xcitation, look no further than the performance of Dakar.
At 1 h 46, the DAKAR controller asked the ATLANTICO controller for further information regarding flight AF447 since he had no flight plan. The ATLANTICO controller provided the following elements: A332, from SBGL to LFPG, SELCAL: CPHQ.
The DAKAR OCEANIC Regional Control Centre created the flight plan and activated it. The result of this was to generate a virtual flight following the planned trajectory in the DAKAR FIR between TASIL and POMAT. There was no radio contact between AF447 and DAKAR, nor any ADS-C connection. [Bolding not in original. There is no indication that Dakar ever attempted to contact AF 447, or have another airplane contact AF 447 during the entire time (1 hour and 25 minutes) that AF447 was supposedly transiting the Dakar FIR.]. The flight remained virtual.....
At 2 h 47 min 00 s, the DAKAR controller coordinated flight AF447 by telephone (ATS/DS) with the SAL controller (Cape Verde) with the following information: passing the POMAT point (leaving the DAKAR FIR) estimated at 3 h 45, FL350, Mach 0.82.
At 2 h 48 min 07 s, the DAKAR controller told the SAL controller that flight AF447 had not yet established contact with him. [AF447 was to enter the Dakar FIR at Tasil at 0220.]
At 3 h 54 min 30 s, the SAL controller called the DAKAR controller by telephone (ATS/DS) to confirm the estimated time for passing the POMAT point. The latter confirmed that POMAT was estimated at 3 h 45. The DAKAR controller stated that the crew of flight AF447 had not contacted him to correct its estimate. The SAL controller replied that the estimate was
probably later. He asked the DAKAR controller if there was any change. The DAKAR controller then said that he was going to try to contact flight AF447. [The DAKAR controller apparently makes no effort to contact AF 447.]
At 4 h 07 min 4 s, the SAL controller requested confirmation of the flight AF447 estimate. The DAKAR controller confirmed again that POMAT was estimated at 3 h 45. The SAL controller pointed out that it was 4 h 8 and that the estimate was not correct. The DAKAR controller recalled that contact had not been established with flight AF447. The SAL controller stated that he had identified flight AF459 on his radar whereas its estimate was later than that of flight AF447. The SAL controller said that he thought that the POMAT estimate was later, at 4 h 29 or 4 h 30. The Dakar controller told the SAL controller that he would call him back.
At 4 h 11 min 53 s, the DAKAR controller asked flight AF459 to contact flight AF447. At 4 h 20 min 27 s, the crew of AF459 informed the DAKAR controller that they were passing point POMAT at FL370. They had not succeed in contacting flight AF447 and said that they had sent a message to Air France so that the airline should try to contact flight AF447. [This is 2 hours after AF447 should have entered Dakar FIR,]
At 4 h 21 min 52s, the DAKAR controller asked the ATLANTICO controller to confirm that flight AF447 had passed TASIL at 2 h 20 at FL350. The ATLANTICO controller confirmed that TASIL was estimated at 2 h 20 but that no contact had been made.
At 4 h 18, the crew of flight AF459 sent a message to Air France so that the airline should try to contact flight AF447. At 4 h 24, Air France asked flight AF447 by ACARS to contact DAKAR OCEANIC
At 4 h 37 min 7 s, the DAKAR controller asked the SAL controller if he had still not been able to contact flight AF447 and informed him that, according to the ATLANTICO controller, the flight should have left the FIR at 2 h 20 and consequently the POMAT estimate should be 3 h 45.
At 4 h 39 min 42 s, the DAKAR controller asked the ATLANTICO controller to confirm that he had not had contact with flight AF447. The latter replied that he had not had contact at TASIL but that the first contact was at INTOL at 1 h 33. The DAKAR controller told the ATLANTICO controller that SAL had not established contact either.
.......
At 5 h 01 min 34 s, the DAKAR controller asked the CANARIAS controller if he was in contact with AF447. The latter replied that he had no information.
At 5 h 09 min 15 s, the ATLANTICO controller asked the DAKAR controller if he had any news of flight AF447. The DAKAR controller replied that he hadn’t and then the ATLANTICO controller requested confirmation that the flight was already in the SAL FIR. The DAKAR controller replied: "yes, no worry". He also confirmed that SAL had not established contact with flight AF447.
At 5 h 50, after several unsuccessful attempts to obtain information on flight AF447, Air France contacted the SARSAT (Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking) centre. The latter had not detected any beacon transmission. Acting upon the advice of SARSAT, Air France contacted the Cinq Mars La Pile Regional Control Centre.