PARIS, June 1, 2009 (AFP) - A missing Air France passenger jet with 228 people on board was probably struck by lightning and suffered an electrics failure as it flew through a fierce Atlantic storm, the firm said Monday.

"The most likely thing is that the plane was hit by lightning. The plane was in a stormy area with strong turbulence, which provoked problems," said Francois Brouse, Air France's director of communications.

In a separate statement, the airline said the plane's systems had sent an automatic error message at 0214 GMT Monday reporting a "fault in an electronic circuit" during its flight from Rio de Janeiro towards Paris.