The memory cards from the flight data recorders was returned to Egypt earlier this week after being cleaned and repaired by technicians at France’s air accident investigation agency, the BEA.
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Data from one of the black boxes of a crashed EgyptAir plane that killed all 66 people indicated that smoke was detected aboard the aircraft and showed “signs of damage because of high temperature”, Egyptian authorities said today.
According to the statement, “the entire flight is recorded” and “data is showing consistency with ACARS messages of lavatory and avionics smoke”. The Cockpit Voice Recorder is still in France being repaired.
The flight from Paris to Cairo crashed into the Mediterranean on May 19 for reasons that remain unknown.
Debris recovered from the Mediterranean is being stored at Cairo airport and investigators were planning to try to reassemble part of the aircraft’s frame in the search for more clues.
Investigators had previously announced that the plane’s automated Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) sent signals indicating smoke alarms on board the plane before it went down.
On Monday a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office said the inquiry was launched as an accident investigation and not a terrorism probe.
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An Egyptian official at the ministry of civil aviation said Egyptian authorities haven’t been notified of the French prosecutor’s decision and that all scenarios remain on the table.
