Brazil and France in row over ‘wreckage find’ from disaster jet

AS Brazil and France disagreed last night about whether pieces of a downed Air France jet have been found in the Atlantic, investigators used the last messages from the plane to try to avoid future disasters.

Brazilian officials have insisted for three days that military pilots have spotted wreckage from Flight 447 scattered across the ocean’s surface. Air Force Brig Gen Ramon Cardoso again expressed confidence yesterday that at least some of the objects – an airplane seat, a slick of kerosene and other pieces – are from the plane that vanished with 228 people on board, including three Irish women.

“This is the material that we’ve seen that really was part of the plane,” he said.