Egypt Airliner CRASHED in Egypt

KINGTV News-Seattle | 1/2/2004 | ME

[Gorons]

Local news just flashed that an Egypt Airliner has crashed in Egypt...

Reporting majority of ~135 passengers are French tourists....

[GeronL]

will the French get serious now???

[Prodigal Son]

All we need now is a passage from Nostradamus.

Not quite a passage but almost more interesting.

We got Nostradamus, aircraft and France right here, plus some kind of weird radar system ;-)

http://www.onera.fr/actualites/rappannu97-en/radars.html

Nostradamus: distant vision Nostradamus is an over-the-horizon radar demonstrator, capable of detecting and locating an aircraft well beyond the horizon - the limit for conventional radars. Emitting very-low-frequency waves (6 to 30 MHz) that bounce off the ionosphere, the new radar offers a range of over 1,000 kilometers. The Nostradamus radar is located in the region of Dreux (west of Paris). Each of its three arms stretches several hundred meters and comprises one hundred antennas. Its distinguishing characteristics are omnidirectional surveillance capability (360 degrees) - versus 90 degrees for competing OTH radars - and co-located transmitting and receiving antennas. A parallel processor computer provides real-time signal processing.

[GeronL]

That wasn't Red Wine you moron..!!

[stlnative]

(No distress signal was detected)


Egyptian Charter Jet Crashes Into Red Sea
10 minutes ago

By MOHAMED KHALIFA, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt - A charter airliner with 141 people aboard — mostly French tourists — crashed into the Red Sea shortly after takeoff on Saturday from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, officials said. No survivors were reported.



The Boeing 737 jet took off shortly before 5 a.m. (10 p.m. EST Friday) and quickly disappeared from radar about seven miles south of the airport, said airport officials using customary anonymity.


No distress signal was detected, according to officials at Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation.


The crash occurred amid a week of heightened concerns about terrorist threats from the air that have led to increased security and canceled flights around the world.


But an initial statement from aviation ministry ruled out terrorism, calling the crash an "accident" that may have been caused by a mechanical problem. The ministry said no one was believed to have survived.


Officials said 135 passengers and six crew members were aboard the jet operated by the private Egyptian company Air Flash en route to Cairo — 129 of them French and six Egyptians.


Rescue teams rushed to the scene and found the wreckage of the jet close to the coast. They were attempting to find survivors or bodies, according to an official quoted by the Egyptian news agency MENA.


Engineers from the national carrier Egyptair rushed in to try to help determine what happened. Officials at Air Flash could not immediately be reached for comment.


The weather was clear in Sharm el-Sheikh and other flights were taking off without incident, officials said.


Sharm el-Sheik is a popular Red Sea tourist resort that also frequently hosts major political and economic summits. Egypt has held several meetings on Middle East peace there, including one in which President Bush (news - web sites) met with regional leaders in June over the "road map" plan toward creating a Palestinian state.


Local news media reported Saturday that vacationing British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) was to meet there later in the day with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites).

[Mr. Mojo]

will the French get serious now???

They should be surrendering any minute now.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Interesting lag in reporting time. I wonder how they managed that.

Well, if you go to BBC website, their last update is at 8:24 am, presuming they had the story and have been updating for a few hours, that sounds pretty normal. Figure about an hour to an hour and a half or so for the news to be reported and updated regularly. Add in the fact that it was very early morning, smaller airport, 3rd world country, etc.

(most) everyone on this thread is straining to ascribe extraordinary conditions to an event that happens fairly frequently, yes we are in a heightened alert status, but planes crash according to when they crash.....

[stlnative]

Officials said 135 passengers and six crew members were aboard the jet operated by the private Egyptian company Air Flash en route to Cairo — 129 of them French and six Egyptians

[11B3]

True about the fog, but any pilot that flies a 737 - I don't care where they are - is at a minimum IFR rated. Granted, landing is tough in 0/0 conditions without Cat III, but the only way to have an accident taking off is through complete hydraulic failure or veering off the runway. Since they were airborne, we know that they made it up.

I don't have the approach chart for Sharm to look it up, but I'd be looking into that island off the coast. Back then it was 'uninhabited', but I don't know anymore. I don't like conspiracy theories any better than you do, but from personal experience there I have to lean towards terrorism given the facts we have so far.

[autoresponder]

I cannot find that old story of the skyjacked jetliner that Fruitcake of Islamic terrorists attempted to force the pilots to crash into the Eiffel Tower.

Aircraft eventually landed.

Skyjackers were not trained to fly back then.

Perhaps some of you could pull it up and post it here on FR.

It will be interesting to hear what France says about the USA telling them to cancel flights to America now.

[SunnyUsa]

Ironically, on another thread:

Iran faithful shout 'death to France'

For this reason I am suspicious of this "accidental crash" - since most on board were French except for crew.

[stlnative]

Local news media reported Saturday that vacationing British Prime Minister Tony Blair was to meet there later in the day with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

[GeronL]

Tony Blair is in that area???

[Central Scrutiniser]

Yes, I have a few times, as well as Egypt, and a few other middle eastern places, and Africa, Asia, Australia and many other places where being an american is not the greatest thing. Over 40 countries in the last 10 or so years. I usually take about 4 or 5 trips a year out of the US. People are people all over the world, by making rash generalizations about them, it makes it much easier not to view them as people like you and I, with families and friends and hopes and dreams.

[stlnative]

The weather was clear in Sharm el-Sheikh and other flights were taking off without incident, officials said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=515&e=1&u=/ap/20040103/ap_on_re_af/egypt_plane_crash

[Happy2BMe]

All I can say is better over there than over here.

Wonder what all this attention is doing for Chirac's "PUCKER" effect?

[stlnative]

see post 195

The weather was clear in Sharm el-Sheikh and other flights were taking off without incident, officials said.

[bluefish]

Don't you know, everything short of the extinction of the dinosaur is a direct result of Bush's policy.

- I think he's been implicated for that too.

heh heh... See Post #109

[GeronL]

south?? I guess it needs more room than 7 miles to turn around?

[Central Scrutiniser]

It could be terrorism, but I've seen quite a few charter airlines that have very dodgy maintenance, let alone quality flight crews.

I don't have any data on Sharm, didn't ever go there (I want to!). But you know, that until there is more info, who knows? I remember all the folk blaming the AA A300 on terrorism, but it was clearly a mechanical that brought that down.