Earlier this morning we told you about yet another plane that had gone missing. Recent reports are suggesting that the missing plane has in fact crashed. It will be the third plane in almost a week to crash. What in the heavens is happening with aviation?

There were few clear indications of what might of [sic] happened to the aircraft, or whether there were casualties, but Burkino Faso Transport Minister Jean Bertin Ouedrago said it asked to change route at 0138 GMT because of a storm in the area.

“I can confirm that it has crashed,” the Algerian official told Reuters, declining to be identified or give any details about what had happened to the aircraft on its way north.

Almost half of the passengers were French citizens, an airline official said.

Two French fighter jets based in the region have been dispatched to try to locate the airliner along its probable route, a French army spokesman said. Niger security sources said planes were flying over the border region with Mali to search for the flight.

With reports of sand storms in the area at the time the plane was in flight, it does seem likely that this is probably the cause, but there are no reports of where it crashed, what kind of state the wreckage is in and whether or not there are casualties. We all await more details somewhat nervously and hope that this is the last aviation disaster we will need to keep an eye on for the year at least.

Full report at Times Live.