The biggest news story of the past two days is that of the disappearance and subsequent rediscovery of EgyptAir Flight 804, the latest airplane flight to end in tragedy. After Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared in 2014, it seems planes are disappearing or crashing with a higher frequency. So though EgyptAir Flight 804 is not necessarily an anomaly, it is important to acknowledge, if only for the possible reasons for its disappearance and crash. Here are the answers to your most pressing questions:
Where was the plane going, and how many people were on it?
Flight 804 left Paris, France at 11:09 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19 from Charles de Gaulle Airport, and was supposed to land in Cairo, Egypt at 3:15 a.m on Thursday, May 20. The weather was clear for flying, and the plane had recently received its necessary maintenance. 66 people were on board, 10 of which were experienced crew members, and the other 55 of which were passengers. 30 people on the flight were Egyptian citizens, 15 were French citizens, two were Canadians, and others called countries such as Kuwait, Australia, Britain, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Chad, Iraq, Algeria, Belgium and Sudan home. Three of the passengers were children.
What happened before the flight crashed?
While the plane flew over Greece and was about to enter Egypt's jurisdiction—at 2:27 a.m.—Greek air traffic control lost contact with the pilot. Officials do not know why. According to the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, smoke alerts went off by the co-pilot's window as well as in the lavatory. Typically, smoke alerts in those areas of a plane are signs of technical failure; however, all of the alerts took place within two minutes—a far shorter period of time than is normal. Furthermore, routine check-ups were done only a few days before on the plane, and everything was deemed acceptable. The flight controls malfunctioned seconds before the plane swerved wildly, turned around, and then disappeared and subsequently plummeted 38,000 feet into the ocean at 2:29 a.m.
Have any remains been found?
According to a Greek official, remnants of the flight including an airplane seat, luggage, and even human remains were discovered approximately five miles from where the flight lost contact with Greek air traffic control. The Egyptian military and marines have been sent to search for more signs of the wreckage, and have thus far found various belongings and body parts. A possible oil slick from the engine of the plane has also been discovered. Bigger pieces of wreckage—such as pieces of the plane—have yet to be found in the Mediterranean Sea.
Why did the flight go down?
Three popular theories have arisen between now and the plane's crash on Thursday morning:
1. Terrorism: Egyptian officials, including Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy, favor this theory. They believe terrorism is more likely than a technical issue. Though no actual evidence has been gathered for this theory, U.S. officials also favor this scenario. The fires on the flight could have been caused by a bomb—although other experts believe any bomb which would go off in that short a period of time would have caused wider damage than the spots specified by the smoke alerts. Multiple flights have been crashed or destroyed by bombs despite increased airport security. The difference with this flight is that all of the other crashes were claimed shortly by various terrorist organizations, including ISIS and al Qaeda's al-Shaabab. A bomb could have been smuggled onto the flight by an airport worker in on the plan.
2. Technical Problem: This option seems less likely due to the adequate upkeep of the plane as well as the lack of evidence of any issues on the technical log. Although smoke was present in areas of the plane in which technical issues could cause smoke, no problems were recorded or communicated to air officials. In order to definitively rule this option out, however, the remains of the plane itself must be examined.
3. Pilot/Co-Pilot Incompetence: Unlike multiple other plane crashes caused by fairly green crew members, both the pilot and co-pilot of Flight 804 were very experienced. They had each manned over thousands of hours of flight time. Neither man had any explicit reason to purposefully crash the plane; at least, no information regarding possible motivations for crashing the plane has been presented. It is possible that there was a technical problem in the cockpit which neither pilot had ever encountered, however, and they were thus incapable of properly piloting the plane through the problem.
Why does this matter?
This flight disappearance and crash is not only significant due to its possible connection with terrorism—although that is a large part of why there has been so much coverage on the flight. It is also important because it highlights are variety of different issues: airport security, levels of experience for pilots, safety on planes themselves, as well as racial, religious, and political tensions. It is interesting to note that so many media companies in the United States have reported on the progress of the flight considering no U.S. citizens were on board. Media in the U.S. is notoriously silent on problems which target citizens of countries in Africa. Because almost half of the individuals on the flight were citizens of Egypt, it is somewhat surprising there has been so much coverage elsewhere.
If the flight was targeted by terrorists, then it has another important significance. The flight's victims would be a microcosm of the individuals actually affected by terrorism worldwide. Although politicians and media outlets in the United States love to fear-monger and make it seem like ISIS and other terrorist organizations are specifically targeting white people, that is not so. The majority of people affected by terrorist organizations are those who live in the home country of those organizations. For instance, ISIS killed approximately 18,800 Iraqi civilians in under two years—which is comparable to genocide—whereas in the past two years, less than 50 citizens of the United States were killed by any form of terrorism.
A plane crash is a terrible way to learn a lesson, but it is important to learn and important to analyze the motivations, causes, and possible solutions to what has happened. May the victims of EgyptAir Flight 804 be remembered, and may the relatives of the victims find peace.
