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| EgyptAir Flight 804 Debris Narrows Search for More Clues | EgyptAir Flight 804 Debris Narrows Search for More Clues |
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| CAIRO — Egyptian naval crews scouring the Mediterranean Sea on Friday discovered human remains, debris and some of the personal belongings of the 66 passengers aboard an EgyptAir plane that went down the day before, Greek and Egyptian officials said. | CAIRO — Egyptian naval crews scouring the Mediterranean Sea on Friday discovered human remains, debris and some of the personal belongings of the 66 passengers aboard an EgyptAir plane that went down the day before, Greek and Egyptian officials said. |
| Though the cause of the crash remained a mystery and the subject of intense speculation, the discovery of the wreckage allowed authorities searching for clues to narrow the focus of their search to about 40 square miles, an airline official said in a statement. | Though the cause of the crash remained a mystery and the subject of intense speculation, the discovery of the wreckage allowed authorities searching for clues to narrow the focus of their search to about 40 square miles, an airline official said in a statement. |
| The wreckage was identified in a search area about 180 miles north of Alexandria, Egypt, an Egyptian military spokesman said in a statement. However, no bulk wreckage has yet been spotted and the parts of the aircraft most likely to provide clues for investigators are also the ones most likely to quickly sink to the seafloor. | |
| An Egyptian official has said that investigators consider terrorism to be one theory as to the cause of the plane crash, but no terrorist group has taken responsibility and officials cautioned that there was no direct evidence to suggest that there was a bomb aboard the plane, or any other deliberate act of sabotage. | An Egyptian official has said that investigators consider terrorism to be one theory as to the cause of the plane crash, but no terrorist group has taken responsibility and officials cautioned that there was no direct evidence to suggest that there was a bomb aboard the plane, or any other deliberate act of sabotage. |
| EgyptAir Flight 804, an Airbus A320 jetliner, disappeared from radar screens early Thursday morning as it was flying over the Mediterranean Sea to Cairo from Paris. Before it vanished, the jet plunged from cruising altitude while swerving violently and flying in a circle, the Greek defense minister, Panos Kammenos, said at a news conference on Thursday. | EgyptAir Flight 804, an Airbus A320 jetliner, disappeared from radar screens early Thursday morning as it was flying over the Mediterranean Sea to Cairo from Paris. Before it vanished, the jet plunged from cruising altitude while swerving violently and flying in a circle, the Greek defense minister, Panos Kammenos, said at a news conference on Thursday. |
| On Friday, he said that debris had been found floating within the 40-mile search area, telling reporters in Athens that the Egyptian military had confirmed “the discovery of a body part, a seat and baggage just south of where the aircraft signal was lost.” | On Friday, he said that debris had been found floating within the 40-mile search area, telling reporters in Athens that the Egyptian military had confirmed “the discovery of a body part, a seat and baggage just south of where the aircraft signal was lost.” |
| The Egyptian Army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Samir, speaking in an interview on Friday, said “there is no doubt” that the debris is from the EgyptAir plane. | The Egyptian Army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Samir, speaking in an interview on Friday, said “there is no doubt” that the debris is from the EgyptAir plane. |
| The discovery of the remains and wreckage appeared to dash any lingering hopes of finding survivors. Among the dozen or so countries with citizens on the flight, Egypt suffered the greatest loss, with 30 people on board. The tragedy added grief to a sense of disbelief over a recent string of disasters, including the Russian airliner that was brought down shortly after it left the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in October, dealing a crippling blow to the country’s tourism. | The discovery of the remains and wreckage appeared to dash any lingering hopes of finding survivors. Among the dozen or so countries with citizens on the flight, Egypt suffered the greatest loss, with 30 people on board. The tragedy added grief to a sense of disbelief over a recent string of disasters, including the Russian airliner that was brought down shortly after it left the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in October, dealing a crippling blow to the country’s tourism. |
| The naval vessels that found the debris were part of an international search-and-rescue flotilla. | The naval vessels that found the debris were part of an international search-and-rescue flotilla. |
| The European Space Agency, combing through satellite data, said on Friday that it had spotted a “potential oil slick” about 25 miles southeast of the plane’s last known location. The oil slick appeared to be more than a mile long, the agency said. | The European Space Agency, combing through satellite data, said on Friday that it had spotted a “potential oil slick” about 25 miles southeast of the plane’s last known location. The oil slick appeared to be more than a mile long, the agency said. |
| The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority has provided what a spokesman called a definitive timeline on the disaster. The agency reported that the flight was proceeding normally at 1:48 a.m. Cairo time, when Greek traffic controllers last spoke with the pilot, who seemed in good spirits. | The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority has provided what a spokesman called a definitive timeline on the disaster. The agency reported that the flight was proceeding normally at 1:48 a.m. Cairo time, when Greek traffic controllers last spoke with the pilot, who seemed in good spirits. |
| At 2:27 a.m., the controllers in Athens tried and failed repeatedly to reach the plane, to pass control and communications to Cairo as the plane approached Egyptian airspace. Even attempts on an emergency frequency failed. | At 2:27 a.m., the controllers in Athens tried and failed repeatedly to reach the plane, to pass control and communications to Cairo as the plane approached Egyptian airspace. Even attempts on an emergency frequency failed. |
| At 2:29 a.m., the plane left Greek airspace, and at 2:29:40 a.m., Greek controllers lost the aircraft’s trace, just inside Egyptian airspace, about halfway between Crete and Egypt. | At 2:29 a.m., the plane left Greek airspace, and at 2:29:40 a.m., Greek controllers lost the aircraft’s trace, just inside Egyptian airspace, about halfway between Crete and Egypt. |
| “If that is correct, then it has landed on a feature we call the Mediterranean Ridge,” said William B.F. Ryan, a scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who has studied the Mediterranean Sea floor. | “If that is correct, then it has landed on a feature we call the Mediterranean Ridge,” said William B.F. Ryan, a scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who has studied the Mediterranean Sea floor. |
| The water there is about 1.5 miles deep and the Mediterranean Ridge is pushed upward by the African plate that slides under the Aegean Sea, deforming and crumbling the seafloor. “You get a complex play of echoes that was nicknamed cobblestone, showing the seafloor is very bumpy” Dr. Ryan said. | The water there is about 1.5 miles deep and the Mediterranean Ridge is pushed upward by the African plate that slides under the Aegean Sea, deforming and crumbling the seafloor. “You get a complex play of echoes that was nicknamed cobblestone, showing the seafloor is very bumpy” Dr. Ryan said. |
| Picking out wreckage from among the bumps, perhaps 50 to 100 feet in size, could be somewhat complex, he said. But if the plane’s black boxes are sending out ultrasonic locator signals, they should be able to be located. | Picking out wreckage from among the bumps, perhaps 50 to 100 feet in size, could be somewhat complex, he said. But if the plane’s black boxes are sending out ultrasonic locator signals, they should be able to be located. |
| It may take time to organize the search and recovery of the wreckage, however, deploying specialized robots, sophisticated sonar and deepwater equipment. | It may take time to organize the search and recovery of the wreckage, however, deploying specialized robots, sophisticated sonar and deepwater equipment. |
| “The club of organizations that have the capability to work efficiently at that depth is fairly small,” said David Gallo, a scientist who helped lead the search in 2009 for debris from Air France Flight 447, which crashed in the South Atlantic while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing 228 aboard. It took two years before the black boxes from that flight were finally recovered. | “The club of organizations that have the capability to work efficiently at that depth is fairly small,” said David Gallo, a scientist who helped lead the search in 2009 for debris from Air France Flight 447, which crashed in the South Atlantic while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing 228 aboard. It took two years before the black boxes from that flight were finally recovered. |
| Egypt was joined Friday in the sea and air search effort by teams from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and Italy. In addition, French and British investigators and one expert from Airbus, the plane’s manufacturer, joined a team of Egyptian investigators to inspect the airplane parts as they were discovered. Through that painstaking effort, and the recovery of the plane’s flight data recorders, they hope to determine whether the crash was because of an act of terrorism, or mechanical or human failure. | Egypt was joined Friday in the sea and air search effort by teams from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and Italy. In addition, French and British investigators and one expert from Airbus, the plane’s manufacturer, joined a team of Egyptian investigators to inspect the airplane parts as they were discovered. Through that painstaking effort, and the recovery of the plane’s flight data recorders, they hope to determine whether the crash was because of an act of terrorism, or mechanical or human failure. |
| President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt expressed his condolences to the families of victims on Friday. Mr. Sisi, “with utmost sadness and regret, mourns the victims on board the EgyptAir flight who were killed,” his office said in a statement. | President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt expressed his condolences to the families of victims on Friday. Mr. Sisi, “with utmost sadness and regret, mourns the victims on board the EgyptAir flight who were killed,” his office said in a statement. |
| As the debris was found, more details began to emerge about the passengers on the flight. The British news media reported that the only Briton on the plane was Richard Osman, 40, a father of two whose young daughter was born less than a month ago. | As the debris was found, more details began to emerge about the passengers on the flight. The British news media reported that the only Briton on the plane was Richard Osman, 40, a father of two whose young daughter was born less than a month ago. |
| Alastair Osman told ITV News that his brother, described as a workaholic and fitness enthusiast, grew up in Wales and worked in the gold-mining industry. The son of an Egyptian doctor, he lived with his French-born wife in Jersey, an island in the English Channel. | Alastair Osman told ITV News that his brother, described as a workaholic and fitness enthusiast, grew up in Wales and worked in the gold-mining industry. The son of an Egyptian doctor, he lived with his French-born wife in Jersey, an island in the English Channel. |
| Osman Abu Laban, a Lebanese film director who lives in Egypt, lost four members of his extended family in the crash. In a post on his Facebook page, Mr. Abu Laban announced funeral prayers on Friday afternoon at a Cairo mosque for his aunt and uncle, their son and the son’s wife. | Osman Abu Laban, a Lebanese film director who lives in Egypt, lost four members of his extended family in the crash. In a post on his Facebook page, Mr. Abu Laban announced funeral prayers on Friday afternoon at a Cairo mosque for his aunt and uncle, their son and the son’s wife. |
| “Oh God, be merciful to them, forgive them and make their abode the highest heaven,” Mr. Abu Laban wrote. | “Oh God, be merciful to them, forgive them and make their abode the highest heaven,” Mr. Abu Laban wrote. |