The following is the English translation of the video commentary.
In a few hours, a final search operation attempting to locate the wreckage of Air France flight 447 will be launched from this harbor, in Suape, Brazil.
A crew of 34 has been deployed for this operation that will last 16 weeks and use 3 autonomous underwater vehicles to locate the wreckage.
The operation is smaller than the last one, but it is designed to cover the search area in 4 months.
Over the last 12 months, the BEA has been adjusting its strategic approach.
Jean-Paul Troadec, Director of the BEA, comments:
"Last time, our strategy targeted a relatively limited area, located in the North West region of the perimeter where we believe the crash occurred. This time, we are going to survey the entire area inside the circle. This was not previously done."
The strategy adopted may be different, but a high level of determination remains:
"This is a really peculiar situation. There are very few instances in which accidents occurred and we were not able to either explain their causes or retrieve flight recorders".
The crew will deploy autonomous underwater vehicles called REMUS 6000, able to operate at depths to 20,000 ft. and navigate over rough terrain. The three vehicles were used at the site in 2010 and demonstrated their effective sonar detection performance and photographic recording abilities.
At the head of this flotilla, Mike Purcell, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who is the chief of sea search operations.
Mike Purcell (WHOI) discusses tactical operations:
"We are going to start searching north of the aircraft's last known position, close to the area where last year's operation ended. Survey, in the first leg, will cover unsearched terrain in a circular area extending 20 nautical miles around the last known position. Some areas may prove more difficult to search considering their rough terrain, but we feel very confident about the ability of REMUS' vehicles to find the plane wreckage."
The search operation is under the authority of the BEA. A specifically appointed safety investigator will remain onboard at all times. Airbus and Air France will cover the financial cost of this operation, estimated at $12.5 million.
Jean Claude Vital, BEA safety investigator, comments:
"I will act as liaison between the crew and fellow investigators of the BEA. When we locate the wreckage, I will start identification and validation procedures before moving on to phase #5."
The search could last up to 100 days and extend over 10,000 km^2. The BEA would then dispatch 3 consecutive onboard investigators. Should the accident site be located, the BEA will immediately move on to phase #5, and focus on retrieving the flight recorders for analysis.