CDG airport scenes as Air France jetliner disappears en route to Paris from Rio

(1 Jun 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of bus outside airport terminal
2. Long shot of two women who were purportedly waiting for passengers of disappeared Air France plane inside bus, hugging
3. Wide of arrivals hall
4. Various of arrival board showing flight information including flight from Rio de Janeiro
5. Various of police inside terminal
6. Wide of arrivals board
7. Two security officials walking
8. Various of people in arrivals hall
9. Police telling people to keep back
STORYLINE
People at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport were waiting for information after an Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris lost contact with air traffic controllers over the Atlantic Ocean, officials said Monday.
Brazil began a search mission off its northeastern coast.
Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330, had 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board, company spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand said. The flight left Rio on Sunday at 7 p.m. local time (2200 GMT Sunday).
About four hours later, the plane sent an automatic signal indicating electrical problems while going through strong turbulence, Air France said.
The plane "crossed through a thunderous zone with strong turbulence" at 0200 GMT on Monday. An automatic message was received at 0214 GMT "signalling electrical circuit malfunction."
The plane disappeared about 190 miles (300 kilometres) northeast of the coastal Brazilian city of Natal, near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, a Brazilian air force spokesman said.
The air force began a search began on Monday morning near Fernando de Noronha, he added, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with air force policy.
The region is about 1,500 miles northeast of Rio.
Air France said the 216 passengers included one infant, seven children, 82 women and 126 men. It says the plane entered service in 2005 and last underwent maintenance April 16.
A police official on Fernando de Noronha said the weather was clear last night into this morning.
Aviation experts said it was clear the plane was not in the air any longer, due to the amount of fuel it would have been carrying.
Barrand said the airline set up an information centre at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport for the families of those on board. That centre said 60 French citizens were on the plane. Italy said at least three passengers were Italian.
The flight was supposed to arrive in Paris at 0915 GMT (11:15 a.m. local time), according to the airport.
France's minister in charge of transport, Jean-Louis Borloo, said the worst could be expected relating to the fate of the aircraft.
Airbus declined to comment until more details emerge.
The Airbus A330-200 is a twin-engine, long-haul, medium-capacity passenger jet, and is 58.8 meters (190 feet) long, according to Airbus. It is a shortened version of the standard A330, and can hold up to 253 passengers.
It first went into service in 1998, there are 341 in use worldwide. It has a range of up to 7,760 miles (12,500 kilometres).
French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his "extreme worry" and sent ministers to Charles de Gaulle airport to monitor the situation.

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