Russian Airline Sees External Impact as Cause of Egypt Crash
- Airline rules out pilot error, systems failure as cause
- Airline doesn't comment on possibility of terrorist attack
Russian Minister of Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov inspects the crash site on Nov. 01, 2015.
Photographer: Mostafa El Shemy/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
An external impact probably caused structural damage leading to the crash of an Airbus A321 in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula killing all 224 on board, according to the Russian airline.
“It could have been anything,” Alexander Smirnov, deputy general director for Kogalymavia, known by the Metrojet brand, told reporters at a briefing in Moscow Monday, declining to comment on a possible terrorist attack. “The only reasonable explanation may be a mechanical impact on the aircraft.”