Black box reveals desperate bid to put out fire on board jet moments before crash
Information from the plane's deck recorder suggests there was an attempt to extinguish a fire on the crashed EgyptAir flight
THE cockpit voice recorder of the crashed EgyptAir MS804 suggests attempts were made to put out a fire on board, investigation committee sources have indicated.
The Airbus A320 plunged into the eastern Mediterranean en route from Paris to Cairo on May 19, killing all 66 people on board.
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Audio from the flight deck voice recorder is reportedly in line with data from a repaired black box of the jet, which confirmed last month that there was smoke in the aircraft.
Recovered wreckage from the jet’s front section also showed signs of high temperature damage and soot.
The flight deck recorder, taken to Cairo this week after being repaired at laboratories belonging to France’s aircraft accident agency, further indicates that a fire took hold of the plane in its final moments, the sources said.
The recordings usually capture pilot conversations and any cockpit alarms, as well as clues such as engine noise.
Investigators are to conduct further analysis on the voices contained in the recordings and have not yet ruled out any possibilities as to what caused the crash.
The Paris prosecutor's office has opened a manslaughter investigation, saying last week that it was not looking into terrorism as a possible cause.
The plane was carrying 56 passengers and 10 crew when it crashed, including 40 Egyptians, 15 French citizens, two Iraqis, two Canadians and one passenger each from Algeria, Belgium, Britain, Chad, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
Since the crash, small pieces of the wreckage and human remains have been recovered while the bulk of the plane and the bodies of victims are believed to be under the sea.
A Cairo forensic team has received the human remains and is carrying out DNA tests to identify the victims.