Around 0945Z this morning, French air traffic controllers lost radar contact with a Germanwings Airbus A320 enroute from Barcelona to Düsseldorf in the Alps of southern France. While details of the tragic crash are still emerging at a rapid rate, there are not expected to be any survivors among the 150 souls on board the A320.
Only minutes after reaching its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, the Germanwings Airbus began an unexplained and rapid descent to around 6,000 feet. Unfortunately, that altitude in the Alps isn’t going to grant you the requisite clearance from terrain, and several photos show debris strewn across a mountainside.
The remoteness of the crash site means it will take some time for search and rescue teams and crash investigators to even reach the debris, which is reportedly a several hour hike from the closest village. The effort will be made even tougher by weather conditions that are forecasted to worsen over the next 12 hours.
We extend our thoughts and prayers to those affected, and will continue to bring you updates as they become available.
(Featured image: via Wikipedia by Pedro Aragão)