<P> On 5 June 2009, the BEA cautioned against premature speculation as to the cause of the crash . At that time, the investigation had established only two certain facts: the weather near the aircraft's planned route included significant convective cells typical of the equatorial regions; and the speeds measured by the three pitot tubes had differed from each other during the last few minutes of the flight . </P> <P> On 2 July 2009, the BEA released an intermediate report, which described all known facts, and a summary of the visual examination of the rudder and the other parts of the aircraft that had been recovered at that time . According to the BEA, this examination showed that: </P> <Ul> <Li> The airliner was likely to have struck the surface of the sea in a normal flight attitude, with a high rate of descent; </Li> <Li> There were no signs of any fires or explosions . </Li> <Li> The airliner did not break up in flight . The report also stresses that the BEA had not had access to the post-mortem reports at the time of its writing . </Li> </Ul> <Li> The airliner was likely to have struck the surface of the sea in a normal flight attitude, with a high rate of descent; </Li>

2009 crash of an air france airbus 330