| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The flight took off at 04:44 ( EET) from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and was due to have flown to Paris via Cairo. Initially it was thought terrorists may have been involved, as fear of aviation terrorism was high (with several major airlines in previous days cancelling flights on short notice), and British Prime Minister Tony Blair was also holidaying in the Sharm el-Sheikh area. However, recent media reports suggest that the plane crashed due to technical problems, possibly a result of the apparently questionable safety record of the airline (see Flash Airlines for details).
Despite all this speculation, the cause of the crash is unknown. The pilot is said to have made no radio contact. The two ' black boxIn aircraft, the flight data recorder FDR and the cockpit voice recorder CVR are used to record aircraft and pilot behavior in order to analyze accidents, and are usually called " black boxes" by the news media. The main purpose of the device is to reduce' flight recorders have been recovered and investigations continue. This process may take several years.