Doomed EgyptAir Flight Broke up Midair after Fire- Report

Local Editor

An EgyptAir flight that crashed into the Mediterranean in May likely broke up in midair after a fire erupted in or near the cockpit, the New York Times reported Friday.

However it remains unclear whether the blaze was triggered by mechanical malfunction or a criminal act, Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Times.

Last Saturday an Egyptian-led investigative committee reported that the word "fire" could be heard on EgyptAir flight 804's cockpit voice recorder before it crashed.

But the forensic and aviation officials in Cairo who spoke with the Times said that both the cockpit voice and flight data recorders, combined with the distribution and condition of recovered debris and human remains, had led them to their latest conclusion.

EgyptAir flight was en route from Paris to Cairo when it disappeared from radar over the Mediterranean.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team