Russian Plane Crash: Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Hossam Kamal Confirms Noise On Cockpit Recorder

Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Confirms Noise Heard On Cockpit Recorder
Egyptian officials inspect the crash site of Russian Airliner in Suez, Egypt on November 01, 2015. A Russian Airbus-321 airliner with 224 people aboard crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on yesterday. According to Egypts Civil Aviation Authority, the plane had been lost contact with air-traffic controllers shortly after taking off from the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh en route to St Petersburg. (Photo by Alaa El Kassas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Egyptian officials inspect the crash site of Russian Airliner in Suez, Egypt on November 01, 2015. A Russian Airbus-321 airliner with 224 people aboard crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on yesterday. According to Egypts Civil Aviation Authority, the plane had been lost contact with air-traffic controllers shortly after taking off from the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh en route to St Petersburg. (Photo by Alaa El Kassas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Egypt's civil aviation minister confirmed on Saturday an unidentified noise was picked up by the cockpit recorder in the final seconds before the Russian MetroJet plane crashed in the Sinai Peninsula last weekend.

The revelation confirmed media reports on Friday in which investigators said a recorded noise pointed to a bomb as the cause of the disaster, which killed all 224 people on board.

Hossam Kamal said the cockpit voice recorders captured the sound before the aircraft broke up in mid-air, but the origin is as-yet unknown. Investigators are looking at "all possible scenarios" as to the cause, he said. The plane exploded 23 minutes and 14 seconds after it left Sharm el-Sheikh airport, climbing at around 30,888-feet. Kamal said the debris footprint, which was spread over 13 kilometres, was consistent with the plane breaking up in mid air.

The wreckage is currently en route to Cairo, where teams from Russia, Germany, France, Ireland and Egypt, as well as the manufacturer Airbus, will examine it. "It could be lithium batteries with one of the passengers, it could be an explosion in the fuel compartment – all the scenarios are on the table, I cannot exclude anything.” Said Kamal.

On Saturday, a Thomas Cook flight left Sharm el-Sheikh heading for the UK as airlines continue their efforts to repatriate British tourists stranded in the resort. The flight was one of nine flights scheduled to return holidaymakers to Britain.

British Tourists Stranded at Sharm El-Sheikh

Close

What's Hot