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EgyptAir flight MS804: Hollande confirms crash – live updates Egyptair flight MS804: crash could have been terror or technical, Egypt says – live
(35 minutes later)
12.57pm BST
12:57
Our map on the flight’s last movements has been updated
12.55pm BST
12:55
France’s parliament has confirmed a two-month extension of the state of emergency that has been in place since November’s attacks on Paris.
The extension will cover the Euro 2016 football tournament and the Tour de France.
“The terrorist threat remains at a high level and France, like the EU, is a target,” said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve ahead of the vote.
The state of emergency was imposed following the 13 November attacks that left 130 people dead in the French capital, and was already extended by three months in February until 26 May.
12.52pm BST
12:52
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has offered assistance.
The organisation’s chief inspector, Keith Conradi, said: “We were saddened to hear that EgyptAir Flight MS804 was reported missing this morning. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has offered to assist the Egyptian authorities with their investigation.”
12.48pm BST
12:48
Fathy urges the media to stop speculating about what caused the crash. He said terrorism and technical causes could not be ruled out.
The last contact was at 2.30am, he confirms. At 2.50 there were failed attempts to contact the plane, he adds.
12.44pm BST
12:44
Egypt’s minister of civil aviation, Sherif Fathy, starts his press conference by stating it has been “difficult day”. He says he will continue to use the phrase “missing plane” until debris is found.
12.40pm BST
12:40
Britain’s foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, has confirmed that a British passport holder was on board the plane.
Deeply concerned by missing #EgyptAir. Can confirm British passport holder was on board & FCO is supporting the missing passenger’s family.
12.38pm BST
12:38
Helena Smith
Greek defence sources are describing time frame between 03:27 to 03:29 as “critical point”, writes Helena Smith.
It was in this two minute period when the plane made a 90 degree swerve left and dropped from 37,000 feet to 15,000 feet before swerving 60 degrees right and vanishing at 10,000 feet ten to 15 miles inside Egyptian air space.
The Greek defence minister Panos Kammenos told reporters in Athens that the country had also scrambled F16 fighter jets to participate in the operation to locate the aircraft off the south eastern Aegean island of Karpathos.
Greek officials are hoping satellite footage may help locate the wreckage.
12.36pm BST
12:36
That press conference by Egypt civil aviation is about to get underway - later than scheduled.
12.31pm BST
12:31
Our latest news story on the crash takes in those comments from François Hollande.
Related: No theory ruled out as Hollande says EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed
12.28pm BST12.28pm BST
12:2812:28
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has chaired a meeting of the country’s national security council. Egypt’s president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has chaired a meeting of the country’s national security council.
His office issued this account of the meeting:His office issued this account of the meeting:
The meeting addressed the disappearance of the EgyptAir flight en route from Paris to Cairo. Minister of Civil Aviation Sherif Fathy presented a report detailing the information available so far on the plane’s disappearance. The National Security Council decided to continue search efforts through Egyptian aircraft and naval vessels and work on unraveling the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the plane at the soonest time possible in collaboration with countries including France and Greece. The council also directed the government to provide all assistance possible to the families of the passengers and crew. It also directed EgyptAir crisis center to follow up on the development of the situation and announce the latest information. The meeting addressed the disappearance of the EgyptAir flight en route from Paris to Cairo. Minister of Civil Aviation Sherif Fathy presented a report detailing the information available so far on the plane’s disappearance. The National Security Council decided to continue search efforts through Egyptian aircraft and naval vessels and work on unraveling the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the plane at the soonest time possible in collaboration with countries including France and Greece. The council also directed the government to provide all assistance possible to the families of the passengers and crew. It also directed EgyptAir crisis centre to follow up on the development of the situation and announce the latest information.
Updated
at 12.30pm BST
11.57am BST11.57am BST
11:5711:57
Greece issues timelineGreece issues timeline
Greece’s civil aviation department has issued this timeline on MS804’s last moments and attempts to reach it:Greece’s civil aviation department has issued this timeline on MS804’s last moments and attempts to reach it:
02:24: EgyptAir flight 804 from Paris to Cairo enters Greek airspace, air traffic controller permissions it for the remainder of its course.02:24: EgyptAir flight 804 from Paris to Cairo enters Greek airspace, air traffic controller permissions it for the remainder of its course.
02:48: The flight is transferred to the next air traffic control sector and is cleared for exit from Greek airspace. “The pilot was in good spirits and thanked the controller in Greek.”02:48: The flight is transferred to the next air traffic control sector and is cleared for exit from Greek airspace. “The pilot was in good spirits and thanked the controller in Greek.”
03:27: Athens air traffic control tries to contact the aircraft to convey information on the switch of communications and control from Athens to Cairo air traffic. In spite of repeated calls, the aircraft does not respond, whereupon the air traffic controller calls the distress frequency, without a response from the aircraft.03:27: Athens air traffic control tries to contact the aircraft to convey information on the switch of communications and control from Athens to Cairo air traffic. In spite of repeated calls, the aircraft does not respond, whereupon the air traffic controller calls the distress frequency, without a response from the aircraft.
03:29: It is above the exit point (from Greek airspace).03:29: It is above the exit point (from Greek airspace).
03:39:40: The aircraft signal is lost, approximately 7 nautical miles south/southeast of the KUMBI point, within Cairo FIR. Immediately the assistance of radars of the Hellenic Air Force is requested to detect the target, without result.03:39:40: The aircraft signal is lost, approximately 7 nautical miles south/southeast of the KUMBI point, within Cairo FIR. Immediately the assistance of radars of the Hellenic Air Force is requested to detect the target, without result.
03:45: The processes of search and rescue are initiated, simultaneously informing the Flight Information Region of Cairo.03:45: The processes of search and rescue are initiated, simultaneously informing the Flight Information Region of Cairo.
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.57am BSTat 11.57am BST
11.53am BST
11:53
No debris has been found, according to another update from the Greek defence minister via Reuters. Greece has also asked for help on sifting through satellite information on the flight.
Greece has asked for assistance on satellite information, no results so far in search - Greek Defence Minister #EgyptAir #MS804
11.50am BST
11:50
'Sudden swerves' before crash
The plane made “sudden swerves” before it came down, the Greek defence minister has said according to Reuters.
11.45am BST
11:45
Reuters has this first take on Hollande’s statement, plus news that French prosecutors have launched an investigation.
No hypothesis can so far be ruled out about the fate of an EgyptAir plane that went missing on its way from Paris to Cairo, French President Francois Hollande said.
“Unfortunately the information we have ... confirms to us that the plane came down and is lost,” Hollande said. “No hypothesis can be ruled out, nor can any be favoured over another.”
Separately, Paris prosecutors said that they were opening an investigation into matter.
11.36am BST
11:36
Hollande's statement
Here’s a translation from BBC of what President Hollande said:
It was feared that this plane had crashed. The information that we have managed to gather confirm alas that this plane has crashed, and it has disappeared. 66 passengers were on board, including the crew and security personnel. Among the passengers there were 15 French citizens. A crisis cell was actioned immediately.
Alongside the Egyptian authorities we are making sure that all the families should be informed during this test. Our thoughts and solidarity and compassion are with them.
We have a duty to know everything about the causes of what happened. No hypothesis should be ruled out. Everything should be put at the disposal of the Greek and Egyptian authorities so that we can liaise with them. We have to send them ships and planes to find where the plane crashed, and to do whatever we can to collect the debris. That will allow us to find the truth.
It could be a terrorist hypothesis but at this stage we should express our solidarity to the families and to find out the cause of the catastrophe.
We will find the truth.
11.24am BST
11:24
Hollande confirms crash
French president François Hollande has confirmed that the plane has crashed. In a TV press conference he said “no hypothesis” could be ruled out on the causes of the crash.
He also offered help from France in the search for debris.
Hollande also offered his “solidarity” with the families of those on board.
11.19am BST
11:19
Greek official: 'the plane has crashed'
Helena Smith
Officials in Athens are convinced the EgyptAir plane has crashed, Helena Smith reports.
In an interview with the Guardian, the head of Greece’s air traffic controllers board insisted there was “no chance” MS804 was still in the air.
“I consider it a fact that the plane has crashed. There is no chance of it still being in the air,” Serafeim Petrou said. “Most probably, and very unfortunately, it is at the bottom of the sea.”
The veteran 61-year-old air traffic controller clarified that the plane was lost on radar screens 18.5km “south of the Greek boundary” in Cairo FIR.
“It did not give any vocal or electronic signal before it disappeared,” he added. “Nothing can be excluded,” he said when asked what may have caused the crash.
“An explosion could be a possibility but, then, so could damage to the fuselage. I think at this point we are talking about wreckage, wreckage at the bottom of the sea and tracing the cause is going to take time.”
Greece has scrambled two C-130 military aircraft, two helicopters (a Super Pumer and Sea Hawk) and a frigate as part of a search and rescue operation now taking place 130 nautical miles south east of the Aegean island of Karpathos.
Updated
at 11.46am BST
11.12am BST
11:12
Here’s the latest summary of what we know:
Updated
at 11.12am BST
10.52am BST
10:52
The director of Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority says air traffic controllers were in contact with the pilot of the EgyptAir flight as it passed through Greek airspace, AP reports.
The director, Konstantinos Lintzerakos, said the plane was at 37,000 feet, traveling at 519 mph, and did not report any problem.
Lyzerakos told private Antenna television that controllers tried to make contact with the pilot 10 miles before the flight exited the Greek Flight Information Range (FIR), but the pilot did not respond. Lyzerakos says controllers continued trying to contact the pilot until 3:39 a.m. Greek time (12.39 GMT) when the plane disappeared from the radar.
Lyzerakos says the plane was in Cairo’s FIR when it vanished.
10.42am BST
10:42
MarineTraffic, a shipping tracking website, has put together an updated video on the ships joining the search in the Mediterranean for the missing plane.
Latest video of the #EgyptAir #MS804 sea search operations! pic.twitter.com/SsMgBI7qnO
10.36am BST
10:36
Greek aircraft have joined the sea search for the missing plane, according to the BBC’s Quentin Sommerville.
Greek Armed Forces have deployed a military C-130 aircraft and one early warning aircraft EMB-145 H in #MS804 search 1/2
Another Greek C-130 is also heading to the area as well the frigate Nikiforos Fokas. A helicopter (1 Super Puma) is also on its way. 2/2
There has been an unconfirmed report that the plane came down 130 miles off the Greek Island of Karpathos.