Pilots of the EgyptAir jet that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea in May battled to extinguish a fire, the cockpit voice recorder reportedly shows.
The data, revealed by sources close to the investigation but not yet made public, backs up evidence from the flight recorder of smoke in the cabin.
Recovered wreckage also showed signs of high temperature damage and soot on the jet’s front section.
All 66 on board died when flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo crashed on 19 May.
Both of the so-called “black box” recorders reinforce the automated electronic messages sent out by the plane that had shown smoke detectors going off in a toilet and in the avionics area below the cockpit, minutes before the plane disappeared.
No distress call was made from the plane prior to the crash.
Egyptian investigators have not ruled out any reasons for the crash, including terrorism, particularly as such catastrophic fires on passenger planes are so rare.
The data recorders had been taken to Paris after being found, and the cockpit voice recorder was in need of considerable repair.
Investigators are still analysing the voice exchanges and no official statement has yet been made on the contents.
What we know
- EgyptAir Flight MS804 vanished over the eastern Mediterranean early on Thursday 19 May with 66 passengers and crew on board
- Some surface debris was found 290km (180 miles) north of the Egyptian city of Alexandria
- Wreckage was subsequently found in several locations at a depth of about 3,000m (9,800ft)
- Signals from the plane indicated that smoke was detected in the toilet and in the avionics area below the cockpit
- Aircraft made a 90-degree left turn followed by a 360-degree turn to the right before vanishing off radar
