Characteristics of bodies found in Air France Flight 447*.
1. There are no burns, and the bone structure is basically preserved. What this means: if the plane had exploded or completely disintegrated in the air before hitting the sea surface, the bodies would show burns or have their bone structure completely destroyed. At least the part of the cabin where these victims were reached the surface reasonably intact.
2. Clear sign of the so-called "four fractures." What this means: the forensic medicine term identifies victims with fractures in the middle thirds of their legs and arms. This happens in accidents where the impact with the water occurs while passengers are seated in their seats.
3. Pink teeth. What this means: hemorrhage in the tooth pulp is typical of death by suffocation. The presence of this sign in the passengers of AF 447 whose bodies were examined is strong evidence that they died quickly and without suffering. Suddenly exposed to the thin air of the upper atmosphere and a temperature of negative 60 degrees, they lost consciousness before dying.
4. Clothes and documents. What this means: the fact that many were dressed, with documents and even boarding passes in their pockets, reinforces the thesis that at least a part of the plane fell into the sea with the cabin exposed to the air, but not yet completely destroyed. If this part of the cabin had disintegrated in the air, the victims' clothes would have been torn to shreds by the high-speed friction with the air, like the sails of a boat in a strong storm.
*Air France Flight 447 was en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when it disappeared from radar over the Atlantic between May 31 and June 1, 2009, with 228 people on board.
