The Egyptian Aircraft Investigation Committee confirmed Monday that radar images of the Egyptair Airbus A320 that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on May 19 “swerved left and then turned right for a full circle” before its rapid descent, confirming reports from British and Greek authorities. While the Egyptian authorities concede that investigators cannot rely solely on the latest information to determine what caused the disaster, it does suggest that the airplane did not explode in midair.
ACARS data indicates the existence of smoke in the A320’s lavatory and avionics bay just as the pilots apparently lost control of the airplane. The series of messages, sent over a period of three minutes, also relayed window sensor indications and problems with the autopilot and flight control system.
Investigators have yet to draw any conclusions about what sort of catastrophic failure the data indicates, but the apparent quick succession of events does not appear consistent with an electrical fire caused by a system problem, which typically spreads gradually, allowing the flight crew to react. In this case, the pilots did not declare an emergency before the airplane turned 90 degrees to the left and then 360 degrees right before plummeting from 37,000 feet into the sea, killing all 66 passengers and crewmembers.
Separately, Egyptian authorities have approved a request by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to join the investigation team on the grounds that U.S. engine maker Pratt & Whitney manufactured the engines as part of the IAE consortium. The investigation committee has also invited an expert from the manufacturer of the airplane’s voice and data recorders, Honeywell, to participate.
Meanwhile, the search continues for the airplane’s wreckage, and in particular the so-called black boxes, as time runs out on the signal life of the devices. The committee’s most recent statement indicated that the signals will likely stop on June 24.
A second search ship arrived at the Egyptair crash area on June 10. Chartered by Egypt, Deep Ocean Search’s John Lethbridge vessel deploys an underwater robot for more precise searches, some as far as 10,000 feet below the surface. The remotely operated vehicle contains a camera and a prehensile arm.
The French accident investigation agency BEA will participate in processing the data retrieved from the recorders. It acts as the “main advisor” in the investigation while Egyptian authorities lead the effort.