Air France Flight 447, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, went off the radar on the morning of June 1, 2009. The Airbus 330-200 sent an automated message stating the plane had an electrical short circuit as it crossed through a thunderstorm and experienced turbulence over the Atlantic Ocean.Guardian Unlimited: Air France Plane: 'no Hope' of Survivors (June 1, 2009) The last contact the plane made was at about 8:30 p.m. EST, on the evening of Sunday, May 31, 2009.CNN.com: Missing Air France Jet 'hit by Electric Fault' (June 1, 2009)

By June 27, 2009, 51 bodies had been recovered.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526824,00.html On July 2, 2009, French investigators reported that the plane was intact when it crashed into the ocean.http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/07/02/air.france.report/index.html

Speculation that the plane was affected by a 50,000-foot thunderstorm was made by meteorologist Henry Margusity. The plane reportedly sent a number of automated distress message to air traffic control, which typically mean that on-board systems have failed.Bloomberg: France Sends Planes, Ships... (June 1, 2009)

Hours later, there was still no sign of the plane. Authorities continued to search for the plane, which had 216 passengers, including seven children and a baby on board. There were also 12 crew members on the flight including three pilots and nine stewardesses.Official Site: Flight Air France 447 Rio de Janeiro Bloomberg.com: Air France Airbus A330 Missing After Reporting Fault (June 1, 2009)

According to reports later in the day, a pilot for the Brazilian airline TAM had reported seeing "orange points" on the ocean along the route taken by Flight 447. After finding out about the plane's disappearance, the pilot speculated that what he had seen were bits of its burning wreckage.CBS News: Vast Search Of Atlantic Ocean For Air France Jet (June 1, 2009)

According to reports, two Americans were on board Air France Flight 447. Michael and Anne Harris relocated from the Houston, Texas, area to Brazil in July 2008. Michael Harris worked as a geologist for Devon Energy. Anne Harris' sister said the couple were traveling to Paris, France, for a training seminar.CNN: Wreckage seen in search area for missing plane