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Coordinates: 30°09′02″N 34°10′41″E / 30.1506°N 34.178°E / 30.1506; 34.178
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The Association of Tour Operators of Russia released a comprehensive list of all passengers thought to have been on the flight.<ref>{{cite web|title=Списки пассажиров и экипажа рейса 9268 «Когалымавиа»|url=http://www.atorus.ru/new/33181.html|website=atorus.ru|publisher=ATOR|accessdate=31 October 2015}}</ref>
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia released a comprehensive list of all passengers thought to have been on the flight.<ref>{{cite web|title=Списки пассажиров и экипажа рейса 9268 «Когалымавиа»|url=http://www.atorus.ru/new/33181.html|website=atorus.ru|publisher=ATOR|accessdate=31 October 2015}}</ref>


==Islamic State militant claims==
===Islamic State militant claims===
Shortly after the crash, [[Islamic state (disambiguation)|Islamic State militants]] claimed responsibility for the incident which took place in an area of fighting between government forces and an IS affiliate, '[[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province|Sinai Province]]'. However, Egyptian security sources said there is no indication that the plane had been shot down or blown up.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bbc.in/1Of4U7D|website=BBC|publisher=BBC|accessdate=31 October 2015}}</ref> Islamic State said this was in revenge for Russian air strikes against militants in Syria, where IS controls territories that straddle Iraq. Some experts said Islamic State militants in Sinai does not have [[surface-to-air missiles]] capable of hitting a plane at high altitude, even though they could not exclude the possibility of a bomb on board the flight. Militants in the north who pledged allegiance to the jihadist Islamic State group have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.<ref>{{citeweb|title=IS claims downing in Sinai of Russian plane carrying 224|url=http://news.yahoo.com/russian-civilian-plane-crashes-sinai-egypt-pm-080736703.html|accessdate=31 October 2015|publisher= Yahoo.news.com}}</ref> Russia's Transport Minister, Maxim Sokolov summarily dismissed the Islamic State claims as 'fabrications', citing a lack of evidence to support the latter from Egyptian authorities and Air Traffic data.<ref>{{cite web|title=IS claim 'a fabrication'|url=http://bbc.in/1Q1H8LI|website=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=31 October 2015}}</ref>
Shortly after the crash, [[Islamic state (disambiguation)|Islamic State militants]] claimed responsibility for the incident which took place in an area of fighting between government forces and an IS affiliate, '[[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province|Sinai Province]]'. However, Egyptian security sources said there is no indication that the plane had been shot down or blown up.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bbc.in/1Of4U7D|website=BBC|publisher=BBC|accessdate=31 October 2015}}</ref> Islamic State said this was in revenge for Russian air strikes against militants in Syria, where IS controls territories that straddle Iraq. Some experts said Islamic State militants in Sinai does not have [[surface-to-air missiles]] capable of hitting a plane at high altitude, even though they could not exclude the possibility of a bomb on board the flight. Militants in the north who pledged allegiance to the jihadist Islamic State group have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.<ref>{{citeweb|title=IS claims downing in Sinai of Russian plane carrying 224|url=http://news.yahoo.com/russian-civilian-plane-crashes-sinai-egypt-pm-080736703.html|accessdate=31 October 2015|publisher= Yahoo.news.com}}</ref> Russia's Transport Minister, Maxim Sokolov summarily dismissed the Islamic State claims as 'fabrications', citing a lack of evidence to support the latter from Egyptian authorities and Air Traffic data.<ref>{{cite web|title=IS claim 'a fabrication'|url=http://bbc.in/1Q1H8LI|website=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=31 October 2015}}</ref>


Revision as of 16:04, 31 October 2015

Kogalymavia Flight 9268
EI-ETJ, the aircraft involved seen at Bangkok Airport in August 2014.
Accident
Date31 October 2015 (2015-10-31)
SummaryCrashed for yet undetermined reasons, under investigation.[1]
SiteSouth of Al-Arish, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
30°09′02″N 34°10′41″E / 30.1506°N 34.178°E / 30.1506; 34.178
Aircraft typeAirbus A321-231
OperatorKogalymavia
RegistrationEI-ETJ
Flight originSharm el-Sheikh International Airport, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
DestinationPulkovo Airport, St. Petersburg, Russia
Passengers217[2]
Crew7
Fatalities224 (all)[3][4]
Survivors0 (none)[5]

Kogalymavia Flight 9268 (KGL 9268/7K9268) was an international chartered passenger flight,[6] operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia which crashed in northern Sinai following departure from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, Egypt to Pulkovo Airport, St. Petersburg, Russia on 31 October 2015[7] at 4:13 UTC (7:13 Moscow time). The aircraft, an Airbus A321-231, was carrying 217 passengers and seven crew members.[8][2] As well as the crew, 214 of those aboard were Russians and three were Ukrainian, mostly tourists.[9]

With the death toll of 224 people, Flight 9268 was the deadliest plane crash in Egyptian history, surpassing the 2004 crash of Flash Airlines Flight 604. It is also the deadliest plane crash involving Airbus A321, surpassing the 2010's crash of AirBlue Flight 202 in Pakistan and the deadliest in the Airbus A320 family surpassing TAM Flight 3054 in 2007.

Aircraft

The Airbus A321-231[10] was owned and leased from Dublin-based AerCap and was 18 years old at the time of the incident. The aircraft was delivered to Middle East Airlines in May 1997 as EI-ETJ, in 1998 it was registered as F-OHMP. It later served for Onur Air and most other airlines like Saudi Arabian Airlines and Pacific Airlines as TC-OAE until October 2011 before Kolavia acquired the plane as EI-ETJ in April 2012 and later transferred to Metrojet in May 2012.[11] The aircraft was powered by two IAE V2533 engines and configured to carry 220 passengers in an economy configuration. The aircraft had accumulated some 56,000 flight hours in 21,000 flights.[12][13]

Crash

The route of the aircraft

Flight 9268 left Sharm el-Sheikh airport at 06:51 for Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg, Russia with 217 passengers, including 17 children,[14] and seven crew members on board. All those aboard were Russians, according to the Russian embassy.[15] The aircraft failed to make contact with Cyprus Air Traffic Control 23 minutes later.[16] Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed the flight disappeared from radar. Initially, the head of Egypt's civil aviation accident body, Ayman al-Muqaddam, said: "The...Russian airline had told us that the Russian plane we lost contact with is safe and that it has contacted Turkish air traffic control and is passing through Turkish skies now." Flightradar24 also posted on Twitter: "It's NOT [sic] confirmed that this flight has crashed. It descended 5000 feet before Flightradar24 coverage was lost."[17] FlightRadar24 also tracked the final moments of the flight and can be replayed here

The captain of the flight had reportedly told ATC that there was a technical fault and had requested a route change, although there was no indication whether a change had occurred. Interfax reported that the aircraft requested an emergency landing at El Arish International Airport before disappearing.[18][19] The Egyptian Civilian Aviation Ministry issued a statement that indicated the flight was at an altitude of 31,000 feet when it disappeared from radar screens after a reported "steep descent" up to 5,000 feet. It had disappeared in a mountainous area in central Sinai with poor weather conditions making it difficult for rescue crews to get to the scene. An unnamed security source said that any survivors and the bodies of those who died would be flown to Cairo.[14] The descent of 5,000 feet occurred in one minute shortly before it disappeared 50 kilometers north east of Nekhel.[20] All 224 passengers and crew died.[21]

Response

Eurocontrol's Air Flow Traffic Management (CFMU) issued a note to all operators along the route shortly after the aircraft's disappearance that due to technical problems all flights would be tactically re-routed, although the notice was redacted shortly thereafter.[7]

Unnamed Egyptian authorities indicated that the first parts of the wreckage had been located.[7] Fifty ambulances were sent to the crash site near Housna, 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Sharm el-Sheikh.[22][23] Unnamed Egyptian officials reported that the plane "split in two" and most bodies were found strapped to their seats. Initial reports indicated that voices of trapped passengers could be heard in a section of the crashed plane,[14] however it is now believed that there are no survivors from the crash.[24] At least 150 bodies were found,[4] including at least five children.[3] Soon after the crash, the Russian Investigative Committee announced that it would be conducting tests on fuel samples taken from the plane at its last fuel uplift in the Russian city of Samara.[25]

Investigation

al-Muqaddam, who was appointed to investigate the cause of the crash, said that the pilot had made contact with the civil aviation authorities and asked to land at the nearest airport. He suggested the plane may have been attempting an emergency landing at Al-Arish airport in north Sinai.[15] It crashed 35 kilometers south of the coastal city.[26] Though the Sinai insurgency has been ongoing, there were no reports the plane had been shot down, according to Egyptian security sources.[14]

Officers of Russia's top investigative body were questioning Kogalymavia's employees along with Brisco tour agency that had chartered the flight. Egypt's foreign minister has promised to work closely with Russian officials and experts to find the cause of the deadly plane crash in the Sinai Peninsula. The aircraft involved in the accident, had successfully undergone technical checks before taking-off. Experts will view the security camera footage.[27]

Reactions

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail confirmed the aircraft has crashed[7] and cancelled his meetings upon hearing the news.[17] He was on his way to the crash site along with other ministers on a private jet, according to the Tourism Ministry.[22]

Russian Foreign Minister Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that the Russian embassy was following the events.[15] President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and an official investigation.[3] Putin also declared 1 November a national day of mourning in Russia.[28] The Emergencies Ministry was sending three of its planes to the crash site. The Investigative Committee also has launched a case against Kogalymavia under an article regulating "violation of rules of flights and preparations."[29] Israel, which borders the Sinai peninsula, offered its assistance to Russia and Egypt with surveillance and search efforts.[3]

Airbus posted a note on Twitter that read: "We are aware of the media reports. Efforts are now going towards assessing the situation. We'll provide more information as soon as available."[22] They also released a statement on their website confirming the aircraft's MSN and engine configuration.[30]

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia released a comprehensive list of all passengers thought to have been on the flight.[31]

Islamic State militant claims

Shortly after the crash, Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the incident which took place in an area of fighting between government forces and an IS affiliate, 'Sinai Province'. However, Egyptian security sources said there is no indication that the plane had been shot down or blown up.[32] Islamic State said this was in revenge for Russian air strikes against militants in Syria, where IS controls territories that straddle Iraq. Some experts said Islamic State militants in Sinai does not have surface-to-air missiles capable of hitting a plane at high altitude, even though they could not exclude the possibility of a bomb on board the flight. Militants in the north who pledged allegiance to the jihadist Islamic State group have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.[33] Russia's Transport Minister, Maxim Sokolov summarily dismissed the Islamic State claims as 'fabrications', citing a lack of evidence to support the latter from Egyptian authorities and Air Traffic data.[34]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to EI-ETJ (aircraft).

References

  1. ^ "Wreckage of Russian passenger plane found in Sinai: Egypt govt". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt's Sinai, country's Prime Minister says". cnn. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "Egypt plane crash live: Crew of Kogalymavia Flight 9268 'had complained about engine problems'". Independent. 31 October 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Egypt crash: 100 bodies pulled from wreckage after Russian plane 'splits in two'". Express. Retrieved 31 October 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "No survivor on Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt's Sinai, said country's Prime Minister says". Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  6. ^ "Technical issues before losing contact: Putin sends rescue teams to wreckage of Russian airliner 'split in two' with 224 on board". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 31 October 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d "Crash: Metrojet A321 over Sinai on Oct 31st 2015, disappeared from radar in climb over Sinai". The Aviation Herald.
  8. ^ Sawer, Patrick (31 October 2015). "Russian airliner crashes in Egypt's Sinai peninsula with 219 or 224 people on board". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  9. ^ "LifeNews publishes a list of the missing passengers of the liner". LifeNews. 31 October 2015.
  10. ^ http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/aircraft/quick?phrase=Kolavia
  11. ^ http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-a321-663.htm
  12. ^ "EI-ETJ Metrojet Airbus A321-231 - cn 663". planespotters.net. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  13. ^ Lin Noueihed (31 October 2015). "Flight 7K9268 plane crash: Russian passenger jet with 224 people on board 'has crashed over Egypt'". Mirror.
  14. ^ a b c d Jessica Best (31 October 2015). "Egypt plane crash: Live updates as Russian passenger jet carrying 224 people crashes in Central Sinai". Mirror.
  15. ^ a b c Jessica Elgot. "Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt's Sinai - latest". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Russian airliner crashes in central Sinai - Egyptian PM". BBC News. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Russian Airliner With 224 on Board Crashes in Egypt". Sputnik. 31 October 2015.
  18. ^ Mohammed, Yusri; Hassan, Ahmed Mohamed (31 October 2015). "Russian airliner with 224 aboard crashes in Egypt's Sinai, all killed". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  19. ^ Thomas, Merna (31 October 2015). "Russian Plane Crash in Sinai Peninsula Kills 224". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 October 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ "EI-ETJ - Aircraft info and flight history". FlightRadar24. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYTImes1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ a b c "Updates: Russian airliner crashes in Egypt's Sinai peninsula". BBC News. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  23. ^ Russian plane crashes in Sinai, reportedly killing all 224 people on board, CNN, October 31, 2015
  24. ^ "No survivors - Egyptian officials". Blog Post. The Guardian. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Russian plane crash in Sinai". BBC News. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  26. ^ Mohammed, Yusri; Farouk, Ehab. "Russian airliner with 224 aboard crashes in Egypt's Sinai". Reuters. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  27. ^ {{citeweb|title=The Latest: Russians search Metrojet office after crash|url=http://news.yahoo.com/latest-egypt-confirms-russian-plane-crashes-sinai-091807935.html%7Caccessdate=31 October 2015|publisher=Yahoo.news.com
  28. ^ Bush, Jason (31 October 2015). "Russia's Putin declares day of mourning after airliner crash in Egypt". Reuters. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  29. ^ "Russia opens criminal case after airliner crashes in Egypt -agencies". Mail Online. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  30. ^ "METROJET A321-200 FLIGHT 7K-9268 ACCIDENT OVER SINAI PENINSULA". Airbus. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  31. ^ "Списки пассажиров и экипажа рейса 9268 «Когалымавиа»". atorus.ru. ATOR. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  32. ^ BBC. BBC http://bbc.in/1Of4U7D. Retrieved 31 October 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. ^ "IS claims downing in Sinai of Russian plane carrying 224". Yahoo.news.com. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  34. ^ "IS claim 'a fabrication'". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
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