Shortly after 9:30 a.m., local time, Air Force officials said a search aircraft had spotted debris about 400 miles north west of Fernando de Noronha, an Atlantic island near where Flight 447 last made radio contact on Sunday night.
The search continues because its very little material given the size of the airplane," said Col. Jorge Amaral, an Air Force spokesman.
The debris was picked up using radar, which detected metallic material in the ocean. Officials said oil and a airplane seat had also been spotted.
The findings are the first evidence of what has been feared since Monday, that the Air France flight and its passengers crashed into the ocean after the plane encountered unknown problems on its flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
Axa - Lead Insurer
French insurance Group Axa S.A. confirmed it is the lead insurer of the jet. He was unable to provide further information, but said the company might be making an announcement giving further details in the near future.