Brazilian and French searchers have found 16 bodies from a crashed Air France jet and retrieved a large amount of debris from the plane. It plunged into the Atlantic ocean in the worst air disaster since 2001, one week ago.

A handout picture from the Brazilian Air Force shows Brazilian Navy divers recovering a huge part of the rudder of the Air France Airbus A330 out of the Atlantic Ocean, some 745 miles (1,200 km) northeast of Recife. [Xinhua/Brazilian Air Force/Handout]

The bodies were recovered about 70 kilometers from where the jet sent out messages signaling electrical failures and loss of cabin pressure.

Brazilian and French military ships also found the tail section with Air France's trademark red and blue stripes. It is one of the biggest pieces yet recovered from wreckage.

Authorities also announced that searchers spotted two airplane seats and debris with Air France's logo, and recovered dozens of structural components from the plane.

They had already recovered jet wing fragments, and said hundreds of personal items believed to be from passengers were plucked from the water.

While Brazilian officials are focusing on the recovery of victims and wreckage from flight 447, France is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.