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EgyptAir probe ducks media spotlight
The names and the photos of the cockpit crew who died |
One month after the crash of EgyptAir flight 990 off the coast of the United States, the investigation seems to have disappeared from public view.
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Daily press conferences given by the head of the National Transport Safety Board, Jim Hall, are a thing of the past.
Daily NTSB press conferences are a thing of the past |
Ten days ago, Mr Hall deplored the "cyclone of speculation" surrounding the investigation.
"It has not promoted the interest of aviation safety and has placed misinformation in the public realm, and done a disservice to the longstanding friendship between the peoples of the United States of America and Egypt," he said.
The damage done to political and cultural sensitivities in Egypt, as well as the to the pursuit of the investigation itself, may well be the reason why the investigation has all but disappeared from the media headlines.
American and Egyptians disagree
As far as can be told, the investigation remains focused on the words that may have been used by one of the co-pilots, Gameel al-Battouti.
He is said to have uttered, as many as 14 times, an Islamic phrase, that translates as 'I put my trust in God'.
American officials believe that Mr Battouti was alone in the cockpit when the plane's autopilot was disconnected and the airliner went into a fatal dive.
Gameel Battouti's words continue to be the focus of the investigation |
It accused the Americans of being too ready to believe he intentionally brought down the plane.
Egypt has officially poured scorn on the 'deliberate' crash theory, and the worries over sinister contents of the phrase, 'I put my faith in God'.
''Many of us, when embarking on doing something, say a few words invoking the help of God," Amr Mousa, the Egyptian Foreign Minister said.
''But in a case of suicide you should ask for forgiveness and those were not the words uttered, which means there was nothing as intentional as suicide on the part of the co-pilot.''
Missile theory
A senior Egyptian pilot has advanced his own theory.
"Either a bomb was attached to the tail or it was hit by a missile," EgyptAir chief pilot Tariq Selim told an Egyptian newspaper on Saturday.
US officials repeated that they have so far found no indication of mechanical failure or a bomb, leaving open the question of whether the crash was caused by a deliberate act.
Both sides have continue to stress that they will co-operate fully, despite this divergence in views.
Click here to see a graphic showing the last minutes of the EgyptAir flight
The latest on the investigation
American investigators have visited Cairo to study the files, including psychological profiles, of crew members on Flight 990.
The American team included representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, though officials were quick to point out that this did not mean that the investigation had become a criminal one.
The investigators from the US are believed to have tried to interview relatives of the crew members, but were put off by Egyptian officials who insisted that requests for information pass through diplomatic channels.
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See also: |
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26 Nov 99 | Americas |
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Egypt denounces crash suicide theory |
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22 Nov 99 | Americas |
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EgyptAir voice riddle remains |
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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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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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