered 24 bodies from Air France wreckage scene
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5. More bodies from Air France wreckage seen in Atlantic

Posted by News Editor on Jun 18 2009. Filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry