Local CG crews help search for plane

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Coast Guard crews from Portsmouth are helping officials on the other side of the world coordinate the search efforts for the missing AirFrance flight.

Local officials are using a simulation program that is helping with the search for crews off the coast of South America. The program assists with locating debris fields.

"[On Tuesday] we provided information to the rescue coordination center in France concerning the AirFrance aircarft. We took some debris positions and water movements, and with the weather data, determined where the incident may have happened," said local Coast Guard member Matthew Brook.

The plane was flying from Rio de Janiero to Paris when it disappeared. Officials believe it crashed over the Atlantic.

Crews from Brazil and France are currently over what they believe may be the scene and looking for the flight data recorder, known as the black box. Aviation officials are hoping to determine the exact cause of the crash.