Wednesday, November 17, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 9
Nation/World
FBI may investigate EgyptAir 990 crash
Federal officials say concern could indicate criminal involvement
The Associated Press
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Officials prepared Tuesday to turn over the investigation of the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 to the FBI — indicating suspicions of a criminal act — but delayed the move at Egypt's request.
The development came amid indications someone in the cockpit made a religious utterance just before the jet went into its fatal plunge — and that a relief co-pilot may have taken over before the crash. The Associated Press learned.
Jim Hall, chairman of the National Transportation Safety
Board, said in Washington that additional Egyptian experts were joining the investigation.
"Given this further development, it is only prudent for the National Transportation Safety Board to fully evaluate this information prior to any final decision on whether the responsibility for this investigation should transfer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation." Hall said.
The timing of the prayer — before the jet's autopilot was disengaged and the plane dived from 33,000 feet — raised suspicions that Flight 990 was deliberately brought down.
The words apparently came from someone in the co-pilot's seat, but not necessarily the co-pilot.
A source close to the investigation told the AP that Egyptian airline officials tentatively identified the person in the co-pilot's seat as the relief co-pilot, Gameel El
Batouty, 59. They identified his voice after listening to the cockpit voice recorder at NTSB headquarters.
Batouty was scheduled to take over much later in the flight from co-pilot Adel Anwar. Another source close to the investigation, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the tape showed Batouty apparently came in at some point, "said he wanted to fly" and his request was accepted.
In Washington, Hall said further analysis of the cockpit voice recorder was needed on the meaning of the utterance.
"As long as there are differences in the interpretation — and there are significant differences in the cultural interpretations of some expressions on the recorder — I think it is unfair ... for us to characterize it," he said.
Although the phrase heard on the
recorder was characterized as a prayer, that doesn't necessarily mean it was related to the cause of the plunge. Arabic speakers commonly make references to God in everyday statements.
Hall said at a news conference the government would hire a private salvage concern to retrieve the airplane wreckage from the ocean floor. He said officials were particularly interested in the cockpit.
"Based on the evidence we have seen thus far — the flight data recorder, the cockpit voice recorder, radar data and the small bits of wreckage that have been recovered — we have found so far no sign of a mechanical or weather-related event that could have caused this accident," he said.
A senior intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there still was no clear evidence that terrorism was involved.
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Harvest Celebration Vegetarian Dinner & Live Music sponsored by KU Environs & the ECM
Thursday, November 18 at 7:30 ECM (12th & Oread)
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19 West 9th Street
Attention All Parrotheads!
Peter Mayer, Jimmy Buffet's Lead Guitarist
Wednesday, Nov. 17
9:00 pm
at the Granada, 1020 Mass.
Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door.
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When traveling home for Thanksgiving break, I normally:
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