148 Feared Dead
According to initial press reports the plane had 142 passengers on board, with another 6 in the flight crew.
It appears the flight had sent out a distressed signal at 9:47 UTC, minutes before its final moments
The weather conditions at the time of the crash were calm
There is currently a French EC-135 flying above the crash site
According to Sputnik.net, over 240 French firemen and 210 police officers are heading to the crash site. The flight was declared in distress at 10:47 local time near Barcelonnette, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The wreckage of crashed Germanwings Airbus A320 is located at 6,500 feet in the mountains, the French Interior Ministry said.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-24/airbus-a320-carrying-148-crashes-french-alps?page=1I've actually been in this part of the Alps, long time ago...it is very pretty, and rugged, apart from Alpine valley farms and some ski resorts and small towns...not a lot there.
This data is very odd. Something happened and the Vertrate went more negative and altitude began to decrease, but it all looks controlled...there is no radical juking about in lat/long and heading deviates by only 17 around that goofy 14k Vertrate mark (which looks anomalous given no change in altitude), speed is relatively stable until towards the end of the data when it slows to just over 400...
As is normal with crashes, we will have to be patient and see what develops...
For the victims - R.I.P., for the families and friends - thoughts & prayers.