Brazilian air force spots debris of missing plane
Published:Tuesday | June 2, 2009 | 1:23 PM
Brazilian aircraft searching for an Air France jet which went missing with 228 people aboard in an Atlantic storm have spotted debris on the ocean.
The Brazilian air force says a plane seat and other items were sighted 400 miles north-east of Brazil\'s Fernando de Noronha island.
There were also small white pieces of debris, material that may be metallic, and signs of oil and kerosene, which is used as jet fuel.
However it could not be immediately confirmed that the debris came from the Airbus.
Air force spokesman Colonel Jorge Amaral says searchers will now focus their efforts on collecting the debris and trying to identify it.
The jet was heading from Brazil to Paris when it vanished about four hours into its flight, early on Monday.
Meanwhile, airline officials say 80 of the 228 passengers were Brazilians, 73 French, 18 Germans, nine Italians, six US citizens, and the others citizens of 17 other countries.