Air France Flight 447 crashes, 228 dead

Air France Flight 447 carrying 228 people to Paris, France, from Rio de Janerio, Brazil, was reported missing on Monday morning, June 1. It would later be reported that all passengers aboard the Airbus A330 had died.

"This is a catastrophe the likes of which Air France has never seen before," French President Nicolas Sarkozy told CNN reporters at Charles de Gaulle International Airport.

Air France officials told USA Today that an "automatic message" was sent from the plane that indicated an electrical problem as it flew through an area of thunderstorms and turbulence, that "it is uncertain what role -- if any -- that may have had with the flight's disappearance."

Faulty speed-sensors on the side of the plane are now being blamed but Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told reporters that he is "not convinced that the sensors are the cause of the accident." He did however state that the sensors had not been replaced in quite some time.

On board the plane were several nationalities including two Americans, Michael Harris, 60, and his wife, Anne, 54. Michael was a company geologist in Rio de Janerio for Devon Energy based out of Oklahoma.

Mary Miley, sister of Anne, told CNN.com that the couple had been living in the city since July 2008. They were going to Paris for a training seminar for Michael and for a vacation.

Terrorism has not been ruled out as a possible cause of the crash.