Over 220 people are dead after a Russian plane crashed in the northern part of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31.
There’s been a lot of speculation on exactly what caused the plane to go down; airline officials said “the only possible explanation could be an external impact,” while a Russian TV channel quoted the co-pilot’s wife saying her husband complained about the plane’s technical condition.
As authorities try to figure out exactly how the crash happened, we break down a timeline of the deadly flight.
5:51 a.m. Egypt time (10:50 p.m. ET Oct. 30)
Flight 7K 9268 takes off from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and heads north towards St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Metrojet A320-200 plane was carrying 217 passengers, including 25 children, and seven crew members. All but five were Russian; four people were Ukrainian, and one was from Belarus.
Around 6:10 Egypt time (11:10 p.m. ET Oct. 30)
One Egyptian official said that before the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers, the pilot allegedly radioed and said the aircraft was experiencing technical problems.
Airline officials have since denied this report.
6:14 a.m. Egypt time (11:13 p.m. ET Oct. 30)
Twenty-three minutes after takeoff, Egyptian airport officials lose contact with the pilots.
Alexander Smirnov, the deputy general director of Metrojet, said the plane dropped 300 km/h in speed and 1.5 kilometres in altitude one minute before it crashed.
9:34 a.m. Egypt time (2:34 a.m. ET)
The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that the airplane crashed in Sinai.
Officials send out a rescue party, including 50 ambulances, to the northern area of the Sinai Peninsula, searching for the plane and for survivors. The Egyptian military accompanied them, according to officials, because the Egypt is currently fighting an Islamic insurgency in the area.
10:51 a.m. Egypt time (3:51 a.m. ET)
The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed they found the wreckage of the Metrojet plane 70 kilometres south of the city of el-Arish.
3:27 p.m. Egypt time (8:27 a.m. ET)
Egyptian officials declare that there are no survivors.
4:02 p.m. Egypt time (9:02 a.m. ET)
An extremist group affiliated with the Islamic State claims it was the cause of the crash. Russian officials quickly rebut, saying rebels in the area don’t have the weaponry to reach a plane at an altitude of 31,000 ft.
6:28 p.m. Egypt time (11:28 a.m. ET)
Egypt recovers a flight recorder, or black box, from the wreckage. The flight recorder will provide key information, including the plane’s airspeed and whether it was on autopilot.
7:00 p.m.Egypt time (12:00 p.m. ET)
Air France and Luftanza announce that they won’t be flying over Sinai “as a precaution.” They are the first in a growing list of airlines who are now avoiding the area.
The next day:
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Sunday a national day of mourning for the victims of the crash. Families and friends of the victims gather at the St. Petersburg airport to grieve.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry sent more than 100 emergency workers to the Peninsula to help search for bodies. Rescue teams are combing through over 16 square kilometres for debris from the wreckage.
Russian investigators said the plane broke up at high altitude, but wouldn’t comment on what caused the crash, because the probe is ongoing.
Support poured in from around the world. The Vatican said Pope Francis offered “the assurance of his prayers” for those who died, and prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau offered his “deepest condolences to the families of the passengers.”
Monday:
Investigators continue to search for the cause of the crash. An Metrojet spokesperson said an external impact is the only thing that could have caused the disaster, but did not explain whether he meant something had hit the plane or that some external factor caused the crash.
A Russian cargo plane brought home the first bodies of the victims. So far, 140 bodies have returned to their home city. Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov said in a televised news conference that another plane with more crash victims will travel from Cairo to St. Petersburg late Monday.
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With files from the Associated Press.
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