EgyptAir Flight 990 crash investigation theories

On October 31, 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990, a Boeing 767 traveling from JFK to Cairo with 217 people aboard, disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean approximately 60 miles south of Nantucket. Despite clear weather and no distress calls, the aircraft crashed into the sea.

Investigations by national authorities resulted in conflicting conclusions despite both sides accepting the flight data from the black boxes. The disagreement centered on the interpretation of the cockpit voice recorder, specifically a repeated Arabic prayer, “Tawakkalt ala Allah” (“I rely on God”), spoken by relief first officer Gameel Al-Batouti.

Four primary theories have been proposed to explain the sequence of events, which included the autopilot switching off, throttles reversing, and the nose dropping: an evasive maneuver to avoid collision, a bomb in the tail, a mechanical failure in the elevator system, or a deliberate act by the pilot at the controls.