THE crew piloting a doomed Air France jet over the Atlantic did not realise the plane was in a stall, were insufficiently trained in flying manually, and never informed the passengers that anything was wrong before they plunged into the sea.

AN INTACT Air France Flight 447 slammed belly first into the Atlantic Ocean at a high speed, a top French investigator has said, adding that problems with the plane’s speed sensors were not the direct cause of the crash.

The Air France Airbus that crashed into the Atlantic killing 228 people, among them three Irish nationals, plunged vertically into the ocean intact and at high speed, investigators said today.

The Air France Airbus that crashed off Brazil killing 228 people, among them three Irish nationals, did not break up in flight but plunged vertically into the Atlantic, experts said today.