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| EgyptAir flight MS804 crash: Greece casts doubt on plane wreckage find– live | EgyptAir flight MS804 crash: Greece casts doubt on plane wreckage find– live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.38pm BST | |
| 21:38 | |
| Egyptian and Greek authorities appear to have gotten on the same page, at least to some degree: EgyptAir has retracted its earlier “confirmation” of found debris to CNN. | |
| The airline has yet to make any public statement, but multiple CNN editors and correspondents are reporting that they managed to contact EgyptAir. | |
| Earlier on Thursday the airline’s vice-president personally told CNN he could confirm that MS804 debris had been recovered, only for that report to be contradicted by Greek officials assisting with the search. | |
| BREAKING Egyptair had originally told #CNN "We have found the wreckage," but they have retracted. Flight with 66 ppl aboard is still MISSING | |
| #Egyptair wreckage NOT yet found, debris found not from plane, says Greek air authorities. Egyptair now says VP was wrong in CNN interview. | |
| Updated | |
| at 9.44pm BST | |
| 9.28pm BST | |
| 21:28 | |
| Egypt’s investigation faces difficult obstacles to finding out what exactly brought down MS804, Reuters reports – including basic coordination with other nations. | |
| Egypt will lead the probe with the help of officials from France, where the 12-year-old jet was built and which had the second-largest number of people on board after Egypt, Ayman al-Moqadem, head of Egypt’s air accident agency, said. | |
| A French minister said three investigators from the BEA air crash investigation agency were on their way to Egypt, together with an expert from Airbus. | |
| There was no immediate word on whether the United States, where engine maker Pratt & Whitney is based, would take part. | |
| Under global aviation rules, the country that produced the engines can expect to take part in an air crash investigation. | |
| But a US official said US agencies there fear Egypt will try to keep American investigators at arms length due to historical tensions which date back to the crash of EgyptAir 990 off the U.S. coast in 1999. | |
| Relations between Egyptian and US aviation agencies have been tense since US investigators publicly concluded that a suicidal co-pilot deliberately crashed the Boeing 767. | |
| Egyptian investigators accused the National Transportation Safety Board of twisting evidence to support its suicide theory and produced their own report citing technical problems. | |
| Relations also appeared cool following the bombing of a Russian jet equipped with similar engines over Sinai in October. | |
| “I think certainly during the early and even middle part of that investigation ... a lot of our people were kept at arm’s length,” U. House Intelligence Committee member Adam Schiff told MSNBC. | |
| Safety experts said Egypt had moved noticeably more quickly this time to discuss possible causes including terrorism, though other technical flaws or human error could not be ruled out. | |
| “This is going to be a difficult investigation,” a former investigator familiar with the region said. | |
| Egypt said investigators would start searching for black boxes and gather evidence as soon as the crash site was found. | |
| France’s BEA is expected to play a major role in the underwater hunt after leading the search for an Air France jet that crashed in the Atlantic in 2009 and an Egyptian jet that crashed off Sharm el-Sheikh in 2004, killing French tourists. | |
| Total confusion here in #Cairo. The Greeks are now saying THE wreckage found near the Greek island of Karpathos was NOT from the #MS840 | |
| 8.58pm BST | 8.58pm BST |
| 20:58 | 20:58 |
| Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered the civil aviation ministry, the army’s search and rescue center, the navy, and the air force “to take all necessary measures to locate debris,” Reuters reports. | |
| In a statement issued by his office, Sisi also ordered an investigative committee formed by the civil aviation ministry to immediately start investigating the causes of the plane’s disappearance. | In a statement issued by his office, Sisi also ordered an investigative committee formed by the civil aviation ministry to immediately start investigating the causes of the plane’s disappearance. |
| The Egyptian military has said it did not receive a distress call, the AP reports, though Egypt’s state-run daily Al-Ahram quoted an unidentified airport official as saying the pilot did not send one. | The Egyptian military has said it did not receive a distress call, the AP reports, though Egypt’s state-run daily Al-Ahram quoted an unidentified airport official as saying the pilot did not send one. |
| The absence of a distress call suggests that whatever sent the aircraft plummeting into the sea was sudden and brief. | The absence of a distress call suggests that whatever sent the aircraft plummeting into the sea was sudden and brief. |
| Updated | |
| at 9.22pm BST | |
| 8.46pm BST | 8.46pm BST |
| 20:46 | 20:46 |
| Gwyn Topham | Gwyn Topham |
| The crash of MS804 has again raised fears again about the safety of flying to Egypt and airport security in general, my colleague Gwyn Topham reports. | The crash of MS804 has again raised fears again about the safety of flying to Egypt and airport security in general, my colleague Gwyn Topham reports. |
| In France as in Egypt, the insider threat from airport staff, whether radicalised or induced, has been raised by security experts, who point to the number of screening, baggage, catering, technical and cleaning staff with access to planes. | In France as in Egypt, the insider threat from airport staff, whether radicalised or induced, has been raised by security experts, who point to the number of screening, baggage, catering, technical and cleaning staff with access to planes. |
| One leading expert privately expressed concern about Paris’s major airport, which has had a history of terror-related activity as well as being a target; notoriously, the British shoe bomber Richard Reid travelled from Brussels to Charles de Gaulle to board a flight to Miami in 2001 despite security agents’ concerns. | One leading expert privately expressed concern about Paris’s major airport, which has had a history of terror-related activity as well as being a target; notoriously, the British shoe bomber Richard Reid travelled from Brussels to Charles de Gaulle to board a flight to Miami in 2001 despite security agents’ concerns. |
| Under the state of emergency in France, authorities have searched the lockers of airport staff and carried out checks on the thousands of employees with passes for sensitive airside areas of the airport - revoking access for dozens of staff. Bans on taking liquids or gels through security screening have since been applied to airport and airline crew as well as passengers. | Under the state of emergency in France, authorities have searched the lockers of airport staff and carried out checks on the thousands of employees with passes for sensitive airside areas of the airport - revoking access for dozens of staff. Bans on taking liquids or gels through security screening have since been applied to airport and airline crew as well as passengers. |
| The EgyptAir flight was travelling with three security officers aboard, which has been normal procedure for some decades for numerous airlines in the Middle East. It was not carrying cargo. The security officers would have travelled throughout the plane’s various sectors in the previous 24 hours, which included stops at Carthage airport in Tunis and the Eritrean capital, Asmara. | The EgyptAir flight was travelling with three security officers aboard, which has been normal procedure for some decades for numerous airlines in the Middle East. It was not carrying cargo. The security officers would have travelled throughout the plane’s various sectors in the previous 24 hours, which included stops at Carthage airport in Tunis and the Eritrean capital, Asmara. |
| Despite the wider unrest in Eritrea and the terror threat within Tunisia, where 38 tourists were killed by a local gunman last year, security experts say it is no more likely that any explosive device would have been placed on the plane in north Africa than in Paris. | Despite the wider unrest in Eritrea and the terror threat within Tunisia, where 38 tourists were killed by a local gunman last year, security experts say it is no more likely that any explosive device would have been placed on the plane in north Africa than in Paris. |
| Norman Shanks, former head of security at Heathrow, said European regulations required security screening on every aircraft on a turnaround: “The search wouldn’t be the responsibility of the airport, but the airline, which would either do it themselves or employ a contractor.” That would normally mean checking passenger areas, overhead bins, under seats and all compartments of the aircraft, he said, but added: “How detailed a search it would be is down to the people involved.” | Norman Shanks, former head of security at Heathrow, said European regulations required security screening on every aircraft on a turnaround: “The search wouldn’t be the responsibility of the airport, but the airline, which would either do it themselves or employ a contractor.” That would normally mean checking passenger areas, overhead bins, under seats and all compartments of the aircraft, he said, but added: “How detailed a search it would be is down to the people involved.” |
| David Gleave, an air accident investigator and aviation expert at Loughborough University, said that planting a bomb earlier in the itinerary was no more likely than in Paris: “EgyptAir had three security guards and there are thorough inspection procedures. Leaving a bomb onboard during five sectors [separate journeys] is possible but leaves a lot of issues about it exploding at the right point. | David Gleave, an air accident investigator and aviation expert at Loughborough University, said that planting a bomb earlier in the itinerary was no more likely than in Paris: “EgyptAir had three security guards and there are thorough inspection procedures. Leaving a bomb onboard during five sectors [separate journeys] is possible but leaves a lot of issues about it exploding at the right point. |
| “Barometric timing [triggering through changing air pressure] doesn’t seem to be possible, and the longer you leave a bomb in a plane the more likely it is to be discovered.” | “Barometric timing [triggering through changing air pressure] doesn’t seem to be possible, and the longer you leave a bomb in a plane the more likely it is to be discovered.” |
| Military radar could show the movements of large segments of a plane that had suffered a catastrophic breakup, Gleave said. | Military radar could show the movements of large segments of a plane that had suffered a catastrophic breakup, Gleave said. |
| He said the black boxes, designed to survive the impact, should be relatively easy to retrieve in the Mediterranean compared to other searches - certainly that of MH370. Investigators from the UK AAIB, with recent experience of recovering wreckage from the North Sea coastline, have offered assistance. | He said the black boxes, designed to survive the impact, should be relatively easy to retrieve in the Mediterranean compared to other searches - certainly that of MH370. Investigators from the UK AAIB, with recent experience of recovering wreckage from the North Sea coastline, have offered assistance. |
| Related: Fears over flying to Egypt only increase after crash of flight MS804 | Related: Fears over flying to Egypt only increase after crash of flight MS804 |
| 8.19pm BST | 8.19pm BST |
| 20:19 | 20:19 |
| Greek sources dispute wreckage claim | Greek sources dispute wreckage claim |
| Greek officials have cast doubt on Egypt’s confirmation that it found debris belonging to flight MS804, giving a conflicting account of the findings to the Associated Press and Reuters. | Greek officials have cast doubt on Egypt’s confirmation that it found debris belonging to flight MS804, giving a conflicting account of the findings to the Associated Press and Reuters. |
| Ehab, Badawy, Egypt’s ambassador to France, told the nation’s BFM television: “All I will say is that our embassy in Athens told us that it was contacted by Greek authorities, who signalled that they found white and blue debris corresponding to EgyptAir’s colours.” | Ehab, Badawy, Egypt’s ambassador to France, told the nation’s BFM television: “All I will say is that our embassy in Athens told us that it was contacted by Greek authorities, who signalled that they found white and blue debris corresponding to EgyptAir’s colours.” |
| But Greek sources have told Reuters the material they had found so far was not blue and white. | But Greek sources have told Reuters the material they had found so far was not blue and white. |
| The Associated Press meanwhile has word from an unnamed senior Greek official, who says the debris found so far does not belong to flight MS804. | The Associated Press meanwhile has word from an unnamed senior Greek official, who says the debris found so far does not belong to flight MS804. |
| Egypt’s Civil Aviation ministry had said “floating material,” including life jackets and plastic items, were found in the sea off the Greek island of Karpathos, close to the suspected site of the plane crash. | Egypt’s Civil Aviation ministry had said “floating material,” including life jackets and plastic items, were found in the sea off the Greek island of Karpathos, close to the suspected site of the plane crash. |
| The AP also spoke with a former transport official from the US, who said the sparse evidence so far indicates a bomb is more likely than mechanical failure. | The AP also spoke with a former transport official from the US, who said the sparse evidence so far indicates a bomb is more likely than mechanical failure. |
| John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said “given the fact that [the pilot] made those abrupt turns without broadcasting any maydays would indicate to me that something catastrophic like a device happened.” | John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said “given the fact that [the pilot] made those abrupt turns without broadcasting any maydays would indicate to me that something catastrophic like a device happened.” |
| A mechanical failure “still has to be considered, but at this point I would put that down pretty low,” he added. He likewise says that a structural failure, like a piece of the airplane’s aluminum skin ripping away from metal fatigue, is possible but unlikely. | A mechanical failure “still has to be considered, but at this point I would put that down pretty low,” he added. He likewise says that a structural failure, like a piece of the airplane’s aluminum skin ripping away from metal fatigue, is possible but unlikely. |
| “The recorders will tell us,” he said, referring to the black boxes, the plane’s flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders that are a key part of nearly every crash investigation. | “The recorders will tell us,” he said, referring to the black boxes, the plane’s flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders that are a key part of nearly every crash investigation. |
| Senior Greek air safety official says debris found so far in the Mediterranean Sea does not belong to aircraft. https://t.co/n8O35O7bJ8 | Senior Greek air safety official says debris found so far in the Mediterranean Sea does not belong to aircraft. https://t.co/n8O35O7bJ8 |
| 7.13pm BST | 7.13pm BST |
| 19:13 | 19:13 |
| Summary | Summary |
| Here’s what we know so far about crashed EgyptAir flight MS804. | Here’s what we know so far about crashed EgyptAir flight MS804. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.41pm BST | |
| 6.50pm BST | 6.50pm BST |
| 18:50 | 18:50 |
| The US State Department does yet not intend to issue a travel warning to Egypt, spokesman John Kirby has told reporters at a briefing in Washington. | The US State Department does yet not intend to issue a travel warning to Egypt, spokesman John Kirby has told reporters at a briefing in Washington. |
| He says it’s too early to make any decisions with respect to the plane crash, and is “not aware that we recorded, saw, photographed or have possession of any electronic indications about what happened”. | He says it’s too early to make any decisions with respect to the plane crash, and is “not aware that we recorded, saw, photographed or have possession of any electronic indications about what happened”. |
| The Pentagon’s spokesperson, Peter Cook, is giving a simultaneous briefing. “We did not have any ships in the immediate area,” he says, but a navy P3 aircraft is helping with the search and recovery mission. The P3 has been flying for several hours over the region. | The Pentagon’s spokesperson, Peter Cook, is giving a simultaneous briefing. “We did not have any ships in the immediate area,” he says, but a navy P3 aircraft is helping with the search and recovery mission. The P3 has been flying for several hours over the region. |
| Meanwhile, Democratic frontrunner for president Hillary Clinton appears to agree with her Republican rival Donald Trump, about an apparent cause of the plane crash. | Meanwhile, Democratic frontrunner for president Hillary Clinton appears to agree with her Republican rival Donald Trump, about an apparent cause of the plane crash. |
| Clinton to @ChrisCuomo on #EgyptAir: "It does appear that it was an act of terrorism, exactly how the investigation will have to determine." | Clinton to @ChrisCuomo on #EgyptAir: "It does appear that it was an act of terrorism, exactly how the investigation will have to determine." |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.53pm BST | at 6.53pm BST |
| 6.36pm BST | 6.36pm BST |
| 18:36 | 18:36 |
| France’s Accident Investigating Bureau has sent a team of three investigators to Cairo, accompanied by a technical expert from Airbus, the AP reports. | France’s Accident Investigating Bureau has sent a team of three investigators to Cairo, accompanied by a technical expert from Airbus, the AP reports. |
| The BEA said the team was leaving on Thursday night. In a statement, it said “the BEA could notably counsel Egyptian authorities on the organization of an underwater search to locate the plane and the black boxes.” | The BEA said the team was leaving on Thursday night. In a statement, it said “the BEA could notably counsel Egyptian authorities on the organization of an underwater search to locate the plane and the black boxes.” |
| The BEA said it was taking part in the probe as a representative of the country where the plane was conceived. Airbus, based in Toulouse, has said it was sending a technical expert and could send more if needed. | The BEA said it was taking part in the probe as a representative of the country where the plane was conceived. Airbus, based in Toulouse, has said it was sending a technical expert and could send more if needed. |
| Back in the US, White House press secretary Josh Earnest has said he’s still not sure whether France, Greece and Egypt will accept the offer of aid from American teams, and that Barack Obama has not spoken with Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi today. | Back in the US, White House press secretary Josh Earnest has said he’s still not sure whether France, Greece and Egypt will accept the offer of aid from American teams, and that Barack Obama has not spoken with Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi today. |
| 6.01pm BST | 6.01pm BST |
| 18:01 | 18:01 |
| Egypt 'confirms finding the wreckage' | Egypt 'confirms finding the wreckage' |
| EgyptAir has said that Cairo’s foreign ministry has “confirmed finding the wreckage” in an English statement on Facebook. | EgyptAir has said that Cairo’s foreign ministry has “confirmed finding the wreckage” in an English statement on Facebook. |
| EgyptAir resource stated that the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation has just received an official letter from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that confirms the finding of wreckage of the missing aircraft No. MS 804 near Karpathos Island. | EgyptAir resource stated that the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation has just received an official letter from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that confirms the finding of wreckage of the missing aircraft No. MS 804 near Karpathos Island. |
| EgyptAir sincerely conveys its deepest sorrow to the families and friends of the passengers onboard Flight MS804. Family members of passengers and crew have been already informed and we extend our deepest sympathies to those affected. | EgyptAir sincerely conveys its deepest sorrow to the families and friends of the passengers onboard Flight MS804. Family members of passengers and crew have been already informed and we extend our deepest sympathies to those affected. |
| Meanwhile, the Egyptian Investigation Team in co-operation with the Greek counterpart are still searching for other remains of the missing plane. | Meanwhile, the Egyptian Investigation Team in co-operation with the Greek counterpart are still searching for other remains of the missing plane. |
| In a series of tweets the airline said that investigators found floating materials likely to be wreckage, life jackets and plastic debris. | In a series of tweets the airline said that investigators found floating materials likely to be wreckage, life jackets and plastic debris. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.24pm BST | at 6.24pm BST |
| 5.57pm BST | 5.57pm BST |
| 17:57 | 17:57 |
| EgyptAir has tweeted search teams near the island of Karpathos have found apparent airplane parts, including floating materials likely to be wreckage, life jackets and plastic materials. | EgyptAir has tweeted search teams near the island of Karpathos have found apparent airplane parts, including floating materials likely to be wreckage, life jackets and plastic materials. |
| The wording from the airline’s Twitter account is cautious, but complements reports on debris from Reuters and CNN | The wording from the airline’s Twitter account is cautious, but complements reports on debris from Reuters and CNN |
| يفيد العثور على مواد طافية يرجح انها لحطام الطائرة وكذلك علي بعض سترات النجاة ومواد بلاستيكية | يفيد العثور على مواد طافية يرجح انها لحطام الطائرة وكذلك علي بعض سترات النجاة ومواد بلاستيكية |
| Egypt’s envoy to France has said that Greek authorities have told the Egyptian embassy in Athens that they’ve found “blue and white debris”, Reuters reports. | Egypt’s envoy to France has said that Greek authorities have told the Egyptian embassy in Athens that they’ve found “blue and white debris”, Reuters reports. |
| Nearly simultaneously, CNN reports that the vice-president of EgyptAir has told one of its correspondents: “we have found the wreckage.” | Nearly simultaneously, CNN reports that the vice-president of EgyptAir has told one of its correspondents: “we have found the wreckage.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.24pm BST | at 6.24pm BST |
| 5.46pm BST | 5.46pm BST |
| 17:46 | 17:46 |
| Earnest clarifies that there are enhanced security screenings for “international aircraft that are bound for the United States,” and that because the EgyptAir flight was bound from Paris to Cairo it wasn’t subject to these extra measures. | Earnest clarifies that there are enhanced security screenings for “international aircraft that are bound for the United States,” and that because the EgyptAir flight was bound from Paris to Cairo it wasn’t subject to these extra measures. |
| He says he doesn’t have any details at the moment on “how those advanced security measures have disrupted plots but we do believe that applying that expertise from the TSA … even at foreign airports does enhance the safety and security of Americans traveling abroad.” | He says he doesn’t have any details at the moment on “how those advanced security measures have disrupted plots but we do believe that applying that expertise from the TSA … even at foreign airports does enhance the safety and security of Americans traveling abroad.” |
| He also clarifies his comment about Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport: “I can’t offer a security assessment of any airport around the world … there’s no specific concern that’s been raised that I’m aware of.” | He also clarifies his comment about Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport: “I can’t offer a security assessment of any airport around the world … there’s no specific concern that’s been raised that I’m aware of.” |
| A US navy aircraft is helping with the search for debris, he says. In 2015, he adds, TSA specialists “performed 289 air carrier inspections and 146 foreign airport assessments”. The security officers also deploy canine teams. | A US navy aircraft is helping with the search for debris, he says. In 2015, he adds, TSA specialists “performed 289 air carrier inspections and 146 foreign airport assessments”. The security officers also deploy canine teams. |
| 5.34pm BST | 5.34pm BST |
| 17:34 | 17:34 |
| The White House has offered assistance to European and Middle East allies, saying that the Department of Homeland Security and TSA have been in contact with foreign ministries and aviation departments to help improve security measures. | The White House has offered assistance to European and Middle East allies, saying that the Department of Homeland Security and TSA have been in contact with foreign ministries and aviation departments to help improve security measures. |
| Press secretary Josh Earnest says though that it’s too early to say what could have caused the EgyptAir crash. “We have seen a desire on the part of extremists around the world, including some extremists in the Middle East, to carry out attacks targeting the international aviation system. We obviously are mindful of that.” | Press secretary Josh Earnest says though that it’s too early to say what could have caused the EgyptAir crash. “We have seen a desire on the part of extremists around the world, including some extremists in the Middle East, to carry out attacks targeting the international aviation system. We obviously are mindful of that.” |
| But says there are no particular concerns about the Paris airport as a specific case. “We’ve obviously learned a lot since 9/11 about what’s necessary to protect the aviation system but that has not diminished the desire of some extremist organizations to try to carry out attacks.” | But says there are no particular concerns about the Paris airport as a specific case. “We’ve obviously learned a lot since 9/11 about what’s necessary to protect the aviation system but that has not diminished the desire of some extremist organizations to try to carry out attacks.” |
| Earnest adds that the US is “constantly adapting” security measures, and also offers condolences to the families of passengers and crew on the flight. | Earnest adds that the US is “constantly adapting” security measures, and also offers condolences to the families of passengers and crew on the flight. |
| He says that he’s not aware of “any intelligence assessment that’s ruled anything out” nor any that’s “ruled anything in”. “It’s still quite early.” | He says that he’s not aware of “any intelligence assessment that’s ruled anything out” nor any that’s “ruled anything in”. “It’s still quite early.” |
| Earlier on Thursday, US secretary of state John Kerry has declined to “speculate” on any possible cause of the flight’s disappearance, telling reporters in Brussels that he does not think even the experts have enough evidence to start developing an idea of what happened. | Earlier on Thursday, US secretary of state John Kerry has declined to “speculate” on any possible cause of the flight’s disappearance, telling reporters in Brussels that he does not think even the experts have enough evidence to start developing an idea of what happened. |
| 4.36pm BST | 4.36pm BST |
| 16:36 | 16:36 |
| EgyptAir says it still has no confirmation that debris has been found off the coast of Crete. | EgyptAir says it still has no confirmation that debris has been found off the coast of Crete. |
| EGYPTAIR has contacted the concerned authorities which did not confirm this information. /2 | EGYPTAIR has contacted the concerned authorities which did not confirm this information. /2 |
| Greek defence sources have told multiple news agencies that two large plastic floating objects have been found in the sea 230 nautical miles from Crete. | Greek defence sources have told multiple news agencies that two large plastic floating objects have been found in the sea 230 nautical miles from Crete. |
| “There have been finds southeast of Crete, inside the Cairo flight information area,” Greek general staff spokesman Vassilis Beletsiotis said earlier. | “There have been finds southeast of Crete, inside the Cairo flight information area,” Greek general staff spokesman Vassilis Beletsiotis said earlier. |
| Tarek Wahba, the captain of the Maersk Ahram, a ship involved in the search and rescue operation, has posted some pictures on his Facebook account showing debris floating in the sea, which he describes as a “lifejacket and a chair. | Tarek Wahba, the captain of the Maersk Ahram, a ship involved in the search and rescue operation, has posted some pictures on his Facebook account showing debris floating in the sea, which he describes as a “lifejacket and a chair. |
| We have no confirmation if the debris has anything to do with flight MS804 or where it was found. | We have no confirmation if the debris has anything to do with flight MS804 or where it was found. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.01pm BST | at 5.01pm BST |
| 4.05pm BST | 4.05pm BST |
| 16:05 | 16:05 |
| Our correspondent in Paris Kim Willsher says the EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo is departing now. Families of the passengers on the missing plane are believed to be onboard this flight. | Our correspondent in Paris Kim Willsher says the EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo is departing now. Families of the passengers on the missing plane are believed to be onboard this flight. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.57pm BST | at 5.57pm BST |
| 4.01pm BST | 4.01pm BST |
| 16:01 | 16:01 |
| The US Navy says it has dispatched a P-3 Orion long-range aircraft to support the search for an EgyptAir plane. President Obama was briefed earlier on the crash by counter-terror advisors. | The US Navy says it has dispatched a P-3 Orion long-range aircraft to support the search for an EgyptAir plane. President Obama was briefed earlier on the crash by counter-terror advisors. |
| “US Commander Sixth Fleet is working with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Greece and the US Defence Attache in Athens, Greece to provide US Navy P-3 Orion support in the search of the missing Egyptian aircraft,” the US navy said in a statement. | “US Commander Sixth Fleet is working with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Greece and the US Defence Attache in Athens, Greece to provide US Navy P-3 Orion support in the search of the missing Egyptian aircraft,” the US navy said in a statement. |
| The surveillance plane had been sent from the naval air station Sigonella in Sicily. | The surveillance plane had been sent from the naval air station Sigonella in Sicily. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.06pm BST | at 4.06pm BST |
| 3.47pm BST | 3.47pm BST |
| 15:47 | 15:47 |
| Some more details are emerging about the passengers who were on the plane, among them a young military student from Chad who was flying home to visit his mother. | Some more details are emerging about the passengers who were on the plane, among them a young military student from Chad who was flying home to visit his mother. |
| The protocol officer for Chad’s embassy in Paris, Muhammed Allamine, said the passenger was a student at France’s Saint-Cyr military academy. The man has not been named. | The protocol officer for Chad’s embassy in Paris, Muhammed Allamine, said the passenger was a student at France’s Saint-Cyr military academy. The man has not been named. |
| He said the man “was going to give condolences to his family,” according to AFP. | He said the man “was going to give condolences to his family,” according to AFP. |
| One of the 30 Egyptians onboard was a man returning from medical treatment in France, according to two friends who came to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, telling AP they were heart-broken. | One of the 30 Egyptians onboard was a man returning from medical treatment in France, according to two friends who came to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, telling AP they were heart-broken. |
| Kuwait’s foreign ministry has also confirmed one of its citizens, Abdulmohsen al-Muteiri, was on board the plane. His nephew spoke to the Guardian at Cairo airport earlier, saying he was a professor of economics and a father of two, who was excited to be heading to Cairo for a three-day conference. | Kuwait’s foreign ministry has also confirmed one of its citizens, Abdulmohsen al-Muteiri, was on board the plane. His nephew spoke to the Guardian at Cairo airport earlier, saying he was a professor of economics and a father of two, who was excited to be heading to Cairo for a three-day conference. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.10pm BST | at 4.10pm BST |
| 3.32pm BST | 3.32pm BST |
| 15:32 | 15:32 |
| A Greek military official has said an Egyptian search plane located two orange objects believed to be from the missing flight, AP reports. | A Greek military official has said an Egyptian search plane located two orange objects believed to be from the missing flight, AP reports. |
| The official says the items were found 230 miles south-southeast of the island of Crete but still within the Egyptian air traffic control area. | The official says the items were found 230 miles south-southeast of the island of Crete but still within the Egyptian air traffic control area. |
| One of the items was oblong, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with regulations. | One of the items was oblong, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with regulations. |
| 3.29pm BST | 3.29pm BST |
| 15:29 | 15:29 |
| The head of Russia’s domestic intelligence agency has said he believes the plane was brought down by a terror attack “in all likelihood”. | The head of Russia’s domestic intelligence agency has said he believes the plane was brought down by a terror attack “in all likelihood”. |
| Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Federal Security Service, called for governments to come together to track down those responsible for the “monstrous attack.” | Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Federal Security Service, called for governments to come together to track down those responsible for the “monstrous attack.” |