Smoke detected on EgyptAir jet just before crash, investigators report

FRENCH investigators say smoke was detected in multiple places on EgyptAir flight 804 moments before it crashed into the sea.

Egyptians pose for pictures next to ribs of an old boat on the beachfront in Alexandria, Egypt. Picture: AP Photo/Amr Nabil

• Body parts, suitcases found by Egyptian army

• Reports of smoke on aircraft before crash

• Crew named by EgyptAir

• Egyptian presidency confirms loss

• No names from terror watch list on board

• Plane had previously visited Tunisia, Belgium and Eritrea

A FRENCH air accident investigation agency has revealed smoke was detected in multiple places on EgyptAir flight 804 moments before it plummeted into the Mediterranean, but the cause of the crash that killed all 66 on board remains unclear.

Agency spokesman Sebastien Barthe told The Associated Press in Paris that the plane’s automatic detection system sent messages indicating smoke a few minutes before the plane disappeared from radar while flying over the east Mediterranean early on Thursday morning.

The messages, he explained, “generally mean the start of a fire,” but he added: “We are drawing no conclusions from this. Everything else is pure conjecture.” The industry publication Aviation Herald also reported that sensors detected smoke in the plane’s lavatory, suggesting a fire on-board.

Earlier, Egypt’s civil aviation minister told relatives of the passengers of the EgyptAir crash there are “no survivors” from flight MS804, as an act of terror has firmed as the most likely explanation for the attack.

It comes as Egypt’s military recovers human remains, seats and suitcases from a search area 290km north of Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea.

“The Egyptian navy was able to retrieve more debris from the plane, some of the passengers’ belongings, human remains, and plane seats. The search is ongoing,” Egypt’s civil aviation ministry said on Friday.

Egyptian media reported aviation minister Sherif Fathi told families the military was doing all it could to locate the rest of the missing plane which mysteriously vanished en route from Paris to Cairo.

Authorities are also investigating reports the Airbus A320’s computer system sent out automated warning messages indicating smoke in the nose of the aircraft shortly before it crashed.

The Wall Street Journal said the messages, which came just before air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane, indicated intense smoke in the front of the plane, specifically the bathroom and equipment compartment beneath the cockpit.

The messages also indicated an apparent problem with the flight control system.

“We are looking into this report,” an Egyptian civil aviation ministry official told AFP.

“At this point I can’t deny or confirm it.”

CNN also reported smoke alerts on the flight minutes before it crashed, citing information it obtained from an Egyptian source.

Earlier, Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said that it was too early to rule out any cause for the crash. The aviation minister said a terrorist attack was more likely than a technical failure. Some aviation experts have said the erratic flight suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit, but so far no hard evidence has emerged

Although suspicion pointed to Islamist militants who blew up another airliner over Egypt seven months ago, no group had claimed responsibility more than 36 hours after the disappearance of flight MS804.

EgyptAir has named the pilot as Mohamed Said Aly Aly Shakeer and the co-pilot as Mohamed Mamdouh Assem as heartbreaking details about passengers and crew begin to emerge.

The flight attendants were named as Mervat Zaki Zakri Mohamed, Atef Lutfy Abdel Lateef Amin, Samir Ezzedin Safwat Youssef, Haitham Mostafa Azz al Hameed Al Azzizi and Yara Hani Farag Tawfiq.

The three-man security detail included Mohamed Ahmed Abd al Razak Abd al Kareem, Ahmed Mohamed Magdy Ahmad and Mohamed Abdel Monim Al Ghoneimy al Kyal.

Security officials have confirmed no names from terror watch lists were on the manifest. The pilots had passed routine background checks and were said to have “no known political affiliations” an Egyptian minister said.

In Egypt, home to 30 of the victims, grieving families have gathered in mosques for Salat al-Ghaib, or “prayers for the absent,” held for the dead whose bodies have not been found. “This is what is ripping our hearts apart, when we think about it. When someone you love so much dies, at least you have a body to bury. But we have no body until now,” said Sherif al-Metanawi, a childhood friend of the pilot, Mohammed Shoukair.

The Imam of al Thawrah Mosque, Samir Abdel Bary, gives condolences to film director Osman Abu Laban, who lost four relatives in the crash.

Relatives and friends of passengers of the EgyptAir plane that crashed comfort each other.

A relative of missing family including Salah Abu Laban, his wife Sahar Qouidar, their son Ghassan Abu Laban and daughter-in-law Reem al-Sebaei said the news was difficult to take.

Abdel-Rahman al-Nasry told The Associated Press “this is very hard for the family.” Friend Magdi Badr said: “We pray for the victims.”

EgyptAir flight attendant Samar Ezz Eldin is thought to be one of the crew members on board.

Flight co-pilot Mohamed Mamdouh Assem’s Facebook page has been changed to a memorial.

On Friday the European Space Agency said one of its satellites spotted a possible oil slick around the same place the plane disappeared. Images of the two kilometre spill have been passed on to search and rescue operations.

Earlier, Egyptian army spokesman Brig. General Mohammed Samir confirmed the findings on Facebook.

“The Egyptian aircraft and ships also found [Friday] morning personal items of some passengers of the plane,” he said.

Egyptian President Adbel Fattah al-Sisi has expressed “deep sadness and extreme regret” over the crash which is tantamount to acknowledging the deaths of the 66 passengers and crew on board.

It follows French President Francois Hollande’s comments yesterday over the “loss” of the plane.

It also emerged the plane had previously travelled to Eritrea, Tunisia and Belgium before making the trip from Paris to Cairo on which it mysteriously vanished.

Social media pictures of the passengers and crew have begun to surface, including this haunting image that EgyptAir flight attendant Samar Ezz Eldin, 27, posted to her Facebook a year ago depicting a plane crash:

Atef Lotfy Abd Ellatef added a new photo. - Atef Lotfy Abd Ellatef | Facebook

Samar Ezz Eldin - Samar Ezz Eldin added a new photo. | Facebook

EgyptAir confirmed news of the recovery in a statement saying the airline had just received official word from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wreckage had been found near Karpathos Island.

“EgyptAir sincerely conveys its deepest sorrow to the families and friends of the passengers on-board Flight MS804,” the company said.

“Family members of passengers and crew have been already informed and we extend our deepest sympathies to those affected. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Investigation Team in co-operation with the Greek counterpart are still searching for other remains of the missing plane.”

The finding comes after reports from Greek authorities on Thursday who found debris off the coast of Crete that was later proved not to be from the missing plane.

Footage of the search just off the coast of Egypt. Picture: AP Photo/Egyptian Defense Ministry.

Greek authorities say body parts have been found. Picture: AP Photo/Egyptian Defense Ministry.

A relative of a passenger on the EgyptAir flight waits for news in Cairo. Picture: AP/Ahmed Abd el Fattah.

MYSTERY REMAINS

A large scale search for the two black boxes involving military and commercial ships and planes is still underway.

Three French aviation accident investigators and an Airbus technical expert arrived in Cairo on Friday to join an Egypt-led investigation into the disappearance.

The reason for the plane vanishing is unknown although experts have speculated terrorism is a likely cause.

US officials said satellite images have not yet produced any signs of an explosion and mechanical failure or a deliberate act by the pilot or crew are still seen as potential causes.

Yesterday, Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said the Airbus swerved 90 degrees before spinning 360 degrees and plunged from 37,000 feet to 15,000 before vanishing from Greek radar screens.

Greece’s civil aviation boss said calls from air traffic control to the cockpit went unanswered.

The plane was travelling on a three and a half-hour flight from Paris to Cairo with 66 people on board, including one triple Australian-British-Egyptian citizen, Richard Osman.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia was closely working with UK authorities who are providing consular assistance to Osman’s family.

Friends and family members of those on board have gathered at airports in Cairo and Paris to wait for news of their loved ones.

The disaster has been described as a crippling blow to an already struggling economy for Egypt, which is heavily reliant on tourism.

It follows the bombing of a Russian commercial flight over the Sinai Peninsula that killed all 224 people on board in November last year.

— With AP

An engineer inspects a C-130 HAUL of the Hellenic air force, which took part and now is on stand by, in the searching operation of the missing Egypt plane, at the military air base of Kastelli on the southern Greek island of Crete. Picture: Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

A Greek plane taking part in the search which is concentrating on an area south of Crete. Picture: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis.