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 The BBC's Tom Carver"Every word from the voice recorder has to be agreed"  real 28k  The BBC's Nick Bryant"The work of the investigators should have been a closely guarded secret"  real 28kNewsweek's Jerusalem Bureau Chief Daniel Klaidman"This is intriguing new information" real 28k |
EgyptAir voice riddle remains
Egyptian investigators listen to the voice recorder |
American and Egyptian investigators of the crash of EgyptAir flight 990 are still struggling to decipher the contents of the cockpit voice recorder.
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The investigators are currently working on the assumption that Mr Batouti was alone in the cockpit when the plane's autopilot was disconnected and the Boeing 767 entered a fatal dive.
What Mr Batouti may or may not have said, and what it may mean, has been the source of a fevered speculation.
One phrase, "I have made my decision", was incorrectly attributed to the co-pilot, and gave rise to speculation that the crash may have been a deliberate suicidal act.
Private leaks
Egyptian and American investigators have spent the weekend listening closely to the voice cockpit recorder, producing a transcript in both English and Arabic.
Click here to see a graphic showing the last seconds of the EgyptAir flight
It appears again that American officials may have leaked information on this latest phase of the investigation.
The Monday edition of an American magazine, Newsweek, is quoting US government officials as saying that Mr Batouti repeated the Arabic phrase "Tawakalt ala Allah" 14 times.
Though the phrase is a common saying, routinely used in everyday life, the words and actions of the co-pilot appear to remain the current focus of the investigation.
Jumping to conclusions
Speculation and misunderstanding of what was on the voice recorder has caused some offence in Egypt.
Egyptian officials have argued that the American investigators, and in particular the US media, have been jumping to conclusions about the cause of the crash.
Egyptian amabassador: 'We will continue to co-operate' |
"Even though there was widespread anger within Egypt, the government is determined to co-operate with the US and let it take the lead," he told one programme.
In Cairo, newspaper editorials continue to criticise the American conduct of the investigation.
The government run al-Ahram newspaper said that false leaks about what had been said on the voice recorder indicated that the US was trying to apportion all blame to Jamil Batouti.
"And if this accusation were proven, it would mean that EgyptAir bears the responsibility for what happened to the plane, thereby exonerating the other two parties, Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, and the US authorities, responsible for security measures," al-Ahram said in the editorial.
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See also: |
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21 Nov 99 | Americas |
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EgyptAir crash 'not caused by Mossad' |
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19 Nov 99 | Americas |
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Safety chief deplores crash speculation |
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17 Nov 99 | Middle East |
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Conspiracy theories spread |
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19 Nov 99 | Americas |
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Egyptians investigate black box |
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18 Nov 99 | Americas |
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EgyptAir legal action launched |
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01 Nov 99 | World |
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Flight 990: The final hours |
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Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
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National Transportation Safey Board |
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EgyptAir |
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