The data that could help find the cause of EgyptAir Flight 804’s sudden plunge into the Mediterranean can’t be recovered quickly, according to reports following Friday’s retrieval of the flight data recorder from the wreckage. That unit and the voice recorder, recovered by search teams on Thursday, are heavily damaged and must be repaired before any details can be analyzed, according to an Associated Press report. The recorders are in the hands of Egyptian investigators, but could be shipped elsewhere to other experts, the report said.
The Airbus A320 dropped from radar en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 people on board on May 19. Search teams found debris in the water, followed by signal detections on June 1. What could be a long wait for additional information might continue to fuel speculation, and Egyptian officials have said terrorism is a more likely cause than a mechanical malfunction. Information leaked to the media indicates the aircraft systems detected smoke in a lavatory and a problem with two cockpit windows just before the crash, the AP reported.
