NTSB RELEASES EGYPTAIR FLIGHT 990 FINAL REPORT

Washington, DC - The National Transportation Safety Board today determined that the probable cause of the crash of EgyptAir flight 990 was the airplane's departure from normal cruise flight and subsequent impact with the Atlantic Ocean as a result of the relief first officer's flight control inputs. The reason for the relief first officer's actions was not determined.

EgyptAir flight 990, a Boeing 767-366ER, SU-GAP, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts on October 31, 1999. The scheduled flight was being operated from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, to Cairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt. There were 14 crewmembers and 203 passengers. All on board were killed and the airplane was destroyed.

Because the crash occurred in international waters, the Egyptian government was initially responsible for the investigation under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. However, the Egyptian government delegated the conduct of the investigation to the NTSB under the provisions of Annex 13.

The investigation into the cause of the crash has been quite extensive and has involved months of testing and research during which investigators evaluated various scenarios to determine the circumstances leading up to the crash.
The details of this investigation and the Board's analysis's of the factual findings are outlined in an accident report available on the Safety Board's website at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2002/aab0201.htm. Paper copies of the report, when available, can be purchased from the National Technical information Service (800) 533-NTIS.

Media Contact: Keith Holloway, (202) 314-6100