rgbrock1 said
Understood. Then I have to question why the piece of "debris" is on its way to France?????? I would have imagined that the AF447 crash investigators would have been all over this piece of whatever-it-is shortly after its discovery. Would they not have gone to Guyana to examine it? And, if so, wouldn't they have known pretty much with certainty that it is, or is not, a piece of AF447?
It just seems odd that the debris, from whatever it is, was loaded onto a ship headed for France. On the other hand, if it is a piece of an Adriane craft I suppose they wouldn't mind having that back either.
France is in charge of the technical investigation being the State of registration of the aircraft.
From what I have understood from the France2 or France3 reports, the debris that have arrived in France were those found by the Brazilian Navy. About 650 pieces. In August about 450 new ones should arrived. These new debris should be the ones retrieved by the French Navy or vessels. Because nobody in France speaks of any debris found nearby Guyana (Kourou space center), I think that the futur debris will come from the crash area. The French Guyana doesn't have the capacity to receive, handle, analyse the debris and conduct such an enquiry. So everything is sent at Toulouse at the Centre d'Essais Aéronautiques.
The BEA Has published the 30th a communiqué:
Press release 30 July 2009
Flight AF 447 on 1st June 2009
A 330 – 200, registered F-GZCP
The Ifremer oceanographic ship “Pourquoi pas?” is currently on site in the area for the second phase of the search for the flight recorders from AF 447. Work to survey the ocean floor has begun in the area considered to be the most likely, with the aid of a side-scan sonar device and the Victor 6000 ROV and Nautile submarine. The flight recorders’ locator beacons having now ceased transmitting, the next step is to identify the place where the airplane wreckage is located, then to search for the recorders.
The BEA recognizes Airbus’ commitment to participate financially in a continuation of the search if a third phase, over a wider area, appears to be necessary.
About the Ifremer, and for the anedocte, if you go here:
Localisation des navires océanographiques de l'IFREMER
you will notice that the "Pourquoi pas?" is shown at Cabo Verde and she has not moved from there since the beginning of June...