MOSCOW, June 2 (RIA Novosti) - A Brazilian man said his expired passport saved his life and the life of his friend as he was not allowed to board the missing Air France plane, Brazilian media reported on Tuesday.
Joao Marcelo Calaca, 37, and his friend planned a trip onboard the Air France Flight 447, from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, and further to Spain and Portugal. Calaca, however, failed to check in because his passport was two months out of date.
"This stupid mistake saved the lives of my friend and me," the man told the O'Globo newspaper.
He said that his friend decided at the last moment not to board the plane. The next day he found some 25 messages from alarmed relatives and friends, who knew about his plans to visit Europe.
"I turned on the TV and shivered when I heard about the accident," he said. "My feelings are hard to describe. It is a mixture of gladness for being alive and sympathy for the relatives of those who were on this ill-fated flight."
The plane took off from Rio de Janeiro at about 22:00 GMT on Sunday and was last heard from just over four hours later, when it was over the Atlantic Ocean roughly halfway between Brazil and Africa. A total of 216 passengers and 12 crew members were onboard. A search for the plane is ongoing.
The Folha de S.Paulo newspaper wrote about a French couple, who failed to register for the flight.
Medical professor Claude Jaffiol and his wife, who were in Brazil on a holiday, were unable to check in as the plane was full. His friend, a Dutch diplomat, tried to help, but without success.
"He did his best to get us on the plane, but in vain. It was packed," he said.
Gustavo Ciriaco, 39, who was registered for the flight AF447 by mistake, took an earlier plane to France following a long dispute with representatives of the air carrier, Argentina's Infobae news service reported.
Several other people, whose names have not been disclosed, were late for the plane.
The missing passengers include 61 French nationals, 58 Brazilians, 26 Germans, and citizens of 29 other countries. Seven children and one baby were on the plane.
One Russian, Andrei Kiselyov, is believed to have been on board, but the Russian Embassy in Paris has yet to confirm the information.
