Egyptair flight 804 crash: Everything we know so far – and what we don’t

[uppityperson]

This is a good summary, addressing conflicting rumors

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/egyptair-flight-804-what-we-know-and-what-we-don-t-a7046831.html

Q What are the certainties about MS804?
An Airbus A320 departed from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris at 11.09pm, local time, on Wednesday 18 May, destination Cairo. Three hours 20 minutes later, while flying at 37,000 feet, Egyptair flight MS804 disappeared from radar screens about 150 miles north of the Egyptian coast. Sixty-six people were known to be on board: 56 passengers, seven crew and three Egyptian security officials. Wreckage and human remains from the flight has been found in the Mediterranean Sea.

Seven “Acars” messages relating to technical issues with the plane were sent minutes before the flight disappeared. These are messages intended for engineers, and comprise a coded explanation - but we do not know exactly what. Two of them indicating that smoke alarms had been activated.

(Clip)

Q What other explanation could there be?
A catastrophic mechanical failure; some have speculated that a sudden, uncommanded thrust reverser deployment could be responsible, as it was for the Lauda Air Boeing 767 crash in Thailand in 1991. On the flight deck, there could have been pilot error or deliberate human intervention. A collision with another object, whether a missile or a drone, is also possible.

Q When will we know?
Most of the aircraft is believed to be up to two miles below sea level in a particularly deep part of the Mediterranean. While this is a less daunting prospect than the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, MH370, it is still likely to take weeks rather than days.