World News 01-11-1999 No Survivors In EgyptAir Crash who: EgyptAir what: Boeing 767 lost where: The Atlantic when: Yesterday snippet: Hope is fading fast that any survivors will be found following the crash off the US coast early on Sunday morning of an EgyptAir Boeing 767 with 217 people on board. "Flight 990 was cruising at 33,000ft when it plummeted 14,000ft in just over 30 seconds," reports the BBC, "and then crashed into the ocean, possibly breaking up during its descent." The airliner "was torn apart in a terrifying 1,000mph death dive" says The Sun`s Barry Wigmore. "And last night it was feared the EgyptAir jet was blown up by terrorists - after U.S. officials said they had received a bomb threat." In September, an FAA newsletter to airline security personnel warned that a bomb threat had been received. "The note, allegedly penned by Italian hijacker Luciano Porcari, said the plane would be blasted from the sky using three explosive devices that were smuggled into the U.S. between 1992 and 1993". There is currently no evidence that the crash was caused by a bombing, but the FBI are investigating. "This was the third disaster involving a big passenger jet in the area in as many years," reports The Independent, "and the second to befall a Boeing airliner. In all three crashes, the planes lost power too quickly to make an emergency landing... The aircraft was on the final leg of a round-trip journey from Cairo to Los Angeles. The crew included four pilots, all of whom had many years` experience." [... more]

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