Messages from Air France flight point to rudder problem

A BURST of last-minute automatic messages sent by Air France Flight 447 includes one about a problem with a rudder safety device, but that does not explain what sent the jet plunging into the Atlantic Ocean, an aviation expert said.

Meanwhile, the head of the parent company of the jet’s manufacturer said yesterday that the plane likely crashed for a variety of reasons.

The aviation industry official, who has knowledge of the Air France investigation, said on Saturday that a transcript of the messages posted on the website EuroCockpit is authentic but inconclusive.