Germanwings plane crashes in French Alps
A Germanwings plane with 150 people on board has crashed in the French Alps.
KEY POINTS:
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Airline Germanwings confirmed 144 passengers and six crew aboard flight 4U9525. They believe 67 Germans were among them
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A school in Haltern, North Rhine-Westphalia says 16 pupils and 2 teachers from school exchange class among victims
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Germanwings hotline at 0800 11 33 55 77 FREE and Foreign Ministry hotline at 030 5000 3000
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Chancellor Angela Merkel to travel to crash site on Wednesday, along with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
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Two French officials have said that a black box has been found at the crash site.
19:28 Lufthansa is working on the assumption that the crash on Tuesday of an Airbus operated by its budget carrier Germanwings was an accident, the airline's vice president said.
"For the time being, we say it's an accident, anything else would be speculation," Lufthansa vice president Heike Birlenbach told reporters at Barcelona's El Prat airport from where the plane took off.
19:20 French journalist Eric Miguet has photos from the crash scene taken by emergency workers:
#crashA320 : une des photos prises par la sécurité civile sur place pic.twitter.com/dOJv6Bn5ij
— Eric Miguet (@EricMiguet) March 24, 2015
#crashA320 : "l'avion s'est complètement désintégré" souligne un secouriste de la sécurité civile. pic.twitter.com/M9IkSArdYV
— Eric Miguet (@EricMiguet) March 24, 2015
#crashA320 : un pilote de la sécurité civile montre la zone d'impact pic.twitter.com/QckEFAHLr3
— Eric Miguet (@EricMiguet) March 24, 2015
19:18 Germany's Foreign Ministry is flying its flags at half mast this evening:
Flaggen am @AuswaertigesAmt auf Halbmast - Wir trauern um die Opfer von Flug #4U9525. #GermanWings #Airbus320 pic.twitter.com/ik6oZ5gcLV
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
19:13 An air crash expert tells DPA that "it will be a month before we know more exactly about the cause of the crash."
But he believes it is unlikely there was any problem with the maintenance of the aircraft.
"Lufthansa doesn't differentiate between the parent company's and the subsidiary's planes," Thomas Saquer of Frost and Sullivan told the news agency.
18:50 Germanwings press conference: CEO Thomas Winkelmann explains that they believe crash was an accident and promise further updates early tomorrow morning. Teams from Germanwings, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Technik, Airbus and German air accident investigators are en route to crash scene.
18:30 A press conference by Germanwings is beginning soon.
18:28 Spain's Deputy Prime Minister declares three official days of mourning.
Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría said in a press conference that Spain would also observe one minute of silence at 12pm on Wednesday.
She said the Spanish government were participating in the investigation and all information would be made available on the government's website.
"The priority is to enable a protocol to help the families of the victims," Santamaría said.
18:20 The German Foreign Ministry tweeted a photo of Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt arriving in Marseille.
#Steinmeier+#Dobrindt in #Marseille eingetroffen; Abstimmung mit @RoyalSegolene. Jetzt weiter zum Unglücksort #4U9525 pic.twitter.com/uHOhr2m13x
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
18:15 Airlive.net tweeted footage from the crash site.
BREAKING First raw video footage of #Germanwings #4U9525 crash site: http://t.co/wFg8KTSve2 pic.twitter.com/XRYH6PsQpJ
— AirLive.net (@airlivenet) March 24, 2015
18:05 The German Football Association tweeted that team members will wear black ribbons on Wednesday in memory of the victims.
#DFBTeam to wear black ribbon against the @Socceroos tomorrow: http://t.co/6vxzWxApqH #4U9525 #Germanwings #GERAUS pic.twitter.com/sjox7PpCdN
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) March 24, 2015
18:00 CONFIRMED: Black box found
France's Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has confirmed that a flight recorder has been found at plane crash site.
Flight recorders, known colloquially as "black boxes", help investigators obtain information about the plane's logs, sensors, and even pilot conversations in the minutes before the crash.
In what has already been estimated to be a huge investigation, the news suggests experts will be able to reveal exactly what went wrong much quicker than previously imagined.
17:50 The Associated Press reports that the French interior minister has said a black box has been found.
BREAKING: French interior minister: A black box has been found at plane crash site in French Alps.
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 24, 2015
UPDATE #Germanwings Crash: an other photo showing how strong the impact was http://t.co/wFg8KTSve2 pic.twitter.com/Qqir8RL9Ig
— AirLive.net (@airlivenet) March 24, 2015
17:35 - Lufthansa pilots say "the labor dispute is currently no longer an issue for us," following the crash, Tagesspiegel quotes spokesman for the Vereinigung Cockpit, Jörg Handwerg as saying. Before that, the French air traffic controllers' union SNCTA had canceled an announced strike from Wednesday to Friday.
17:30 - One of plane's black boxes reportedly found
French media are quoting Christophe Castaner, deputy for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, as saying: "One of the black boxes of the aircraft was found" though they do not know its precise content.
EDITION SPECIALE | #CrashA320 @Ccastaner "L'une des boites noires de l'avion a été retrouvée" Ss que l'on sache son contenu précis.
— France Info (@franceinfo) March 24, 2015
17:20 The French police tweeted that a no-fly zone has been issued over the area.
#Germanwings La zone du #CrashA320 du vol #4U9525 est bouclée. Le survol aérien y est interdit par arrêté préfectoral pic.twitter.com/3qJC8G2tmR
— GendarmerieNationale (@Gendarmerie) March 24, 2015
17:10 Mayor of Haltern am See Bodo Klimpel spoke at a press conference about the schoolchildren from the city who were on the plane.
"Haltern is deeply shocked," Klimpel said. "We expect the worst."
17:00 Unconfirmed: possible survivor reported
Someone named by the Haute Provence newspaper as policeman David Galtier has said that rescuing survivors is an "urgent" priority after his team saw "a body that moved". This remains unconfirmed.
The president said about an hour after the crash that there was unlikely to be any survivors.
Police said about an hour ago that "there's no need for rescue operations, everyone is dead."
16:50 A DPA reporter wrote that the White House said officials do not believe the crash to be related to terrorism.
White House spokesperson: "There is no indication of a nexus to terrorism at this time." #Germanwings #U49525
— Marco Mierke (@dc_reporter) March 24, 2015
16:40 Schalke 04 captain Benedikt Höwedes, a native of Haltern, has expressed his sadness about the schoolchildren who died in the air crash today.
"Everyone knows that I'm from Haltern and still have many friends and relatives there today," he wrote on Twitter.
"I'm unfathomably said about the horrific accident and wish all the families and loved ones the strength to get through this."
1/2 Jeder weiß, dass ich aus Haltern am See komme und dort bis heute viele Freunde und Verwandte habe. pic.twitter.com/a5zSJO1AEB
— Benedikt Höwedes (@BeneHoewedes) March 24, 2015
2/2 Ich bin unfassbar traurig über das schreckliche Unglück und wünschen allen Familien und Angehörigen die Kraft dieses zu überstehen.
— Benedikt Höwedes (@BeneHoewedes) March 24, 2015
16:37 Snow could be affecting access to crash site. Ski instructor and mountain guide Mathieu Subé, who lives in the neighbouring town to Barcelonnette said that it began to snow a little before 2pm.
He explained to Catalan daily La Vanguardia that access to the accident site was "very difficult" and said bad weather would worsen access even more as the day went on.
16:34 Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt are in the air on the way to the crash site.
Minister #Steinmeier+#Dobrindt auf dem Weg zum Unglücksort. Enge Koordinierung mit #Frankreich. #GermanWings #4U9525 pic.twitter.com/qac6PkbVV4
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
16:30 Local newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré has the first images from the scene of the crash:
16:09 President Joachim Gauck has cut short his visit to South America and will return to Germany rather than travel on to Uruguay from Peru.
16:07 North Rhine-Westphalia schools minister Sylvia Löhrmann tells Westdeutsche Rundfunk "we know that the school group boarded the aircraft".
15:58 French Prime Minister Manuel Valls says that a helicopter has landed at the scene of the crash and confirmed that there are no survivors.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has arrived on the scene.
Le ministre de l'intérieur Bernard Cazeneuve visage fermé, traits graves #crash pic.twitter.com/WEq9oDGnVc
— David Coquille (@DavidLaMars) March 24, 2015
15:30 Local newspaper the Halterner Zeitung learns from the town's Joseph-König Gymnasium (secondary school) that 16 pupils and two teachers were aboard the crashed plane after an exchange in Barcelona.
Some parents were still arriving at Düsseldorf airport at around 15:00 not knowing of the crash.
15:27
Rescue workers gather in Seyne, south-eastern France, near the site where a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed. pic.twitter.com/e0qFNMS8PW
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) March 24, 2015
15:26 Germanwings says there was no communication with the aircraft before it crashed. The plane had been in service since 1991 more or less constantly, they said.
15:16 Germanwings CEO Thomas WInkelmann confirmed at the press conference that 67 Germans were among the dead.
"We will make the nationalities of all the victims known as soon as they are beyond doubt," he said.
15:10 Germanwings is currently holding a press conference.
They confirmed that 144 passengers, including two babies, and six crew including two pilots and four flight attendants were aboard.
The plane had undergone a routine mechanical check on Monday in Düsseldorf, less than a day before its final flight. Its last major service was in summer 2013 - as called for under the manufacturer Airbus' maintenance schedule.
The pilot had more than 10 years' experience with Lufthansa and Germanwings, and a total of 6,000 flight hours on the A320 model.
The plane entered a dive a minute after it reached cruising altitude of 38,000 feet and fell for eight minutes before French radar lost touch at 10:53 at around 6,000 feet.
Germanwings, Lufthansa, and Airbus technicians are on their way to the crash site to help the investigation in any way they can.
"Together with the authorities we will do everything to understand the cause of this accident as quickly and comprehensively as possible," Germanwings CEO Thomas Winkelmann said.
14:57 Germanwings has cancelled a first flight following the crash, 4U9764 from Düsseldorf to Zurich. Long lines are forming at the check-in desk.
14:55 A spokesman for the town of Haltern in North Rhine-Westphalia has confirmed that they "have to assume" some of their schoolchildren were aboard the plane to the Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper.
14:46 The BBC warns that approaching snow and bad weather will make search and rescue operations difficult in the Alps on Tuesday:
Weather deteriorating for #GermanWings #4U9525 search & rescue operation with snow above 1500m in S French Alps. CF pic.twitter.com/Uf8e1M0otE
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) March 24, 2015
14:38 Chancellor Merkel made a brief media statement on TV. She said she would travel to the crash site on Wednesday with the minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia Hannelore Kraft. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt are already on their way.
"Now in this sad hour we must think about the victims and their families and friends," she said.
14:26 Images from the emergency services operation now underway in the Alps:
Rescue teams near #4U9525 crash site http://t.co/zU6hn03xzU (pics via @ActuSecours) #Germanwings pic.twitter.com/IDeO1SpaM4
14:23 Some 15 of the victims were German students returning home after a student exchange trip with Catalonia’s Giola Institute, a secondary school in Linars del Vallès, a staff member confirmed to The Local.
14:13 AFP reports that two Spanish TV channels say a group of 20 German schoolchildren returning from an exchange were among the passengers on flight 4U9525.
14:12 British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond says the UK is working closely with France, Germany and Spain.
Saddened to learn of plane crash in Alps today. Thoughts are with those affected. We're working closely with #French, #German & #Spanish.
— Philip Hammond (@PHammondMP) March 24, 2015
14:06 Government spokesman Steffen Seibert says Chancellor Merkel will speak at 14:30.
Kanzlerin #Merkel ist über Absturz deutscher Maschine #4U9525 tief erschüttert, sie äußert sich um 14:30, http://t.co/FZd4JKPF6t
— Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecher) March 24, 2015
14:04 French President Francois Hollande said the 150 people killed in the crash included Germans, Spaniards and "probably" Turks.
He said that he could not say with "total certainty" that no French nationals were aboard the flight.
14:02 Lufthansa and Germanwings have both blacked out their logos on Twitter in mourning for the victims of the crash:
13:57 Düsseldorf airport has left its arrivals board entry for flight 4U9225 blank:
The blank space on the arrival board in Dusseldorf. #Germanwings #CrashA320 http://t.co/srA88OzmoO pic.twitter.com/lgLGC4cz5D
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) March 24, 2015
13:50 Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel say that he is "stunned" by news of the crash and is thinking of the victims and their loved ones.
"They need every support," he wrote on Facebook. "Completely personally and in the name of German social democracy I express my deep sorrow."
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Post by Sigmar Gabriel.
13:46 Chancellor Angela Merkel is "deeply shocked" by the plane crash and has spoken by phone with French President Francois Hollande and Spanish Prime Minister Maro Rajoy.
Germany's ambassador in France is on the way to the crash site.
Merkel has cancelled other appointments for the day and will be following news of the crash as it unfolds. She plans to make a media statement later today.
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Post by Bundesregierung.
13:44 A police helicopter said the crash happened in a mountainous area called Les Trois Eveches, rising to 1,400 metres and very difficult to access, AFP reported.
A witness who was skiing in the area described having "heard an enormous noise", a French television channel reported.
The French civil aviation authority said the plane disappeared from radar screens after issuing the distress call over Barcelonette, about 100 km north of the resoirt of Cannes.
13:33 Germanwings has confirmed the crash via Twitter. It said that 144 passengers and 6 crew were aboard.
UPDATE: Wir müssen leider bestätigen, dass Flug 4U9525 auf dem Flug von BCN nach DUS über den französischen Alpen verunglückt ist ...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
Es handelt sich um ein Flugzeug vom Typ A320. An Bord waren 144 Passagiere und 6 Crew-Mitglieder. Lufthansa und Germanwings ...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
The airline has set up a hotline for anyone with relatives on board to get in touch.
haben eine Telefon-Hotline geschaltet: Unter der kostenfreien Telefonnummer 0800 11 33 55 77 FREE können sich Angehörige von Fluggästen melden...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
12:59 Leading German politicians have been expressing their condolences over the tragedy. Justice Minister Heiko Maas said it was “a terrible tragedy. I'm shocked. Thinking of the victims and their loved ones.”
Schlimme Nachrichten aus Südfrankreich. Eine schreckliche Tragödie. Bin erschüttert. In Gedanken bei den Opfern u. Angehörigen. #germanwings
— Heiko Maas (@HeikoMaas) March 24, 2015
Meanwhile Europe Minister Michael Roth called it a “horrible tragedy”.
Eine furchtbare Tragödie. Effroyable tragédie. #Germanwings
— Michael Roth MdB (@MiRo_SPD) March 24, 2015
12:56 Germany's Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said that "Our thoughts are with those who have to fear that their loved ones may be among the victims". The Foreign Ministry has opened a hotline for people affected by the crash:
AM #Steinmeier: Unsere Gedanken sind bei denjenigen, die darum fürchten müssen, dass ihre Angehörigen unter den Opfern sind. #4U9525
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
AM #Steinmeier zu Flugzeugabsturz in FRA: Schreckliche Nachricht. Haben Krisenstab+Krisenhotline unter 030 5000 3000 eingerichtet. #4U9525
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
12:42 French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has tweeted, saying "this morning's air drama has plunged France into deep sorrow. Compassion and solidarity with the families of all the victims."
Le drame aérien de ce matin plonge la France dans une profonde tristesse. Compassion et solidarité avec toutes les familles des victimes. MV
— Manuel Valls (@manuelvalls) March 24, 2015
12:34 EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulic tells reporters in Brussels: "We have no details about this accident, all we know is from media reports.
"We are working with French, German and Spanish authorities including the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) to get more details."
"All I can say is that our thoughts are with those people on board and those relatives and we hope we will be able to provide information in a timely manner," Bulic says.
12:32 Shares in Airbus, the European aerospace giant, fell on news of the accident, down 1.77 percent to 58.94 euros in Paris at 1100 GMT after briefly sliding two percent.
12:27 French President Francois Hollande says there were likely "many German victims" in the crash.
Meanwhile, the French Interior Ministry says it has activated its crisis unit.
#Crash #Barcelonnette #A320 : la cellule interministérielle de crise située @Place_Beauvau été activée par @manuelvalls cc @gouvernementFR
— Ministère Intérieur (@Place_Beauvau) March 24, 2015
12:24 This image from Flightradar24 shows that the plane was losing height for ten minutes before the crash:
Geschwindigkeit und Höhe von Flug #4U9525 deuten wohl auf Sinkflug hin... 10 Minuten lang Höhe verloren: pic.twitter.com/K9dI00EnJK
— Christian Mutter (@christianmutter) March 24, 2015
12:14 French President Francois Hollande said that no survivors are expceted from the crash, AFP reported.
"I want to express all my solidarity to the families of the victims. We will set up a psychological unit."
"Je veux exprimer aux familles des victimes toute ma solidarité. Une cellule psychologique va être constituée" @fhollande #DirectPR
— Élysée (@Elysee) March 24, 2015
"I will speak with Chancellor Angela Merkel and King Felipe VI of Spain who is visiting us today," he said.
"Je m'entretiendrai avec la chancelière Angela Merkel et le roi Felipe VI d'Espagne qui nous rend visite aujourd'hui" @fhollande #DirectPR
— Élysée (@Elysee) March 24, 2015
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has confirmed that the wreckage has been found and emergency crews and firefighters are on their way to the scene.
12:02 Flight tracking website Flightradar24 has some information about the specific plane involved in the crash:
Germanwings A320 D-AIPX is one of the oldest A320 with serial number 0147 and was delivered in Nov 1990 #4U9525 pic.twitter.com/SW9ykvWtnW
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 24, 2015
11:59 Germanwings says they "do not have any confirmed information" about the crash so far.
INFO: We have recently become aware of media reports speculating on an incident though we still do not have any own confirmed information...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
INFO: We have recently become aware of media reports speculating on an incident though we still do not have any own confirmed information...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
... Please monitor our website http://t.co/5mVrxAZ08K for periodic updates.
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
11:47 Flightradar24 has an image of the plane's last known position:
Germanwings flight #4U9525 (registration D-AIPX) was lost from Flightradar24 at 6800 feet at 09.39 UTC time. pic.twitter.com/vZaQMUlLaZ
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 24, 2015
11:45 French radio broadcaster Europe1 reported that the plane disappeared from radar screens at around 11am.
The flight, number GWI9525, took off at 10.01am from Barcelona and was due to land in Düsseldorf at 11.49am
Regional newspaper La Provence reported that there were 142 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants on board.
French authorities told the newspaper that the flight had declared an emergency at 10:47 am while descending to 5,000 feet.
Police helicopters confirmed that an A320 had crashed close to the commune of Prads-Haute-Bleone in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region.
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KEY POINTS:
- Airline Germanwings confirmed 144 passengers and six crew aboard flight 4U9525. They believe 67 Germans were among them
- A school in Haltern, North Rhine-Westphalia says 16 pupils and 2 teachers from school exchange class among victims
- Germanwings hotline at 0800 11 33 55 77 FREE and Foreign Ministry hotline at 030 5000 3000
- Chancellor Angela Merkel to travel to crash site on Wednesday, along with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
- Two French officials have said that a black box has been found at the crash site.
19:28 Lufthansa is working on the assumption that the crash on Tuesday of an Airbus operated by its budget carrier Germanwings was an accident, the airline's vice president said.
"For the time being, we say it's an accident, anything else would be speculation," Lufthansa vice president Heike Birlenbach told reporters at Barcelona's El Prat airport from where the plane took off.
19:20 French journalist Eric Miguet has photos from the crash scene taken by emergency workers:
#crashA320 : une des photos prises par la sécurité civile sur place pic.twitter.com/dOJv6Bn5ij
— Eric Miguet (@EricMiguet) March 24, 2015
#crashA320 : "l'avion s'est complètement désintégré" souligne un secouriste de la sécurité civile. pic.twitter.com/M9IkSArdYV
— Eric Miguet (@EricMiguet) March 24, 2015
#crashA320 : un pilote de la sécurité civile montre la zone d'impact pic.twitter.com/QckEFAHLr3
— Eric Miguet (@EricMiguet) March 24, 2015
19:18 Germany's Foreign Ministry is flying its flags at half mast this evening:
Flaggen am @AuswaertigesAmt auf Halbmast - Wir trauern um die Opfer von Flug #4U9525. #GermanWings #Airbus320 pic.twitter.com/ik6oZ5gcLV
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
19:13 An air crash expert tells DPA that "it will be a month before we know more exactly about the cause of the crash."
But he believes it is unlikely there was any problem with the maintenance of the aircraft.
"Lufthansa doesn't differentiate between the parent company's and the subsidiary's planes," Thomas Saquer of Frost and Sullivan told the news agency.
18:50 Germanwings press conference: CEO Thomas Winkelmann explains that they believe crash was an accident and promise further updates early tomorrow morning. Teams from Germanwings, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Technik, Airbus and German air accident investigators are en route to crash scene.
18:30 A press conference by Germanwings is beginning soon.
18:28 Spain's Deputy Prime Minister declares three official days of mourning.
#Steinmeier+#Dobrindt in #Marseille eingetroffen; Abstimmung mit @RoyalSegolene. Jetzt weiter zum Unglücksort #4U9525 pic.twitter.com/uHOhr2m13x
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
18:15 Airlive.net tweeted footage from the crash site.
BREAKING First raw video footage of #Germanwings #4U9525 crash site: http://t.co/wFg8KTSve2 pic.twitter.com/XRYH6PsQpJ
— AirLive.net (@airlivenet) March 24, 2015
18:05 The German Football Association tweeted that team members will wear black ribbons on Wednesday in memory of the victims.
#DFBTeam to wear black ribbon against the @Socceroos tomorrow: http://t.co/6vxzWxApqH #4U9525 #Germanwings #GERAUS pic.twitter.com/sjox7PpCdN
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) March 24, 2015
18:00 CONFIRMED: Black box found
BREAKING: French interior minister: A black box has been found at plane crash site in French Alps.
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 24, 2015
UPDATE #Germanwings Crash: an other photo showing how strong the impact was http://t.co/wFg8KTSve2 pic.twitter.com/Qqir8RL9Ig
— AirLive.net (@airlivenet) March 24, 2015
17:35 - Lufthansa pilots say "the labor dispute is currently no longer an issue for us," following the crash, Tagesspiegel quotes spokesman for the Vereinigung Cockpit, Jörg Handwerg as saying. Before that, the French air traffic controllers' union SNCTA had canceled an announced strike from Wednesday to Friday.
17:30 - One of plane's black boxes reportedly found
French media are quoting Christophe Castaner, deputy for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, as saying: "One of the black boxes of the aircraft was found" though they do not know its precise content.
EDITION SPECIALE | #CrashA320 @Ccastaner "L'une des boites noires de l'avion a été retrouvée" Ss que l'on sache son contenu précis.
— France Info (@franceinfo) March 24, 2015
17:20 The French police tweeted that a no-fly zone has been issued over the area.
#Germanwings La zone du #CrashA320 du vol #4U9525 est bouclée. Le survol aérien y est interdit par arrêté préfectoral pic.twitter.com/3qJC8G2tmR
— GendarmerieNationale (@Gendarmerie) March 24, 2015
17:10 Mayor of Haltern am See Bodo Klimpel spoke at a press conference about the schoolchildren from the city who were on the plane.
"Haltern is deeply shocked," Klimpel said. "We expect the worst."
17:00 Unconfirmed: possible survivor reported
White House spokesperson: "There is no indication of a nexus to terrorism at this time." #Germanwings #U49525
— Marco Mierke (@dc_reporter) March 24, 2015
16:40 Schalke 04 captain Benedikt Höwedes, a native of Haltern, has expressed his sadness about the schoolchildren who died in the air crash today.
1/2 Jeder weiß, dass ich aus Haltern am See komme und dort bis heute viele Freunde und Verwandte habe. pic.twitter.com/a5zSJO1AEB
— Benedikt Höwedes (@BeneHoewedes) March 24, 2015
2/2 Ich bin unfassbar traurig über das schreckliche Unglück und wünschen allen Familien und Angehörigen die Kraft dieses zu überstehen.
— Benedikt Höwedes (@BeneHoewedes) March 24, 2015
Minister #Steinmeier+#Dobrindt auf dem Weg zum Unglücksort. Enge Koordinierung mit #Frankreich. #GermanWings #4U9525 pic.twitter.com/qac6PkbVV4
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
16:30 Local newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré has the first images from the scene of the crash:
16:09 President Joachim Gauck has cut short his visit to South America and will return to Germany rather than travel on to Uruguay from Peru.
16:07 North Rhine-Westphalia schools minister Sylvia Löhrmann tells Westdeutsche Rundfunk "we know that the school group boarded the aircraft".
15:58 French Prime Minister Manuel Valls says that a helicopter has landed at the scene of the crash and confirmed that there are no survivors.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has arrived on the scene.
Le ministre de l'intérieur Bernard Cazeneuve visage fermé, traits graves #crash pic.twitter.com/WEq9oDGnVc
— David Coquille (@DavidLaMars) March 24, 2015
15:30 Local newspaper the Halterner Zeitung learns from the town's Joseph-König Gymnasium (secondary school) that 16 pupils and two teachers were aboard the crashed plane after an exchange in Barcelona.
Some parents were still arriving at Düsseldorf airport at around 15:00 not knowing of the crash.
15:27
Rescue workers gather in Seyne, south-eastern France, near the site where a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed. pic.twitter.com/e0qFNMS8PW
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) March 24, 2015
15:26 Germanwings says there was no communication with the aircraft before it crashed. The plane had been in service since 1991 more or less constantly, they said.
15:16 Germanwings CEO Thomas WInkelmann confirmed at the press conference that 67 Germans were among the dead.
"We will make the nationalities of all the victims known as soon as they are beyond doubt," he said.
15:10 Germanwings is currently holding a press conference.
They confirmed that 144 passengers, including two babies, and six crew including two pilots and four flight attendants were aboard.
The plane had undergone a routine mechanical check on Monday in Düsseldorf, less than a day before its final flight. Its last major service was in summer 2013 - as called for under the manufacturer Airbus' maintenance schedule.
The pilot had more than 10 years' experience with Lufthansa and Germanwings, and a total of 6,000 flight hours on the A320 model.
The plane entered a dive a minute after it reached cruising altitude of 38,000 feet and fell for eight minutes before French radar lost touch at 10:53 at around 6,000 feet.
Germanwings, Lufthansa, and Airbus technicians are on their way to the crash site to help the investigation in any way they can.
"Together with the authorities we will do everything to understand the cause of this accident as quickly and comprehensively as possible," Germanwings CEO Thomas Winkelmann said.
14:57 Germanwings has cancelled a first flight following the crash, 4U9764 from Düsseldorf to Zurich. Long lines are forming at the check-in desk.
14:55 A spokesman for the town of Haltern in North Rhine-Westphalia has confirmed that they "have to assume" some of their schoolchildren were aboard the plane to the Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper.
14:46 The BBC warns that approaching snow and bad weather will make search and rescue operations difficult in the Alps on Tuesday:
Weather deteriorating for #GermanWings #4U9525 search & rescue operation with snow above 1500m in S French Alps. CF pic.twitter.com/Uf8e1M0otE
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) March 24, 2015
14:38 Chancellor Merkel made a brief media statement on TV. She said she would travel to the crash site on Wednesday with the minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia Hannelore Kraft. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt are already on their way.
"Now in this sad hour we must think about the victims and their families and friends," she said.
14:26 Images from the emergency services operation now underway in the Alps:
Rescue teams near #4U9525 crash site http://t.co/zU6hn03xzU (pics via @ActuSecours) #Germanwings pic.twitter.com/IDeO1SpaM4
14:23 Some 15 of the victims were German students returning home after a student exchange trip with Catalonia’s Giola Institute, a secondary school in Linars del Vallès, a staff member confirmed to The Local.
14:13 AFP reports that two Spanish TV channels say a group of 20 German schoolchildren returning from an exchange were among the passengers on flight 4U9525.
14:12 British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond says the UK is working closely with France, Germany and Spain.
Saddened to learn of plane crash in Alps today. Thoughts are with those affected. We're working closely with #French, #German & #Spanish.
— Philip Hammond (@PHammondMP) March 24, 2015
14:06 Government spokesman Steffen Seibert says Chancellor Merkel will speak at 14:30.
Kanzlerin #Merkel ist über Absturz deutscher Maschine #4U9525 tief erschüttert, sie äußert sich um 14:30, http://t.co/FZd4JKPF6t
— Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecher) March 24, 2015
14:04 French President Francois Hollande said the 150 people killed in the crash included Germans, Spaniards and "probably" Turks.
He said that he could not say with "total certainty" that no French nationals were aboard the flight.
14:02 Lufthansa and Germanwings have both blacked out their logos on Twitter in mourning for the victims of the crash:
13:57 Düsseldorf airport has left its arrivals board entry for flight 4U9225 blank:
The blank space on the arrival board in Dusseldorf. #Germanwings #CrashA320 http://t.co/srA88OzmoO pic.twitter.com/lgLGC4cz5D
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) March 24, 2015
13:50 Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel say that he is "stunned" by news of the crash and is thinking of the victims and their loved ones.
"They need every support," he wrote on Facebook. "Completely personally and in the name of German social democracy I express my deep sorrow."
13:46 Chancellor Angela Merkel is "deeply shocked" by the plane crash and has spoken by phone with French President Francois Hollande and Spanish Prime Minister Maro Rajoy.
Germany's ambassador in France is on the way to the crash site.
Merkel has cancelled other appointments for the day and will be following news of the crash as it unfolds. She plans to make a media statement later today.
13:44 A police helicopter said the crash happened in a mountainous area called Les Trois Eveches, rising to 1,400 metres and very difficult to access, AFP reported.
A witness who was skiing in the area described having "heard an enormous noise", a French television channel reported.
The French civil aviation authority said the plane disappeared from radar screens after issuing the distress call over Barcelonette, about 100 km north of the resoirt of Cannes.
13:33 Germanwings has confirmed the crash via Twitter. It said that 144 passengers and 6 crew were aboard.
UPDATE: Wir müssen leider bestätigen, dass Flug 4U9525 auf dem Flug von BCN nach DUS über den französischen Alpen verunglückt ist ...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
Es handelt sich um ein Flugzeug vom Typ A320. An Bord waren 144 Passagiere und 6 Crew-Mitglieder. Lufthansa und Germanwings ...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
The airline has set up a hotline for anyone with relatives on board to get in touch.
haben eine Telefon-Hotline geschaltet: Unter der kostenfreien Telefonnummer 0800 11 33 55 77 FREE können sich Angehörige von Fluggästen melden...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
12:59 Leading German politicians have been expressing their condolences over the tragedy. Justice Minister Heiko Maas said it was “a terrible tragedy. I'm shocked. Thinking of the victims and their loved ones.”
Schlimme Nachrichten aus Südfrankreich. Eine schreckliche Tragödie. Bin erschüttert. In Gedanken bei den Opfern u. Angehörigen. #germanwings
— Heiko Maas (@HeikoMaas) March 24, 2015
Meanwhile Europe Minister Michael Roth called it a “horrible tragedy”.
Eine furchtbare Tragödie. Effroyable tragédie. #Germanwings
— Michael Roth MdB (@MiRo_SPD) March 24, 2015
12:56 Germany's Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said that "Our thoughts are with those who have to fear that their loved ones may be among the victims". The Foreign Ministry has opened a hotline for people affected by the crash:
AM #Steinmeier: Unsere Gedanken sind bei denjenigen, die darum fürchten müssen, dass ihre Angehörigen unter den Opfern sind. #4U9525
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
AM #Steinmeier zu Flugzeugabsturz in FRA: Schreckliche Nachricht. Haben Krisenstab+Krisenhotline unter 030 5000 3000 eingerichtet. #4U9525
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 24, 2015
12:42 French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has tweeted, saying "this morning's air drama has plunged France into deep sorrow. Compassion and solidarity with the families of all the victims."
Le drame aérien de ce matin plonge la France dans une profonde tristesse. Compassion et solidarité avec toutes les familles des victimes. MV
— Manuel Valls (@manuelvalls) March 24, 2015
12:34 EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulic tells reporters in Brussels: "We have no details about this accident, all we know is from media reports.
"We are working with French, German and Spanish authorities including the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) to get more details."
"All I can say is that our thoughts are with those people on board and those relatives and we hope we will be able to provide information in a timely manner," Bulic says.
12:32 Shares in Airbus, the European aerospace giant, fell on news of the accident, down 1.77 percent to 58.94 euros in Paris at 1100 GMT after briefly sliding two percent.
12:27 French President Francois Hollande says there were likely "many German victims" in the crash.
Meanwhile, the French Interior Ministry says it has activated its crisis unit.
#Crash #Barcelonnette #A320 : la cellule interministérielle de crise située @Place_Beauvau été activée par @manuelvalls cc @gouvernementFR
— Ministère Intérieur (@Place_Beauvau) March 24, 2015
12:24 This image from Flightradar24 shows that the plane was losing height for ten minutes before the crash:
Geschwindigkeit und Höhe von Flug #4U9525 deuten wohl auf Sinkflug hin... 10 Minuten lang Höhe verloren: pic.twitter.com/K9dI00EnJK
— Christian Mutter (@christianmutter) March 24, 2015
12:14 French President Francois Hollande said that no survivors are expceted from the crash, AFP reported.
"I want to express all my solidarity to the families of the victims. We will set up a psychological unit."
"Je veux exprimer aux familles des victimes toute ma solidarité. Une cellule psychologique va être constituée" @fhollande #DirectPR
— Élysée (@Elysee) March 24, 2015
"I will speak with Chancellor Angela Merkel and King Felipe VI of Spain who is visiting us today," he said.
"Je m'entretiendrai avec la chancelière Angela Merkel et le roi Felipe VI d'Espagne qui nous rend visite aujourd'hui" @fhollande #DirectPR
— Élysée (@Elysee) March 24, 2015
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has confirmed that the wreckage has been found and emergency crews and firefighters are on their way to the scene.
Germanwings A320 D-AIPX is one of the oldest A320 with serial number 0147 and was delivered in Nov 1990 #4U9525 pic.twitter.com/SW9ykvWtnW
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 24, 2015
11:59 Germanwings says they "do not have any confirmed information" about the crash so far.
INFO: We have recently become aware of media reports speculating on an incident though we still do not have any own confirmed information...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
INFO: We have recently become aware of media reports speculating on an incident though we still do not have any own confirmed information...
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
... Please monitor our website http://t.co/5mVrxAZ08K for periodic updates.
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
11:47 Flightradar24 has an image of the plane's last known position:
Germanwings flight #4U9525 (registration D-AIPX) was lost from Flightradar24 at 6800 feet at 09.39 UTC time. pic.twitter.com/vZaQMUlLaZ
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 24, 2015
11:45 French radio broadcaster Europe1 reported that the plane disappeared from radar screens at around 11am.
The flight, number GWI9525, took off at 10.01am from Barcelona and was due to land in Düsseldorf at 11.49am
Regional newspaper La Provence reported that there were 142 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants on board.
French authorities told the newspaper that the flight had declared an emergency at 10:47 am while descending to 5,000 feet.
Police helicopters confirmed that an A320 had crashed close to the commune of Prads-Haute-Bleone in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region.
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