The captain of the Egyptian passenger aircraft that crashed in 2016 was not a smoker, Egyptian broadcaster Sada el-Balad reported on Friday, citing sources in response to a French experts' report claiming that smoking of one of the pilots was a possible cause of the fire on board
CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th April, 2022) The captain of the Egyptian passenger aircraft that crashed in 2016 was not a smoker, Egyptian broadcaster Sada el-Balad reported on Friday, citing sources in response to a French experts' report claiming that smoking of one of the pilots was a possible cause of the fire on board.
Earlier this week, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported, citing French experts' report, that the fire on board the aircraft was due to oxygen leakage from the co-pilot's mask. It was replaced three days before the flight and was in emergency mode after that. According to the newspaper, the oxygen mixture ignited due to the fact that "the commander or senior assistant was smoking at an altitude of 11,278 meters (37,000 feet)." The report was submitted a month ago to the Paris Court of Appeal.
The captain of the aircraft did not smoke cigarettes at all, the Egyptian broadcaster said, adding that the French report is inaccurate, illogical, and contradicts the investigation of the Egyptian Public Prosecution Office.
The sources noted that, according to the investigation, which is still ongoing, that traces of explosives were found on the wreckage of the aircraft and the remains of passengers.
"Only the Egyptian Public Prosecution Office has the right to distribute official reports on the investigation of the aircraft crash. The case is still being investigated and has not been closed," the sources added.
In 2016, A320 aircraft of the company EgyptAir flying from Paris to Cairo disappeared from radar early in the morning on May 19. There were 66 passengers and crew members on board. A day later, the wreckage of the plane was found in the Mediterranean Sea, 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. After the analysis of the recorders of the crashed aircraft, it was found that a fire broke out on board before the crash.
In 2018, the French air accident investigation bureau said that the cause of the crash may have been a fire in the cockpit. In 2019, data from a French forensic investigation showed that the fire was caused by an oxygen leak in the cockpit.
