EgyptAir crash: Plane debris of flight A320 found off Greek island

US President Barack Obama received a briefing on the missing EgyptAir plane by Lisa Monaco, adviser for homeland security and counter-terrorism, the White House said on Thursday.

Obama asked to be updated throughout the day on the situation, in which a jet carrying 66 passengers and crew disappeared from radar over the Mediterranean. He directed administration officials to reach out to their international counterparts to offer support and assistance, deputy White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz said in a statement.

Debris found off Greek island in search for EgyptAir flight

Signs of possible wreckage were found  off the Greek island of Crete in a search for an EgyptAir flight missing in the Mediterranean, a Greek military spokesman said.

"There have been finds southeast of Crete, inside the Cairo flight information area," general staff spokesman Vassilis Beletsiotis told AFP, adding that an Egyptian C-130 plane had spotted the floating objects, and ships would be sent to investigate.

Egypt in a statement said that it can not rule out a terror attack or a technical failure in the missing place.

The Egyptian Aviation minister announced that no debris of the missing EgyptAir plane has been found so far. He further added that the search efforts are focused near the Greek island of Karpathos, Reuters reported.

In the latest updates, the Greece Defence Minister has said that the EgyptAir plane fell about 22,000 feet and spun sharply in the air before disappearing. 

#BREAKING EgyptAir plane fell 22,000 feet, spun sharply before disappearance: Greek defence minister

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 19, 2016

 

 

Here's BBC's translation of French President Francois Hollande's statement -

"It was feared that this plane had crashed. The information that we have managed to gather confirm alas that this plane has crashed, and it has disappeared. 66 passengers were on board, including the crew and security personnel. Among the passengers there were 15 French citizens. A crisis cell was actioned immediately.

Alongside the Egyptian authorities we are making sure that all the families should be informed during this test. Our thoughts and solidarity and compassion are with them.

We have a duty to know everything about the causes of what happened. No hypothesis should be ruled out. Everything should be put at the disposal of the Greek and Egyptian authorities so that we can liaise with them. We have to send them ships and planes to find where the plane crashed, and to do whatever we can to collect the debris. That will allow us to find the truth.

It could be a terrorist hypothesis but at this stage we should express our solidarity to the families and to find out the cause of the catastrophe.

We will find the truth."

French president Francois Hollande confirmed that the plane, EgyptAir flight MS805, has crashed. According to The Guardian, in a TV press conference, he said, "no hypothesis" could be ruled out on the causes of the crash.

#BREAKING Hollande confirms EgyptAir flight 'crashed'

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 19, 2016

Timeline of Flight MS804

21.30 GMT - EgyptAir Flight MS804 leave Charles de Gaulle airport from Paris

00.25 GMT - The last time MS804 appeared on the radar of Greek traffic control, according to Reuters

00.30 GMT - Egypt lost contact with the flight

01.15 GMT - Plane was due to arrive at Cairo airport 

According to BBC, Egyptian foreign ministry has released a statement referring to 'falling' of EgyptAir MS804. 

The statement says that the Egyptian and French foreign ministers have exchanged condolences, and agreed to co-operate on investigating what happened.

On the other hand, relatives of the passengers on board the EgyptAir flight told The Guardian that the authorities have not given any confirmation over the situation.

There is no official confirmation from the authorities about the fate of EgyptAir flight MS804. But Egypt civil aviation authorities who declined to be identified told Reuters, "The theory that the plane crashed and fell is now confirmed after the preliminary search and after it did not arrive at any of the nearby airports." 

"All causes for the disaster are open, whether it is a major technical fault or a terrorist action or any other circumstance. This will be ascertained when we inspect the plane's wreckage and transcribe its black boxes," said a senior aviation source.

According to Marine Traffic, 8 merchant shifts in the Mediterranean sea have already joined the search for the missing flight.

More than 8 merchant ships have already joined the #MS804 sea search operations. #EGYPTAIR https://t.co/3hfOaMiDZO pic.twitter.com/bEEFUEU4D6

— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) May 19, 2016

Families of the passengers on board EgyptAir flight MS804 have started arriving at Cairo airport

Families have been arriving here at Cairo airport for news of their loved ones on missing Egyptair flight #MS804 pic.twitter.com/XQu9w8MbQS

— Quentin Sommerville (@sommervillebbc) May 19, 2016

Here is the last known location of MS804 

Airbus in a statement confirmed that they have lost an EgyptAir A320.

"Airbus regrets to confirm that an A320 operated by Egyptair was lost at around 02:30 am (Egypt local time) today over the Mediterranean sea. The aircraft was operating a scheduled service, Flight MS 804 from Paris, France to Cairo, Egypt."

Read the statement here

EgyptAir has issued  two phone number for relatives of people on board flight MS804. 

From any landline in Egypt - 080077770000

From any mobile phone or any carrier outside of Egypt - +202 25989320

They have also provided translators, doctors and other necessary aid to the families of the relatives at Cairo airport.

Egypt Civil Aviation minister Sherif Fathy will hold a press conference at 1 pm local time.

Update: Minister of Civil Aviation Sherif Fathy to hold press conference at 1 pm on #EgyptAirMS804 missing craft

— Daily News Egypt (@DailyNewsEgypt) May 19, 2016

Here is the summary of what we know so far.

Missing EgyptAir aircraft's pilot did not report problem: Greece

'No theory can be ruled out' on disappearance of EgyptAir plane: French PM

EgyptAir flight MS804 missing: What we know so far

 

French President Hollande holds crisis meeting in Paris

Réunion de crise autour de @fhollande après la disparition cette nuit du vol EgyptAir entre Paris et Le Caire pic.twitter.com/2m18ht9gFY

— Élysée (@Elysee) May 19, 2016

According to 7 News Sydney, residents of Greek Island are claiming to have seen a fireball in the sky around the time MS804 disappeared.

Residents of Greek island claim they saw ball of fire in the sky around the time #MS804 disappeared. @ChrisReason7 https://t.co/FDlNhF2KVz

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) May 19, 2016

AFP, citing Greek airport sources, said that EgyptAir ​plane crashed off Greek island of Karpathos in Egyptian airspace.

#BREAKING: EgyptAir plane crashed off Greek island of Karpathos in Egyptian airspace: Greek airport source

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 19, 2016

EgyptAir posted a tweet asking media to wait for official updates. 

EGYPTAIR Crisis Center follows up the situation and urges the media resources to abide by the official news issued and sent by the company.

— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) May 19, 2016

Earlier, AP tweeted about the possibility of MS 804 crashing. They quoted an anonymous source.

French PM Manuel Valls has offered help to locate the missing plane

"Everything must be done to find the plane, that’s why we’re in contact with the Egyptian authorities. We are mobilising and ready to send our military means, planes and boats, to search for this plane."

This is the last recorded point of contact with the flight - 

Our last recorded point of contact with #MS804 is 33.6757, 28.7924 at 36,975 feet.https://t.co/6tH4GQzOWU pic.twitter.com/y14vnYgOth

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) May 19, 2016

There has been a confusion about the time of last distress signal received from the EgyptAir flight. Previously it was said that last radar contact occurred at 2.30 am local time. But according to The Guardian, last distress signal reported to have been received at 04.26 local time.

#BREAKING 'Distress message' had been sent from vanished flight: EgyptAir

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 19, 2016

France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Thursday "no theory can be ruled out" in the missing EgyptAir flight which disappeared en route to Cairo from Paris. - Reuters

According to Associated Press, the officials, on the condition of anonymity, said, "possibility that the plane crashed has been confirmed."

EgyptAir flight MS804 did not land in any of the nearby airports. The last distress signal was reported to have been received at 04.26 local time.

BREAKING: Egyptian aviation officials say an EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo with 66 passengers and crew on board has crashed.

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 19, 2016

EgyptAir just published the list of passengers onboard by nationality

30 Egyptian
15 French
2 Iraqi
1 British
1 Belgian
1 Kuwaiti
1 Saudi
1 Sudanese
1 Chadian
1 Portuguese
1 Algerian 
1 Canadian

EgyptAir offered toll-free numbers for kin of passengers onboard to get details and follow up

From any landline in Egypt - 080077770000
From any mobile phone or any carrier outside of Egypt - +202 25989320

Civil aviation ministry of Egypt has confirmed that rescue teams are looking for the missing plane.

According to CNN, they also confirmed that EgyptAir flight MS804 lost contact 10 miles (16 km) within Egyptian airspace.

EGYPTAIR has contacted the concerned authorities and bodies and inspection is underway through the rescue teams.

— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) May 19, 2016

this shot from flight radar appears to indicate where @EGYPTAIR #MS804 disappeared from radar screens @Claire_Phipps pic.twitter.com/APjVUPvZXj

— michael safi (@safimichael) May 19, 2016

This is not the first time an EgyptAir plane was in jeopardy. Earlier this year, an EgyptAir plane flying from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked and forced to land in Cyprus by a man with what authorities said was a fake suicide belt. He was arrested after giving himself up.

EgyptAir plane was at a height of 37.000ft, and disappeared after entering the Egyptian airspace with 10 miles. According to The Guardian, the plane lost contact at 2.45 am Cairo time.

French Airport authorities say that EgyptAir flight did not land. "That is all we can say for the moment."