“Plane sent 24 error messages” prior to vanishing and presumably crashing, according to the BBC.

The Air France jet which went missing over the Atlantic sent 24 error messages before it crashed, French investigators say.

The messages came as the plane’s systems shut down, France’s top air accident investigator said. Its autopilot was not switched on.

French weather experts said there was no evidence the plane, carrying 228 people, hit an “exceptional” storm.

The Airbus A330 vanished en-route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on Monday.

Brazilian search teams believe they have spotted debris from the plane, but no piece has yet been recovered from the sea.

On Friday, French Defence Minister Herve Morin said a French submarine was being sent to join in the searsh since it had sonar equipment that could help locate the airliner’s flight data recorders.