Pilot Details Possible Troubles Faced by Air France Flight

MARGARET WARNER:

The majority of the passengers on Flight 447 were French and other Europeans and Brazilian, but Air France says two Americans were also on board.

We take a closer look now at what could explain Flight 447's disappearance. For that, we turn to Ben Berman, a commercial airline pilot and the former chief of major investigations for the National Transportation Safety Board.

Mr. Berman, thank you for coming in.

BEN BERMAN, former National Transportation Safety Board official: You're very welcome.

MARGARET WARNER:

Let's start — there are many mysteries here, but let's start with the first one. Why is it so hard to pinpoint exactly where this plane went down and when?

BEN BERMAN:

Well, over the domestic United States, all the airliners are in radar contact from ground-based radar facilities. But out over the middle of the ocean, there's no radar, because it's got to be sitting on the ground and have its antenna radiating from there.

So there's tracking of the aircraft by air traffic controllers, but it's done by voice communications and in some cases by data link, reporting in position every once in a while over certain fixes.

MARGARET WARNER:

So there really are periods where a plane is flying and it's not in touch with anyone?

BEN BERMAN:

That's true, but in all cases an airplane could be in touch. Most airplanes now of that size and nature are equipped with satellite phone communications. And so, in the event of trouble, the pilots could pick up the phone, in a sense, and get in contact with their companies or with air traffic controllers. And in this case, they didn't do that.