Russian airliner down in Sinai

Not yet…just this statement:

Issuance of the Preliminary Report for the Metrojet Russian Airplane accident
Cairo, December 14, 2015
Captain Ayman ElMokaddem, chief of the International investigation committee (Investigator in Charge), investigating the accident of the Metrojet airplane declared that, as a progress in the investigation work, and in accordance with Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation ICAO, the committee has finished the “Preliminary Report”. This report has been sent to all Accredited Representatives for the States that have the right to participate in the investigation, in addition to the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO. Captain El Mokaddem added that the report includes 19 typical articles well known in accidents investigations, and includes the preliminary information that is available to the investigation committee up till this date. The report includes also some information that will be subjected to developments through the next phases of investigation.
Captain El Mokaddem indicated that the scope of investigation for the wreckage parts has extended for more than 16 kilometers from the main wreckage site. He assured also that the members of the forensic medicine task group within the investigation committee had received the reports regarding the examination of the bodies made by the forensic doctors. The committee is waiting for the comparison reports from the Russian side to identify the victims status after knowing the DNA analysis for their families and kins.
The committee received support from Egyptian experts, faculty of engineering, Cairo University for producing photos for the airplane wreckage, using a three dimensional advanced camera, to assist in making a record for the status and shape of the wreckage and its relative positions at the impact site. About 30 working hours were dedicated to this task. In addition, a specialized team from the “Metallurgy Center for Researches and Development” had visited the wreckage site for the visual examination, preparing for the second phase of wreckage analysis after transferring it to Cairo. The committee has offered the full opportunity to all the concerned parties including the insurance company officials and the Russian working team to examine the wreckage at the site. This was done in accordance with the international regulations, before transferring the wreckage from the site for the following investigation phases.
Flight Data Recorder FDR information indicated that all the flights made by this airplane, five days before the accident were between Russian airports and Egyptian airports. For the flight just before the accident flight, the airplane departed from Samara Russia and landed in Sharm El Sheik.
The system group within the investigation committee, spent about 30 hours in removing 38 computer units belonging to the airplane, in addition to two other computer units belonging to the engines from the wreckage at the accident site. The units had been transferred to Cairo for the purpose of thorough investigation by the specialized task groups.
The operation group within the investigation committee, with the Russian side, had examined the pilots’ information related to their flying licenses and their medical check. Detailed examinations of the information related to the pilots training are being done now, after translating this information from the Russian language.
The technical status, and the detailed repairs that were carried out on the airplane, its structure, systems and engines since the date of production up to the date of the accident, are being studied now. This study is supported by the relevant airplane technical documents and records delivered from the Russian side. This study needs plenty of time, as the airplane had been produced on 1997.
The wreckage group within the investigation committee, and for about 250 working hours, have done an extensive photography, identified the locations, sorted and classified the wreckage parts scattered within the wreckage site, developed a wreckage plan to deduce the different effects on each part of the airplane, linking this with the technical history to use that in the following investigation phase. Work in this area is still under progress.
Captain El Mokaddem added that, all the Accredited Representatives representing the states participating in the investigation have been granted all the rights that are defined in Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Cooperation and communication with them are still in a continuation process to exchange information regarding the accident.
Fifteen trips to the wreckage site have been organized by the Egyptian Air force using helicopters. Coordination is still under progress with the Egyptian Army, to benefit from their capabilities so as to transfer the wreckage from the accident site, after completing all the required examinations, and to collect it in a secure place in Cairo that allow the committee to start new phases of investigation.
Captain El Mokaddem revealed that, the committee did not receive up till now any information indicating unlawful interference, consequently the committee continues its work regarding the technical investigation.

Is there a copy of the report accessible online?

Egypt completes preliminary report…
http://www.airportsinternational.com/2015/12/egypt-completes-preliminary-metrojet-report/17180

Today the Russian propaganda machine has finally gone public with saying that the Metrojet was downed by an explosion. Ha the Russian Rouble has finally dropped:highly_amused:

BEA in France would be involved (plane manufactured by Airbus). Do we have any flightradar map?
Sad news. Terrible times we are living.

Two remarks:
-1500 m/min is close to the maximum allowed descent rate by the autopilot (idem as Germanwing crash in SE of Fr).
– The description of the crash zone suggests a ctrled attempt to crash-land the plane.

Egyptian officials are seeking outside assistance to determine the nature of the noise captured at the end of the cockpit recorder. The U.S. hasn’t been asked to help

The NTSB may not have the opportunity to review or comment on any of the eventual investigative details or conclusions, according to the senior official. “If they would send us” only those portions dealing with engine issues, “we would say thank you” and likely accept that without complaints, he said.

Source:
The Wall street Journal

If the cause was a bomb, a possible suspect:

http://wtop.com/national-security/2015/11/plastic-explosives-suspected-russian-plane-crash/

I didn’t realise that it had been over ten years since any group had ‘successfully’ bombed an airliner (although there have been many attempts since then).

I’d also forgotten that the Russians, and President Putin, had been through this before, back then:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Russian_aircraft_bombings

Well, the Russians seem to think so, judging by their actions; you don’t fly 80,000 holidaymakers home if you think the main threat to their safety is faulty manufacture or repair of airliner fuselages!

The Russians have done everything you’d expect them to do if they thought the threat was terrorism…

…everything except admit that terrorism was likely to have brought this flight down.

What can I say…..terrorism is a b***h.

Has the hull fracture theory been trashed?

Well, the Russians seem to think so, judging by their actions; you don’t fly 80,000 holidaymakers home if you think the main threat to their safety is faulty manufacture or repair of airliner fuselages!

The Russians have done everything you’d expect them to do if they thought the threat was terrorism…

…everything except admit that terrorism was likely to have brought this flight down.

That may well be the case, or not, but since all the public get are unofficial reports of unofficial reports they will have to satisfy curiosity until an official report is published.

Suspicion is now moving to the hotel staff who MAY have secreted a bomb in the luggage. I would have thought that the investigators should have had enough forensic evidence already to positively identify a potential bomb?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/egypt-plane-crash-hotel-workers-may-have-hidden-bomb-inside-russian-passengers-luggage-a6728036.html

Russia bows to the inevitable and admits it was a bomb (probably):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34743216

Has the hull fracture theory been trashed ?

New info reporting an earlier incident :

A British plane carrying 189 passengers came ‘within 1,000ft’ of a rocket as it approached Sharm El Sheikh,
The Department for Transport confirmed the incident took place on August 23 – just two months before a Metrojet plane crashed in central Sinai, killing all 224 on board

Now there are reports that the rocket or missile was a flare or some sort of surface-to-surface weapon from an Egyptian Army exercise:

http://fox13now.com/2015/11/08/report-british-passenger-jet-narrowly-avoided-missile-in-egypt-this-year/

A complete set of pictures, sorted by plane section

You’ll probably need to be logged on your ggl account to view the content.

New info reporting an earlier incident :

A British plane carrying 189 passengers came ‘within 1,000ft’ of a rocket as it approached Sharm El Sheikh,
The Department for Transport confirmed the incident took place on August 23 – just two months before a Metrojet plane crashed in central Sinai, killing all 224 on board

Source:
www.dailymail.co.uk/

Russia bows to the inevitable and admits it was a bomb (probably):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34743216

You make well be right, but I’m content to await the statement with keen interest whenever it is made.

I suspect that the ‘investigators’ have all the proof they need but there seems to be a reluctance to release even an interim statement of probable cause. I know that investigators like to remove any possibility of doubt but I think the delay in releasing an interim statement this case is a ‘politically’ motivated attempt at damage-limitation; that is all very well (so long as it does not endanger other aircraft) but I fail to see how much damage-limitation is actually possible. There comes a point where not saying anything is worse that just admitting the inevitable conclusion that most will already have made.

The investigators have said nothing of any significance, nor will they until they are satisfied with with proof.

CD – I am sure the majority who follow any of the myriad news outlets will be in little doubt, CD. But that’s a long way from knowing for sure.