Tail-fin damage adds weight to structural causes behind Airbus 321 crash
Russian media carries detailed, photographic reports of the Airbus 321 crash in the Sinai desert, which suggest not only did the plane have what appears to be significant corrosion at the base of its tail-fin, but that the fault had been painted over. Today, with the investigation team set to leave Sinai, the focus of the investigation will turn to the analysis of data from the two black boxes. The notion of a missile attack has been ruled out on the basis of satellite imagery checked by both the US and Russian military, thereby leaving two possibilities: a structural issue, or a bomb. 

Investigators have started examining the black boxes from the Russian Metrojet plane that crashed in the Sinai desert, as Egypt warned that there might be no quick resolution and dismissed as “propaganda” claims that Islamic State could have carried out an attack.



An international team including Egyptian, Russian and French experts were expected to conclude their investigations at the crash site and turn their focus to the flight recorder data.

The Airbus A321-200 was 23 minutes into its flight from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg when it crashed on Saturday, killing all 224 on board, mainly returning Russian holidaymakers.

Investigators are yet to officially release data or findings, but according to unverified reports from Russia, cockpit recordings reveal unusual sounds at the moment the plane went off the radar, but confirm there was no distress call from the pilots.

The Interfax news agency said the pilots spoke to air traffic controllers four minutes before the aircraft disappeared from the radar in a routine exchange and no unusual conversation followed. But an unnamed source quoted by Interfax said “sounds uncharacteristic of routine flight were recorded preceding the moment that the aircraft disappeared from radar screens”. The recording indicated a situation had developed “suddenly and unexpectedly”, the source added.

The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed investigator as saying that the pattern of injuries to passengers could indicate that a strong explosion occurred on the plane before it hit the ground.

With some Russian media reports claiming crew members were concerned by the condition of the plane, speculation has grown over the possibility that a 2001 incident in Cairo, when the Airbus 321’s tail section struck the tarmac on landing, had caused structural weakness.

Detailed flight data released by FlightRadar24, a flight tracking website, showed the plane sharply gaining altitude and dropping in its last moments, a pattern some experts have said would be consistent with losing the tail.

That theory was reinforced by pictures that emerged of the same Metrojet A321 plane taken over several months in 2015 that apparently showed discoloration and surface damage on the tailfin, which some pilots suggested could be a corrosive leak.

The US has banned its diplomatic staff from travelling anywhere in the Sinai peninsula. James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, said a terrorist attack could not be ruled out, although he conceded there was “no direct evidence” that the Airbus A321 was brought down by Isis militants.

But Egypt’s president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, insisted Sinai was safe despite the presence of Isis-affiliated militants in the area. “When there is propaganda that it crashed because of Isis, this is one way to damage the stability and security of Egypt and the image of Egypt. Believe me, the situation in Sinai – especially in this limited area – is under our full control,” he said.

Sisi told the BBC: “It takes time to clarify the incidents.” He pointed out that investigations into the Lockerbie disaster “took years before you reached the truth about the real reasons why it crashed”.

Several hours after the crash, militants in Egypt affiliated to Isis claimed responsibility for bringing down the plane “in response to Russian airstrikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land”.

But Russia rejected the claim, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated on Tuesday that it was “inappropriate” to link the crash to Russia’s military strategy in Syria.

While a missile strike has now been all but ruled out as beyond the weapons capability of fighters in the Sinai, an explosion caused by either a bomb, or a sudden, explosive decompression from a technical problem appear to be the major lines of inquiry. CBS news and other US networks reported that an American military satellite had detected a heat flash at the time of the crash.

Russian officials have said the plane broke up in midair but it was too early to say what caused it. While the Metrojet plane’s owner, airline Kogalymavia, has insisted that there was no technical fault and that the aircraft was in an “excellent technical condition”, Alexander Neradko, head of Russia’s aviation authority, criticised the airline’s comments as “premature and not based on any real facts”.

Two Metrojet flights to Egypt – one to Hurghada, one to Sharm el-Sheikh – were held up for hours at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport on Tuesday night. Extra safety checks have been imposed on the airline.

In St Petersburg, Russians continued to pay their respects at an impromptu memorial at Pulkovo airport, bringing flowers and cuddly toys to commemorate the victims, at least 17 of whom were children. A military jet was due to bring final remains back to Russia on Tuesday evening, after relatives began the process of identifying 140 bodies so far returned, providing DNA samples at a crisis centre set up near the airport.