THURSDAY: AIR ALGERIE AH5017 MD83 (NOT AN AIRBUS) WITH 120 PEOPLE ON BOARD CRASHED NO SURVIVORS

The Swiftair MD-83 wet leased to Air Algerie.

Saturday AM: Four hundred French troops have secured and are now guarding the crash site, as a team of air crash investigators start work. Debris field is confined to a small area.  

The Associated Press reported the flight was carrying 51 French nationals, 27 Burkina Faso nationals, eight Lebanese, six Algerians, five Canadians, two Luxemburg nationals, one Swiss, one Belgian, one Egyptian, one Ukrainian, one Nigerian, one Cameroonian and one Malian.

The UK Foreign Office has confirmed that 1 British National named as David Morgan was also on board.

[Saturday AM]A passenger list has now been published, although official sources are refusing to confirm if it is the final confirmed boarding list:

REYNAUD Zoe (France)
REYNAUD Natahan (France)
REYNAUD Michelle (France)
REYNAUD Laure (France)
REYNAUD Julia (France)
REYNAUD Franck (France)
REYNAUD Estelle (France)
REYNAUD Eric (France)
REYNAUD Bernard (France)
REYNAUD Alexis (France)
MOREAU Christelle (France)
CAMISSOGO Brahima (France)
RAUZIER Jean Marie (France)
RASTORGUEFF Yvan (France)
PARDINA Alain Pierre (France)
REDIN Marie Jesus (France)
CAIlLLERET Elno (France)
CAILLERET Chloé (France)
CAILLERET Bruno (France)
BOINARD CAroline (France)
SOKAMBI Nadège (France)
FLOURY Katell (France)
GALLON Jennifer (France)
TRICOT Frédéric (France)
SCELLIER Patrick (France)
TRAVERS Laurence (France)
KOUSSIKANA Rivel (France)
OUEDRAOGO Vinciana (France)
OUEDRAOGO Seydou (France)
OUEDRAOGO Samson (France)
OUEDRAOGO Noa (France)
OUEDRAOGO Elora (France)
LHEUREUX Maryse (France)
GOUDONELALADEDELHE (France)
SAVADOGO Dessay Celes (France)
JULIA Richard (France)
JULIA Paulina (France)
KABORE Nabolé Mariata (France)
POLICE Nicolas (France)
POLICE Didier (France)
LOUIS Véronique (France)
LOUIS Jason (France)


GINESTE Veronique (France)
GINESTE Rodolphe (France)
GINESTE Mathis (France)
GINESTE Bertrand (France)
GINESTE Adrien (France)
ISNARD Mathieu (France)
VOLANT Maena (France)
PASCARD Jenny (France)
JOLY André (France)
ZOLLER Jutta (France)
KLEIN Calvin (France)
KOUANDA Kadidia (Burkina)
YAMEOGO Aboubacar (Burkina)
DIANE Daouda (Burkina)
BASSINUDIA Rolanda (Burkina)
ZOUNGRANA Ben Arsene (Burkina)
ZOUNGRANA Ahmed Brice (Burkina)
ZOUNGRANA Rabdo Salim (Burkina)
SOMDA Winmalo (Burkina)
SOMDA Wilfried (Burkina)
SOMBIE Arona JeanMichel (Burkina)
OUEDRAOGO Ourda Yaci (Burkina)
RASTORGUEFF Zongo (Burkina)
HASSAN Roukaya (Burkina)
HASSAN Mounji (Burkina)
HASSAN Husein (Burkina)
HASSAN Zayatna (Burkina)
HASSAN Mohamed (Burkina)
KOMPAORE Sandrine (Burkina)
Mankoudougou Ouédraogo (Burkina)
KAM Hervé Magloire (Burkina)
AHER Salah (Burkina)
ZAHER Chayna (Burkina)
ZAHER Ali (Burkina)
Dabiré Somé Baonidome (Burkina)
SANDWIDI Bikyenga Mar (Burkina)
Hassan Hassan (Burkina)
RESTOM Fadi (Liban)
AKDAR Mohamed (Liban)
DEhaini Bilal (Liban)
HAGE Joseph (Liban)
ALSYOUFI Fadi (Liban)
BASMA Randa (Liban)
SOMDA Natahanael (Canada)
SOMDA Arielle (Canada)
KPODA Angélique (Canada)
PREVOST Isabelle (Canada)
PLAN Fabienne (Canada)
GUILLAUME Dominique (Belgique)
DEBAILI Lotfi (Algérie)
MERBAH Omar (Algérie)
MESSAOUDI Boumediene (Algérie)
MESSAHLI Noureddine (Algérie)
KHALDI Mohamed Laid (Algérie)
AREND Camille (Luxembourg)
SIEBENALLER Noémie (Luxembourg)
OGBU Emmanuel Osi Tamr (Nigéria)
DEHAINI RAhan (Allemagne)
DEHAINI Olivier Jabinc (Allemagne)
DEHAINI Malick (Allemagne)
BERNT Corrina (Allemagne)
MBIA Houkemajou Loren (Cameroun)
ASRAF Hegaly Ahmed (Egypte)
DIALLO Bakary (Mali)
MORGAN David (Grande Bretagne)
PINGOU Florie Esther (Suisse)
 

Julian Bray writes: Thursday AM (updated FRIDAY AM): Not a good week for aviation, and some confusion in high places,  as early mistaken reports of an Airbus A320 operated by Air Algerie, (but wet leased from a Spanish company Swiftair)  had 'gone missing from radar'  - agencies say contact was 'lost some 50 minutes after take off' on a scheduled flight number AH5017 from Quagadougou, in Burkino Faso to Algiers. 

But later reports from the Spanish owners Swiftair claim the missing aircraft, is in fact an older slim bodied MD83, the type widely used at one time by Alitalia, before their Airbus fleet. The MD83 wet leased to Air Algerie to take care of increased passenger traffic at this time of year.

Courtesy: TIME   Note: The body shape of the aircraft in the graphic appears to be distorted so isn't an MD83 which has a much longer slimmer body, see our picture.

The MD-83 is now confirmed as having crashed in Mali, possibly due to adverse weather conditions.  A international search process has already been put into operation by the operators and regional authorities.  [Friday] The black box flight data recorder has been recovered, from the crash. No survivors.

It was last seen at 1.17am local time and due to land in Algiers at 5.10am, but clearly never reached the destination.

"In keeping with procedures, Air Algerie has launched its emergency plan," Air Algerie officials, quoted by APS news agency, said.

The plane is wet leased from Spanish airline Swiftair. In a statement Swiftair gave the aircraft type as an MD83 and they were unable to establish contact with the plane.

Ougadougou is virtually in a straight line south of Algiers, which vectors over 'troubled' Mali where conflict continues in the north.

A senior French official said it was unlikely fighters in Mali had weaponry that could shoot down a plane, but did not rule out the use of shoulder mounted manpads surface to air missiles.


JULIAN BRAY, Journalist, Broadcaster, Aviation Security &Ops,Travel/Cruise Industry Expert, EQUITY, NUJ UK Tel: 01733 345581 (HOME ISDN NEW NUMBER 01733 345020) e&oe