Flash Airlines flight 604
{{Crash infobox|name=Flash Airlines Flight 604|Date=
January 3 2004 |Type=unknown|Site=Red Sea |Fatalities=148 |Injuries=0 |Aircraft Type=Boeing 737-3Q8 |Operator=
Flash Airlines |Tail Number=SU-ZCF |Passengers=135 |Crew=13 |Survivors = 0 |
Flash Airlines flight 604 was a
charter flight operated by
Egyptian charter company
Flash Airlines. On
January 3,
2004, a
Boeing 737 operated by the airline crashed into the
Red Sea shortly after takeoff from
Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, killing all 135 passengers, many of them
French tourists, and all 13 crew members. The wreckage was found about 9 miles south of the airport.
The flight took off at 04:44 (
EET) from the Egyptian resort of
Sharm el-Sheikh and was due to have flown to
Paris via
Cairo. Initially it was thought that
terrorists might have been involved, as fear of aviation terrorism was high (with several major airlines in previous days canceling flights on short notice).
British Prime Minister Tony Blair was also holidaying in the
Sharm el-Sheikh area.
United States NTSB and
French BEA accident investigation authorities concluded that the pilot suffered
spatial disorientation, and the copilot was unwilling to challenge his more experienced superior. Furthermore, according to the NTSB and BEA, both officers suffered from insufficient training. The NTSB stated that the
cockpit voice recorder showed that 24 seconds passed after the airliner banked before the pilot began correcting maneuvers. Egyptian authorities disagree with this assessment, as does the Egyptian public, who both tend to attribute the cause to mechanical issues.
["Safety First, Always." Sparaco, P. Aviation Week & Space Technology. April 10, 2006.] Some media reports suggest that the plane crashed due to technical problems, possibly a result of the apparently questionable safety record of the airline. This attitude was shown in a press briefing given by the BEA chief, who was berated by the first officer's mother during a press conference, and demanded that the crew be absolved of fault prior to the completion of the investigation.
Despite all this speculation, the cause of the crash is unknown. The pilot is said to have made no radio contact. The two '
black box' flight recorders have been recovered and investigations continue. This process may take several years.
*
BBC News Online coverage*
CNN coverage*
Flash Airlines official website*
Safety - Mode Confusion, Timidity Factors - Avionics Magazine July 2005 Safety Article, Evans, D.
*
Factual report.*
About definitive report.*
Final report*
Flash Airlines*
ILFC
