It's been over three years since the Airbus A320 performing EgyptAir flight 804 tragically crashed while flying over the Mediterranean Sea. However, there are fresh concerns over the cause of the incident.
What happened?
The aircraft departed Paris Charles de Gaulle for Cairo on May 19, 2016. Unfortunately, on the way there, the plane crashed, causing fatalities to all of the 66 people on board.
Reportedly, smoke was detected in the A320's avionics bay and restrooms. There are also reports that a fire broke out at the front of the aircraft, for passengers to rush to the rear of the plane but no mayday calls were received. Ultimately, the debris of the aircraft has since been recovered, along with the cockpit voice and data recorders.
View from the Wing looked at the process of the investigation that followed. Some of the points from the follow up that was conducted by authorities are clashing.
Conflicting investigations
Seven months after the incident, the government of Egypt announced that it was the result of a bomb. There were allegedly parts of explosives found on the bodies of the passengers.
Furthermore, French authorities also made its own investigation due to French citizens being onboard the flight. However, France is skeptical about Egypt's claim as it is unsure how it would be possible to identify these traces of explosive devices in the sea.
Extra findings
Additionally, The Wall Street Journal has now shared a leak from a French judicial probe. The documents allege that a leak of oxygen in the cockpit preceded a fire.
Furthermore, they state that the plane's automated messages show that it registered serious mechanical errors on its final five flights. Thereafter, the pilots and airline’s technical center in Cairo may have ignored those errors, according to the report.
Also, maintenance is said to have been done twice on the cockpit oxygen systems, with one of them completed three days before the accident. However, EgyptAir’s documentation regarding these checks have since disappeared.
Ultimately, the key point that stands out from the Wall Street Journal's report is that the plane should have been checked during its previous four operations and that it should not have been flown after the appearance of repeated faults.
Sensitive situation
Nonetheless, the incident is extremely unfortunate and we have to be careful when considering all the factors involved.
Altogether, our thoughts are with the loved ones of those who passed away in the crash. We also hope that there is a proper conclusion to the investigation.
We will update the article with any further announcements regarding the events.
What are your thoughts on the EgyptAir flight 804 incident? Let us know what you think in the comment section.