Tape Uncovers No EgyptAir Defect
Extensive review of recorded cockpit conversations on EgyptAir Flight 990 has found no evidence that an explosion or mechanical problem caused the plane to crash into the ocean, federal aviation investigators say.
“No sounds have been detected that would be consistent” with such an explanation, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall said Friday.
Investigators still are pursuing the cause of the crash, including a theory that a relief co-pilot, Gameel Batouty, for unknown reasons sent the Boeing 767 into the steep dive that carried all 217 aboard to their deaths in the Atlantic Ocean off Massachusetts on Oct. 31.
Hall said a substantial portion of the work on the 31 1/2-minute recording has been completed and working transcripts compiled.
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