Lessons from Air France Flight 447

In the early hours of June 1st, 2009, Air France Flight 447 was crossing

the Atlantic on an overnight journey from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The aircraft,

an Airbus A330, was cruising smoothly at 35,000 feet. Passengers slept, engines hummed,

and everything about the flight appeared normal. Ahead of the aircraft, however,

lay one of the most unpredictable environments on Earth: the Intertropical Convergence Zone. This band of towering

thunderstorms circles the equator, producing intense turbulence, strong updrafts,

and sudden changes in temperature. Commercial jets cross it every day, but doing so requires

attention and respect. The crew of Flight 447 adjusted their path slightly to avoid the strongest