EgyptAir Flight 804

EgyptAir Flight 804
SU-GCC, the aircraft involved, seen in January 2016
Accident
Date19 May 2016 (2016-05-19)
SummaryIn-flight fire; crashed into the sea
SiteMediterranean Sea
33°40′33″N 28°47′33″E / 33.6757°N 28.7924°E / 33.6757; 28.7924[a][1][better source needed]
Aircraft
Aircraft typeAirbus A320-232
OperatorEgyptAir
IATA flight No.MS804
ICAO flight No.MSR804
Call signEGYPT AIR 804
RegistrationSU-GCC
Flight originCharles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France
DestinationCairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt
Occupants66
Passengers56
Crew10
Fatalities66
Survivors0

EgyptAir Flight 804 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Cairo International Airport, operated by EgyptAir. On 19 May 2016 at 02:33 Egypt Standard Time (UTC+2), the Airbus A320 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing all 66 occupants on board.

No mayday call was received by air traffic control, although signals that smoke had been detected in one of the aircraft's lavatories and in the avionics bay were automatically transmitted via ACARS shortly before the aircraft disappeared from radar. The last communications from the aircraft prior to its submersion were two transmissions from its emergency locator transmitter that were received by the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme. Debris from the aircraft was found in the Mediterranean Sea approximately 290 km (180 mi) north of Alexandria. Nearly four weeks after the crash, several main sections of wreckage were identified on the seabed, and both flight recorders were recovered in a multinational search and recovery operation. On 29 June, Egyptian officials announced that the flight data recorder data indicated smoke in the aircraft, and that soot plus damage from high temperatures was found on some of the wreckage from the front section of the aircraft.[2]

In August 2016, French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault criticized the fact that no further explanation for the reasons behind the crash had been given.[3] In December 2016, Egyptian officials said traces of explosives were found on the bodies, hinting to a possible terrorism attack.[4] In May 2017, the BEA led by France conducted their own investigation, ultimately dismissing the explosives claim as they were unable to find any explosive residue, and no terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the crash.[5] On 6 July 2018, the BEA stated that the most likely hypothesis was a fire in the cockpit that spread rapidly.[6]

A manslaughter investigation was started in France in June 2016; in April 2019, a report commissioned as part of the investigation stated the aircraft was not airworthy and should have never taken off: recurring defects had not been reported by the crews, including alerts reporting potential fire hazards.

In April 2022, it was reported that the fire was caused by one of the pilots smoking a cigarette, which burned out of control when exposed to oxygen leaking from a cockpit oxygen mask.[7][8]

On 30 October 2024, Egypt's Civil Aviation Authority concluded that the crash was the result of an explosion occurring in the galley near the cockpit, which was rapidly engulfed by smoke and fire, exacerbated by oxygen flow being present.[9]


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  1. ^ @Flightradar24 (19 May 2016). "Our last recorded point of contact with #MS804 is 33.6757, 28.7924 at 36,975 feet" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 May 2016 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference cnn-2016-06-29 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Amr, Dina (6 August 2016). "French foreign minister calls for quicker investigations on EgyptAir MS804 crash". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Breaking News Egypt Air Flight 804". Breaking News. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference French 2017 no explosives was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBCJuly2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Pilot smoking cigarette caused 2016 EgyptAir crash: Report". Al Jazeera English. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference TheTelegraph_2022-04-26 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference AVHerald was invoked but never defined (see the help page).