[longjack]

Things seem to be coming out slowly.

It's hard to imagine how the authorities know the plane had problems even though it didn't send out an SOS. Maybe the pilots were talking with ATC the entire time while trying to get it back in, then lost it suddenly.

It also seems that the information about the plane turning back came out 4 or 5 hours after the reports that the plane had crashed, which was 3 or 4 hours after the crash itself. The plane crashed at 10:45 PM EST last night by my calcualtions.

I have no idea if this time line is usual, so I'll have to defer to those people who know what they're talking about.

OTOH, all the material coming out is consistent with a mechanical failure such as the rudder issues these planes are known to have.

Egypt certainly doesn't want to scare away tourists, so they will be very careful with issuing statements, I'm sure.

longjack

[SteveAustin]

There is a story out that says this:

"Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry initially ruled out terrorism, calling the crash an "accident" apparently caused by a mechanical problem. Egypt's civil aviation minister says there was some sort of malfunction and there was little the crew could do to save to plane"

How in a few hours does this Minister know all this? And if he does, why doesn't he elaborate on the specifics of the problem if it was only mechanical?

In the US, would we accept it if Rumsfeld got on the air a few hours after a crash like this and said "oh, it was all mechanical, we just know this" and nothing more was said?

This thing does smell bad.

[longjack]

I found this interesting tidbit near the botom of a "Spiegel" article. Evidently they had a reader call in who had flown on that very aircraft in November:

Excerpt....

According to information from a "SPIEGEL ONLINE" reader who flew with the plane in November, the Boeing didn't seem very well cared for, though. The seat backs were wobbly, everything crackled and looked almost shabby.

.....

Apparently, the plane had been taken over from an airline company in a Spanish speaking area, because in many spots there had still been messages that could be read in Spanish. However, the crew made a competent impression, and take offs and landings ran optimally, as well.

"Spiegel Online"...."Die Verwandten stehen unter Schock"

Translated by longjack

[thesummerwind]

the information about the plane turning back came out 4 or 5 hours after the reports that the plane had crashed, which was 3 or 4 hours after the crash

Yep, here we go again. Remember right after Flight 587 went down when a few citizens were shown on N.Y. TV having seen the plane blow up near its middle. All of a sudden, those reports were pulled, like a bad thread here at FR. This smells real bad.