French navy: Submarine picked up signals from AF447 FDR, CVR

The French navy said yesterday that it believes one of its submarines last summer recorded signals emitted by the elusive Air France Flight 447 flight data and cockpit voice recorders and has narrowed down the area in the Atlantic Ocean where the devices may be found. The French BEA had searched unsuccessfully for the FDR and CVR from the A330-200 that crashed last May 31, killing 228 (ATWOnline, Dec. 18, 2009). But the navy said a recently completed detailed analysis of signals received by its submarines in the weeks after the crash, made possible by sophisticated Thales-produced software, has revealed a 40-sq.-mi. "zone" where it believes the FDR and CVR are located.

BEA said a search could begin as early as today. French officials cautioned that it still may be difficult to recover the devices, which could be at deep depths, but said the "significantly narrowed" search area offers new hope. The new area identified by the navy contrasts with the approximately 700-sq.-mi. area that was searched previously.