Russian A-321 crashed in Egypt, 224 dead

[Yurgon]

A Russian Airbus A321-200 crashed in Egypt on 31 October, killing all 224 on board (7 crew, 217 passengers).

 

What I've gathered from various sources:

 

Aircraft details

 

• Aircraft operated by Metrojet aka Kolavia aka Kogalym-Avia aka Kogalymavia, based in Kogalym, Siberia
  
• Metrojet flight 9268 aka 7K9268 [5]
  
• Registration EI-ETJ
  
• Built in 1997
  
• Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 663
  
• Accumulated 56,000 flight hours and 21,000 flights [1]
  
• International Aero Engines V2500 engines
  
• Airframe suffered a tail strike in 2001 in Cairo and had to undergo extensive repairs [2]
  
• According to the airline, the aircraft was last checked for cracks in 2013, and not enough time had passed for major cracks to develop to a critical size since then [8]
  
• Airline said in a press conference that aircraft was in perfect flying shape, dismissed any possibility of technical problems and strongly hinted towards exterior causes, without saying how they could be so sure [6]
  
• The head of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency responded "It is completely premature to speak about the reasons of this, as there are not grounds." on 2015-11-03 [8]
  

 

Crash details

 

• Take-off around 5:50 am local time on 2015-10-31 from Sharm el Sheikh, destination St. Petersburg
  
• Around 6:13 am the pilot declared an emergency and reported unspecified technical problems. Requested divert to nearest airport. No more radio contact after that transmission. [1]
  
• Airline representatives said in a press conference that no such emergency call had been made by the crew, but did not reveal how they know that [7]
  
• A news report from 2015-11-03 also says ATC "apparently didn't receive any distress calls" [8]
  
• Climb until that point seems to have been normal
  
• Then massive speed and altitude changes were recorded
  
• Altitude loss at around 6,000 ft per minute
  
• Last recorded speed before radar contact was lost was 92 (!) kts at circa 28,000 ft.
  
• Aircraft impacted in Sinai, north-eastern Egypt
  
• Debris field suggests aircraft broke apart before impact
  
• Both black boxes found and recovered as of 2015-11-03 (possibly earlier) [8]
  
• Flight Data Recorder contents successfully copied by Egyptian civil aviation authorities by 2015-11-04 [10]
  
• Cockpit Voice Recorder damaged, copying data will take more time than Flight Data Recorder [10]
  
• Cockpit Voice Recorder is working, confirmed by a spokesman for Egypt's ministry of aviation by 2015-11-06 [14]
  
• An unspecified group affiliated with IS allegedly claimed responsibility for bringing the aircraft down as payback for recent Russian air strikes in Syria. [2]
  
• 2015-11-06: NBC refers to US intelligence officials, saying "chatter between ISIS operatives boasting about taking down an airliner" had been picked up following the crash [14]
  
• Terrorist claims rejected by both Egyptian and Russian government officials, saying aircraft was above range of weapons possessed by IS in Egypt, stating aircraft was flying at 31,000 ft [2]
  
• Russian President Putin ordered to set up an investigation commission to be led by Dmitri Medvedev
  
• Russia sent more than 100 workers/investigators to crash site
  
• Staff from French air accident investigation agency BEA also sent to crash site
  
• US NTSB investigators likely to be dispatched in case the (US made) engines come into focus as a probable cause of the crash [8]
  
• Conflicting information on 2015-11-04: local Egyptian sources say an engine explosion is the most likely cause of the crash [9]
  
• Also on 2015-11-04, British and US sources say an explosive device inside the aircraft was the most likely cause of the crash [10]
  
• All British flights to Sharm El-Sheikh suspended on 2015-11-04 [12]
  
• On 2015-11-06 all Russian passenger flights to Egypt (not just Sharm El-Sheikh) suspended following a Federal Security Service (FSB) recommendation [11]
  
• Some 45,000 Russian citizens are currently in Egypt, according to the Russian government [12]
  
• France 2 reports that the sound of an explosion can be heard on a data recorder (unclear whether FDR or CVR), referring to an unnamed investigator as their source. According to the investigator, that sound is NOT indicative of engine failure. [13]
  
• 2015-11-07: Egyptian investigation committee now officially investigating noise that could be heard before the black boxes stopped recording: "A spectrum analysis will be carried out to identity the nature of this noise" [15]
  
• 2015-11-08: An unnamed member of the Egyptian investigation committee told Reuters news agency "We are 90 percent sure it was a bomb". No official statement yet.
  
• 2015-11-17: Russian Federal Security Service confirms that traces of explosives have been found and that the plane was destroyed by an explosive device [17]
  

 

Sources and further reading:

 

[1] http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/metrojet-crash-egypt-third-airbus-a321-200-hull-loss

[2] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/01/metrojet-ordered-suspend-all-flights-egypt-air-crash-russia-sinai

[3] http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/flugzeugabsturz-141.html

[4] http://www.flightradar24.com/blog/crash-of-metrojet-flight-7k9268/

[5] http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/ei-etj/#7d986d3

[6] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/russian-jet-crash-airline-dismisses-technical-problems-human-error-as-cause-2015-11-02

[7] ARD Tagesschau um 16 Uhr am 2. November 2015 (German channel 1 TV news)

[8] http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/video-russian-plane-crash-egypt-it-s-too-early-determine-cause-officials

[9] http://m.sputniknews.com/world/20151104/1029589834/media-box-a321-explosion.html

[10] http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/04/africa/russian-plane-crash-egypt-sinai/index.html

[11] http://m.sputniknews.com/world/20151106/1029709244/egypt-crash-putin-flights.html

[12] http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/airbus-sinai-103.html

[13] http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afrique/crash-d-un-avion-russe-en-egypte/info-france-2-crash-de-l-avion-russe-dans-le-sinai-il-y-a-bien-eu-une-explosion-en-vol-et-elle-n-est-pas-d-origine-accidentelle-indiquent-les-boites-noires_1162873.html#xtatc=INT-5

[14] http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/russian-plane-crashes-in-the-sinai/crashed-metrojets-black-box-voice-recorder-working-egyptian-official-n458936

[15] http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/russian-plane-crashes-in-the-sinai/egypt-probing-noise-heard-russian-metrojets-final-moment-n459226

[16] http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/08/investigators-90-sure-bomb-downed-russian-plane-in-egypt.html

[17] https://www.rt.com/news/322393-russian-plane-crash-terrorist-attack/

 

RIP :(

Edited November 18, 2015 by Yurgon
New source, bomb confirmed, thx Namenlos Ein

[pepin1234]

RIP

[WildBillKelsoe]

RIP all souls onboard. As an Egyptian I direct my condolences to the families of the victims.

 

Sent from my SM-T231 using Tapatalk

[Lucas_From_Hell]

A terrible tragedy. Hopefully we will know more about it soon. My condolences to the victims and their loved ones.

[Emu]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/russian-jet-crash-airline-dismisses-technical-problems-human-error-as-cause-2015-11-02

 

The Russian airline whose passenger jet crashed in Egypt on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board, dismissed human or technical error as the cause of the crash.

 

“We completely rule out a technical defect of the aircraft or an error by the pilots,” Kogalymavia Deputy Chief Executive Alexander Smirnov said at a televised news conference on Monday.

 

He added that “the only explicable cause could be mechanical impact on the aircraft.” It wasn’t clear exactly to what Smirnov was referring or how he reached that conclusion. His comments add to the confusion over the cause of the crash.

[lobo]

Hours after the Metrojet news conference, the Russian government contradicted the company’s assertions.

 

“Such a statement is premature and is not based on any real facts,” Alexander Neradko, the head of the federal Air Transportation Agency, said on the Rossiya-24 news channel. “Much more work will have to be done on a detailed study of the plane’s constructive elements; flight recorders will have to be deciphered and analyzed.”

[Bucic]

“Such a statement is premature and is not based on any real facts,”

Isn't it obvious?

What Emu has posted was a >company statement< which is what it is.

[domini99]

I'm sorry, but is it just me or is Russia very quick in saying "nope not our fault something else must have caused it"?

[Alfa]

I'm sorry, but is it just me or is Russia very quick in saying "nope not our fault something else must have caused it"?

 

Yes its just you.

[Kuky]

The Airline has said that, nothing to do with Russia.

[*Rage*]

Premature statements have been released by everyone involved.

[domini99]

The Airline has said that, nothing to do with Russia.

Oh that sounds more logical

[vicx]

Interesting to see the global connections in modern aviation. Russian company leases from an Irish company an aircraft made by Airbus (global company).

 

There has been leading statements from Russian operating company and the Irish leasing company indicating they would prefer a reality that does not find them negligent in some capacity.

 

Airbus is much more careful not to pre-suppose with their statements - main message is that they are lending their experts to the investigation.

 

Russian government is also careful not to pre-suppose with their statements. Their message is that are investigating and nothing is pre-supposed.

 

Egyptians have by necessity given the most statements. Egyptian government has to show that they are responsive and able to operate quickly and efficiently in their territory. They are at the location and have data from the scene, they have the data from ATC, they have the black boxes, they are in communication with all stakeholders. Doing all the things that they must do.

 

It is a another air tragedy but it seems as if it being handled in a professional way. Some media is confused on how to report this in a dramatic way but I don't feel sad for the media.

[WildBillKelsoe]

media is rubbish...

[Bucic]

Interesting to see the global connections in modern aviation. Russian company leases from an Irish company an aircraft made by Airbus (global company).

 

There has been leading statements from Russian operating company and the Irish leasing company indicating they would prefer a reality that does not find them negligent in some capacity.

 

Airbus is much more careful not to pre-suppose with their statements - main message is that they are lending their experts to the investigation.

 

Russian government is also careful not to pre-suppose with their statements. Their message is that are investigating and nothing is pre-supposed.

 

Egyptians have by necessity given the most statements. Egyptian government has to show that they are responsive and able to operate quickly and efficiently in their territory. They are at the location and have data from the scene, they have the data from ATC, they have the black boxes, they are in communication with all stakeholders. Doing all the things that they must do.

 

It is a another air tragedy but it seems as if it being handled in a professional way. Some media is confused on how to report this in a dramatic way but I don't feel sad for the media.

There was an air crash investigations about a deadly crash which involved a de facto ghost airline company registered on some Spanish-owned islands or something like that.

 

media is rubbish...

Not more rubbish and willing to lie than greedy pigs. A whole another league I would say.

[Lt_Maverick]

Not more rubbish and willing to lie than greedy pigs. A whole another league I would say.

 

 

Thad would be a celebrity death match on who to trust less; greedy pigs or the media.

 

 

DCS Playlist:

L

[Yurgon]

Hours after the Metrojet news conference, the Russian government contradicted the company’s assertions.

 

Do you have a link to that article?

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Do you have a link to that article?

 

There is nothing to see there, the Russian aviation regulators just said that the company's statement (which was released merely hours before after the incident) was premature since there was a lot of investigation to go through before any conclusions and such statements could be made. I think you may find that at TASS if you dig a little, but I am not sure.

 

On a sidenote, the international plot also has a team of American experts involved because the aircraft was flying on American engines.

[Yurgon]

There is nothing to see there, the Russian aviation regulators just said that the company's statement (which was released merely hours before after the incident) was premature since there was a lot of investigation to go through before any conclusions and such statements could be made. I think you may find that at TASS if you dig a little, but I am not sure.

 

My intent is to keep the first post more or less up-to-date, and in order to do so I would like to provide statements only when sources are available. The text I quoted looks like a media article, so my thinking is that lobo will probably be able to find the link easily, allowing me to update the original article without much hassle.

 

In terms of validity, I agree that it sounds very unrealistic that the airline knows more about the reason for the crash than anyone else, especially at this time, but they did say so in a press conference and therefore I cited them. I'd just like to also quote the response so that the original post is up to date.

[Nealius]

Very eerie reading about the plane having a prior tail strike. Just a couple of months ago here in Japan they were marking the anniversary of JAL 123, which broke up in mid-air shortly after takeoff due to faulty repairs of a tailstrike that had happened years earlier.

[Lucas_From_Hell]

My intent is to keep the first post more or less up-to-date, and in order to do so I would like to provide statements only when sources are available. The text I quoted looks like a media article, so my thinking is that lobo will probably be able to find the link easily, allowing me to update the original article without much hassle.

 

In terms of validity, I agree that it sounds very unrealistic that the airline knows more about the reason for the crash than anyone else, especially at this time, but they did say so in a press conference and therefore I cited them. I'd just like to also quote the response so that the original post is up to date.

 

I completely understand, I found a link that briefly describes the exchange (not the one I read but it covers it): http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/video-russian-plane-crash-egypt-it-s-too-early-determine-cause-officials

 

By the way, thanks for your efforts in keeping people informed and having all the information readily available.

[Yurgon]

Very eerie reading about the plane having a prior tail strike. Just a couple of months ago here in Japan they were marking the anniversary of JAL 123, which broke up in mid-air shortly after takeoff due to faulty repairs of a tailstrike that had happened years earlier.

 

Yeah, I thought of that, too.

 

Then again, it's my understanding that the aviation industry and the authorities learn from such terrible mistakes in order never to repeat them again, so here's to hoping this isn't a repeat of JAL 123.

 

In any case, I hope the investigators will be able to find the cause of the crash as quickly as possible so they can prevent the same cause from bringing down another plane. But in the end, it's hardly ever one single, isolated event, but rather a chain of events that more often than not include human error. I guess we'll never be able to completely defend against that (be it pilot error, maintenance error, ATC error, manufacturer error, whatever), just try our best to put up a system that makes it as improbable as possible that a single error will lead to a catastrophic outcome.

 

I completely understand, I found a link that briefly describes the exchange (not the one I read but it covers it): http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/video-russian-plane-crash-egypt-it-s-too-early-determine-cause-officials

 

Thx, great link, that's a wealth of new information that I incorporated right away. :)

[domini99]

Very eerie reading about the plane having a prior tail strike. Just a couple of months ago here in Japan they were marking the anniversary of JAL 123, which broke up in mid-air shortly after takeoff due to faulty repairs of a tailstrike that had happened years earlier.

Also another Chinese 747 broke up years after an incorrectly repaired tail strike.

 

What could have happened to this a320, hope the tailstrike wasn't the cause..

 

 

If it was....

Loss of cabin pressure?

Loss of hydraulics?

Loss of vertical stabiliser? The last one seems the least likely to me.

Edited November 4, 2015 by domini99

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Just in: Preliminary cause was engine explosion

 

http://m.sputniknews.com/world/20151104/1029589834/media-box-a321-explosion.html

[domini99]

Just in: Preliminary cause was engine explosion

 

http://m.sputniknews.com/world/20151104/1029589834/media-box-a321-explosion.html

Engine explosion?

That's something that doesn't happen a lot!