WATCH: What We Know About Missing EgyptAir Flight 804

ABC Columbia Staff

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CAIRO (WOLO) — Good Morning Columbia has the latest on missing EgyptAir Flight 804.

Search and rescue operations are underway following the disappearance of Egyptian Flight 804.  The airline says the airbus A320 carrying 56 passengers and 10 crew members from Paris to Cairo was flying at 37,000 feet when it vanished from radar.

An airport official says their last contact with the plane was 10 minutes before it disappeared within Egyptian airspace around 2:45 a.m. CLT.

While Egyptian Army officials say they did not receive a distress call, they say there was a signal received from the plane.

French President Francois Hollande says they fear the EgyptAir flight has crashed over the Mediterranean.   He adds no hypothesis has been ruled when it comes to the cause of that potential crash, including an accident or a terrorist act.

We’re learning more about the final moments of that plane before the alleged crash.   Greek defense Minister Panos Kammenos says the EgyptAir flight made abrupt turns and suddenly lost altitude just before vanishing from radar shortly after entering Cairo’s air traffic control area of responsibility.

Kammenos says, “It turned 90 degrees left and then a 360-degree turn toward the right, dropping from 38,000 to 15,000 feet and then it was lost at about 10,000 feet.”

Authorities have set up a special crisis center at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport for families of passengers of the missing plane.

We’re learning more about the passengers and crew on board that plane.

EgyptAir officials are reporting no Americans were on board the plane.

The passengers’ nationalities are as follows:

  • 15 French
  • 30 Egyptian
  • 1 British
  • 1 Belgium
  • 2 Iraqis
  • 1 Kuwaiti
  • 1 Saudi
  • 1 Sudanese
  • 1 Chadian
  • 1 Portuguese
  • 1 Algerian
  • 1 Canadian

One child and two infants are among the missing, according to authorities.

As for the crew, EgyptAir officials say the pilot of the plane had 6,275 flying hours, including 2,101 flying hours on the Airbus 320.   The co-pilot had 2,766 flying hours.

The aircraft was manufactured in 2003.

This is a developing story.   Be sure to stay with ABC Columbia for the latest updates on-air and online.

 

Categories: News

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