TWO junior co-pilots panicked as they battled to control an Air France jet as it plunged 38,000ft into the Atlantic Ocean, it was confirmed yesterday.
Investigators said the men were not trained for a high-altitude "stall" which caused the disaster - and the deaths of all 228 people on board.
The passengers, including five Brits, faced a terrifying 3½ minutes as the Airbus 330 flying from Brazil to Paris fell during a thunderstorm in 2009. Captain Marc Dubois, 58, had left the co-pilots in charge while he rested.
The emergency started when the jet suffered a loss of lift, or stall, and air speed sensors failed.
David Robert, 37, and Pierre-Cedric Bonin, 32, ignored normal procedure to lower the plane's nose and raised it instead.
Disaster ... Captain Marc Dubois and right, co-pilot Pierre-Cedric Bonin
Capt Dubois took more than a minute to respond to calls for help as Bonin, whose wife Isabella, 38, was on board, battled to control the jet. Robert then took over in the final minute before impact.
French investigators said: "The situation was salvageable." They recommended mandatory training for high-altitude stalls.
Air France, which faces manslaughter charges, rejected the accusations. 
Crash ... Air France plane
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