- Date:
- October 31, 1999
- Location:
- Atlantic Ocean
- Nantucket
EgyptAir flight 990
-
What was EgyptAir flight 990?
EgyptAir flight 990 was a flight that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on October 31, 1999, approximately 60 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing all 217 people on board. The flight was traveling from Los Angeles to Cairo with a stop in New York City.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the actions of the copilot caused the crash, while Egyptian authorities attributed it to mechanical failure. The relief copilot, Gamil al-Batouti, took over the copilot seat shortly after takeoff. The autopilot was then disconnected, and the plane began to descend rapidly. The captain returned to the cockpit and asked what was happening, while al-Batouti was heard stating repeatedly, "I rely on God".
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Where and when did the EgyptAir flight 990 disaster happen?
EgyptAir flight 990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean roughly 60 miles (100 km) south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, in the early morning of October 31, 1999. The flight was en route from New York City to Cairo. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the crash was caused by the actions of the copilot. However, Egyptian authorities attributed the crash to mechanical failure. All 217 people on board, including 203 passengers and 14 crew members, died.
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What type of airplane was involved in the EgyptAir flight 990 crash?
EgyptAir flight 990, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on October 31, 1999, was an extended-range Boeing 767-366. The flight, registration number SU-GAP, was en route from New York City to Cairo after originating in Los Angeles. All 217 people on board died. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the crash to the actions of the copilot, while Egyptian authorities cited mechanical failure.
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How many people were on board EgyptAir flight 990, and what was their fate?
EgyptAir flight 990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on October 31, 1999, approximately 60 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The flight was en route from New York City to Cairo. All 217 people on board, comprising 203 passengers and 14 crew members, died in the crash. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the crash was caused by the actions of the copilot. However, Egyptian authorities attributed the disaster to mechanical failure.
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What do investigators think caused the EgyptAir flight 990 disaster?
EgyptAir flight 990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Massachusetts on October 31, 1999, killing all 217 people on board.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the actions of the copilot caused the crash. During the flight, the copilot took over, disconnected the autopilot, and initiated a steep descent. The captain returned to the cockpit, but the plane crashed into the ocean.
Egyptian authorities rejected the NTSB's findings, blaming mechanical failure due to sheared rivets in the elevator control mechanism. They maintained that the cockpit crew worked together to regain control of the aircraft.
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How did the EgyptAir flight 990 crash impact aviation safety or international relations?
EgyptAir flight 990 crashed off the coast of Massachusetts on October 31, 1999, killing all 217 people on board. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the crash was caused by the actions of the copilot, while Egyptian authorities attributed it to mechanical failure.
The NTSB reported that the relief first officer took over the copilot seat shortly after takeoff. After the captain left the cockpit, the autopilot was disconnected, and the plane began a rapid descent. The captain returned to the cockpit and asked what was happening, while the copilot was heard to say repeatedly, "I rely on God." The plane crashed into the ocean after the descent.
The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority rejected the NTSB's findings, citing sheared rivets in the elevator control mechanism as the cause.
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EgyptAir flight 990, flight of an EgyptAir jet airliner that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 60 miles (100 km) south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, in the early morning hours of October 31, 1999. All 217 people on board died. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that the actions of the copilot caused the crash, but Egyptian authorities blamed mechanical failure.
Flight 990 originated in Los Angeles and made a stop in New York City, after which it was to continue on to Cairo. The airplane, an extended-range Boeing 767-366, registration number SU-GAP, had two crews for the 10-hour transatlantic leg of the flight. It took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 1:20 am. Less than 25 minutes later the airplane leveled at its assigned altitude of 33,000 feet (10,000 metres). However, at approximately 1:50 am it began to descend rapidly, at a very steep angle of 40Ā°, to an altitude of about 16,000 feet (4,900 metres). During the dive it approached the speed of sound, far exceeding the maximum safe speed for a Boeing 767. Less than a minute later the descent stopped, and the airplane regained altitude, up to about 25,000 feet (7,600 metres), and changed direction. Then the plane began its fatal descent, losing its left engine before crashing into the ocean. All those on boardā203 passengers and 14 crew membersāwere killed. Among the passengers were a large group of Egyptian military officers who were returning from a training exercise in the United States. Their presence led some to suspect at first that the flight had been targeted by Egyptās enemies.
International aviation agreements gave Egypt the right to investigate the crash, but that country initially deferred to the American NTSB. More than 70 percent of the airplane was recovered from water about 230 feet (70 metres) deep. From the cockpit voice recorder it was learned that relief first officer (relief copilot) Gamil al-Batouti (surname also spelled El Batouty) took over the copilot seat only 22 minutes after takeoff, at his own insistence. The captain left the cockpit to visit the restroom, during which time the autopilot was disconnected, and the plane began its first descent. The dive was so rapid as to simulate zero gravity within the aircraft. The captain managed to return to the cockpit and asked, āWhatās happening? Whatās happening?ā Al-Batouti was heard stating repeatedly (in Arabic) āI rely on God.ā As the rate of descent decreased, the left and right elevatorsāthe hinged panels in an airplaneās tail that control ascent and descentābecame set in opposite directions: for ascent on the left (captainās) side, and for descent on the right (copilotās) side. The engines were shut off about 15 seconds before the electrical system failed and flight data recording ceased. The NTSB attributed the crash to the actions of al-Batouti.
In Egypt, where EgyptAir was the flag carrier (national airline), the NTSB findings were unpopular. The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority carried out its own investigation and issued a report that rejected the possibility that al-Batouti had caused the crash. The Egyptians found that sheared rivets in the elevator control mechanism caused the problem, and that everyone in the cockpit was working together to regain control up to the time the plane hit the water.