What happened
On May 18, 2016, an EgyptAir Airbus A320-232, registered SU-GCC, departed from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport for Cairo International Airport. The flight, MSR804, was carrying 66 people, including passengers and crew. While cruising at 37,000 feet over the Mediterranean, the aircraft entered Egyptian airspace. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft disappeared from both Greek and Egyptian radar.
Following the disappearance, search and rescue operations were initiated. Wreckage, flight recorders, and human remains were eventually recovered from the sea. The investigation established that the aircraft's flight path became uncontrollable, leading to a high-impact collision with the water, resulting in 66 fatalities.
The investigation
The Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Directorate (EAAID) led the inquiry, with technical contributions from the French BEA and representatives from the USA and Greece. Investigators analyzed the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) to reconstruct the final moments of the flight.
Analysis of the CVR revealed that the crew and a cabin attendant were calling out "fire" and requesting extinguishers. The FDR showed a sequence of system failures, beginning with a lavatory smoke warning, followed 46 seconds later by an avionics smoke warning, and subsequent sequential computer failures.
There were conflicting theories regarding the fire's origin. While a judicial committee suggested an explosive device had been placed in catering trolleys in the forward galley, the BEA study proposed that the fire likely originated in the co-pilot's oxygen mask storage box, fueled by a pressurized oxygen leak. The investigation also examined forensic evidence regarding the presence of explosive materials on wreckage and remains.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a fire and smoke that rendered the aircraft's flight path uncontrollable and severely affected the crew.
- The fire was likely fed by a leak of pressurized oxygen, which caused the fire to spread rapidly and produced a large-scale, uncontrollable blaze.
- The fire damaged critical electrical systems, including the computer power supplies, which led to the disconnection of the autopilot.
- The investigation could not definitively determine whether the fire or the oxygen leak occurred first, or the exact ignition source.
- The investigation noted that the fire's intensity and the resulting smoke made it impossible for the crew to maintain control of the aircraft.