Thursday, May 19, 2016

EgyptAir MS804: What We Know

Update (May 21st, 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time): 
CBS News has reported that the black boxes containing flight data and cockpit voice recordings have been located at the site of the crash. This information is coming from Egyptian government officials and has not been confirmed.  
The Egyptian military recently released photos of the debris recovered from the MS804 crash site.  
Officials from the BEA, France's air accident investigation unit, said that the ACARS data released yesterday showing smoke in the cabin indicates the start of a fire onboard.  

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Update (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time):  
There was smoke detected in the cabin of MS804, according to flight data filed through the A320 aircraft's ACARS system. A smoke alarm first went off at 2:26 a.m local time in the lavatory of the A320. At 2:27 a.m. smoke was detected in the aircraft's avionics.  Various faults were reported and sensors went off after that before the ACARS system stopped recording at 2:29 a.m. 
Shifting to the search for MS804, while investigators have found debris from MS804, including body parts, suitcases, and aircraft parts, they have not been able to locate the aircraft's black box, which contains important flight data. MS804 crashed in a choppy area of the Mediterranean Sea with deep underwater canyons and mountains that could easily be hiding major parts of the wreckage. Hopefully the rest of the aircraft wreckage will be found soon 

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Update (7:00 a.m. Eastern Time):  
The Egyptian military has found wreckage from EgyptAir flight MS804 in the Mediterranean Sea 180 miles from the Egyptian city of Alexandria, according to Reuters. Personal belongings of the missing passengers were also found among the debris.  
The Egyptian Military along with France, Turkey, Greece, and the U.S. Navy are still searching the waters of the Meditteranean for the plane's black box. We'll update you when that is found. 
There was more chatter Friday from government and intelligence sources about MS804. 
French Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault told French TV: "We're looking at all possibilities, but none is being favored over the others because we have absolutely no indication on the causes of the crash."  
According to Reuters, various unnamed sources at U.S. intelligence agencies who have reviewed the satellite imagery have not seen an explosion at the time of the crash. 

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 Original Post:
At DCA Aviation our hearts go out to all of the families and friends of the victims of the EgyptAir Flight 804 tragedy.  
Earlier today EgyptAir flight 804 tragically crashed in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. All 66 people aboard the A320 en route to Cairo from Paris are believed to be dead. The cause of the crash is unknown. Whenever a plane crash occurs, the media industry, specifically cable news, devotes countless hours to covering the tragedy. These hours of coverage are filled with speculation on what caused the aircraft to crash by so-called aviation "experts" who are paraded out every time a major aircraft tragedy occurs. In the face of this endless premature speculation, we must stop and think about what really matters. Think about all the families and friends who unexpectedly lost loved ones today. Think about all the anguish and mourning they're going through-the questions they have, the anger they feel. We should know much more about the crash in the coming weeks. Now is not the time to speculate wildly just for better ratings. 
(This Post Will be Updated as New Information is Released) 
*** 
EgyptAir flight 804 took off from Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport at 11:09 p.m. local time. The A320 was carrying 56 passengers and 10 crew members. At 1:39 a.m. the plane entered Greek airspace. The captain of MS804 was said to be "in good spirits" when contacted by ATC, according to Greek officials. At 2:42 a.m. local time MS804 lost contact with Greek ATC. Three minutes later the aircraft disappeared from radar.  
According to the Greek defense minister Panos Kammeno, MS804 made a 90 degree turn to the left then spun around 360 degrees to the right before dropping 23,000 feet. The aircraft disappeared at an altitude of 10,000 feet. 
Before leaving for Cairo from Paris, the A320 operating MS804 made stops in Tunisia and Eritrea. 
As of 10:15 p.m eastern time no remains of MS804 have been found. Earlier today there were reports that life jackets from the crash had been recovered off the Greek island of Karpathos, 230 miles from the crash site. However, Athanassios Binis, head of Greece’s Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board told Greek State TV that the wreckage did not come from MS804. An Egypt Air official later backed up that claim. 
Currently the cause of the crash is not known. Until a thorough investigation has been conducted any speculation on what has caused the crash of MS804 is just that: speculation.   
Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi said the possibility of a terror attack causing the crash is higher than the possibility of the aircraft experiencing a technical failure. 
Alexander Bortnikov, chief of Russia's top domestic security agency said: "In all likelihood it was a terror attack." 
Jean-Paul Troadec, the former head of France’s air-accident investigation team: “There’s a strong possibility of an explosion on board from a bomb or a suicide bomber. The idea of a technical accident, when weather conditions were good, seems also possible but not that likely." 
We should know more information soon and will update this post appropriately. 
  

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