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Egyptian authorities claim there is 'NO proof' doomed Russian holiday jet broke up mid-air - but investigators 'interrogate' driver who delivered food to the aircraft

Doomed Russian holiday jet lurched up and down before plunging 31,000ft after being blown apart, bosses claim
Travellers still strapped in seats sucked from stricken Airbus A321 through hole at back of jet when the tail blew off
Plane crashed into Sinai peninsula killing all 224 passengers and crew just 23 minutes after leaving Sharm El Sheikh
PM said security officials are ‘looking very carefully’ at whether there is a safety risk to Britons travelling to Egypt
For more of the latest news on the Russian jet crash in Egypt visit www.dailymail.co.uk/russia

By DARREN BOYLE and WILL STEWART IN MOSCOW FOR MAILONLINE and TOM KELLY FOR THE DAILY MAIL

PUBLISHED: 23:52 GMT, 2 November 2015 | UPDATED: 16:43 GMT, 3 November 2015

Egyptian authorities have claimed that there is 'no proof' that a Russian Airbus which crashed in northern Sinai on Saturday broke up in mid air despite wreckage from the jet being spread over a 20 square mile radius.

Egypt’s civil aviation ministry said Russian officials were wrong to claim the jet broke up at high altitude.

Mohamed Rahmi said no distress call had been received from the jet, despite earlier claims by Egyptian authorities that the pilot had radioed and asked for an emergency landing.

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Egyptian military approach a plane's tail at the wreckage of a passenger jet bound for St Petersburg in Russia that crashed in Hassana

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Russian technical experts have begun the process of removing the debris, including this section of the aircraft's cockpit

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Other officials gathered passports belonging to the 224 victims on the passenger jet which crashed on Saturday morning

Mr Rahmi said: 'No communication from the pilot was recorded at the navigation centres requesting anything.'

He added: 'This could be a long process and we can’t talk about the results as we go along.'

However, Egyptian authorities have interrogated catering staff who supplied food to the doomed jet on Saturday morning at Sharm el-Sheikh airport.

While Egyptian authorities attempt to deflect any possible terrorism link to the tragedy, Russian officials are keen to stress that the aircraft was in a safe condition to fly when it departed Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday morning.

Russian crash investigators are satisfied that the Airbus A321 broke up at high altitude just 23-minutes after it left Sharm el-Sheikh on its way to St Petersburg with 224 passengers and crew on board.

Russian media outlet LifeNews claims that more than 200 fragments of human remains from approximately 150 people have arrived in St Petersburg.

According to sources, there was a significant difference in the cause of death between passengers at the front and the rear of the aircraft.

Those at the front suffered 'blunt force trauma of the chest, abdomen and pelvis with multiple fractures of upper and lower limbs with tears to the internal organs. Deaths occurred due to acute blood loss, shock and open head injuries.'

Those at the rear of aircraft suffered 'explosive trauma with multiple burns over 90 per cent of their soft tissues'.

Passengers at the back had shrapnel injuries and were peppered with metal particles.

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This section of cockpit was one of 12 wreckage sites spread across the north Sinai desert over a 20 square mile search area

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Russian experts have begun the process of removing the wreckage so it can be examined thoroughly at a secure location

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Already, investigators have noticed how the damage varies depending on where in the aircraft a particular component was located

The experts are trying to determine whether the blast injuries were caused by ruptured fuel tanks or an 'unidentified explosive device'.

Victims at the back also suffered injuries inflicted by a shockwave.

Egyptian authorities are interrogating the driver and staff of a catering company which supplied food to the aircraft on the morning of the aircraft.

The food trolleys are wheeled into the galley at the rear of the aircraft and stowed just in front of the rear pressure bulkhead.

Aviation sources have pointed to damage in the rear section of the plane which showed evidence of 'the fuselage skin peeling outwards possibly indicative of a force acting outwards from within' such as a bomb.

Investigators have also seized the the fuel truck used to refill the aircraft.

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Passengers seated in the rear suffered 'explosive' injuries and were peppered with shrapnel, unlike those at the front of the aircraft

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Metrojet has released the Technical Log Book from the doomed flight to show the aircraft had no faults before it took off on Saturday

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Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has dismissed claims that terrorists brought down the jet despite the growing evidence of a blast

A spokesman for Misr Petroleum told Russian news agency Tass : 'The Misr Petroleum tank truck, which brought the kerosene to the plane, is currently at the airport, it is sealed.

'Experts from BP (British Petroleum) will take samples of aviation fuel to determine its quality and check it for the presence of likely impurities.

'Now a driver and employees who brought meals for the passengers of flight 9268 (Sharm el-Sheikh — St.Petersburg) in the morning on October 31 are being interrogated.'

On the ground Investigators have increased the search zone to some 20 square miles in an effort to recover vital evidence to help determine the cause of the disaster.

However, components not linked to the Airbus A321 have been found at the crash site while an initial examination of the CVR revealed 'unusual' sounds in the cockpit before the recording stopped.

TASS news agency in Moscow said: 'Experts have found elements in the crash zone that are not related to the plane's body.

'They have been sent for analysis.'

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No photographs have been released yet of the aircraft's rudder which broke off from the tail, pictured

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Investigators have to work out exactly when each piece broke away from the airframe to determine the cause

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The investigators have identified 12 separate debris fields proving the jet broke up at high altitude despite Egyptian claims

In a separate claim - amid suspicions that a bomb could have been hidden on board - the voice recorder was said to contain 'sounds unusual for the regular flight'.

Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has dismissed claims that terrorists brought down the jet

All 224 people on board, including Yury Sheina, left, and his family were killed in the horrific crash

Experts have been testing wreckage for explosive residue to determine whether a bomb was responsible.

Meanwhile, an early examination of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) has found an 'unusual' noise moments before the aircraft broke up.

No details were given of the nature of the alleged noises but the timing was allegedly shortly before the aircraft crashed.

A source said: 'From the recordings of conversations between the crew members and with the air traffic controllers, it is clear that the situation on board some four minutes before the plane disappeared from the radar remained normal.

'The crew had expected chats with controllers, no signs of problems on board.

'The crew reported nothing.

'Judging by the recording, the unusual situation on board was sudden and was completely unexpected for the crew.

'At the same time the pilots did not have a chance to send a SOS signal.'

Egypt's president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi dismissed claims that the passenger jet was downed ISIS.

He said: 'When there is propaganda that it crashed because of ISIS, this is one way to damage the stability and security of Egypt and the image of Egypt.

'Believe me, the situation in Sinai - especially in this limited area - is under our full control.'

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Metrojet claimed their aircraft was in very good condition on the morning it took off before Saturday's crash

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Experts have been testing wreckage for explosive residue to determine whether a bomb was responsible

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Egyptian security forces have been gathering the belongings of dead passengers which was strewn across a wide area of the Sinai peninsula following Saturday's disaster

But Metrojet attempted to deflect claims that poor maintenance could have caused the jet to lose control and crash.

The investigators have identified 12 separate debris fields proving the jet broke up at high altitude

No photographs have been released yet of the aircraft's rudder which broke off from the tail, pictured

Investigators have to work out exactly when each piece broke away from the airframe to determine the cause

The today released a copy of the aircraft EI-ETJ's technical log book as well as safety documentation in an effort to show the Airbus A321 was not to blame for Saturday's disaster.

One copy of the log book would have been in the cockpit of the doomed jet, but the mechanic at the airport who performed mandatory checks has his own version which is signed by the captain before departure.

According to the technical log, there were no issues reported by the captain on the journey to Sharm el-Sheikh from St Petersburg.

The log shows that a 'daily transit check' was performed in Sharm el-Sheikh and signed off at 03.50am, just minutes before the aircraft departed.

Ground crew loaded more than 14,000kg of fuel to the aircraft but no oil was added to any of the two engines and the auxiliary power unit. Nor was any fluid added to any of the three separate hydraulic systems.

Airline executive Alexander Smirnov said that 'no technical failures' could account for why the Airbus 321 would have broken up in mid-air.

He continued: 'The only explanation is some kind of external action,' adding that the aircraft was in 'excellent technical condition'.

Smirnov said the jet sustained 'significant damage to its construction that did not allow it to continue the flight'.

He added: 'The crew totally lost control and for that reason there was not one attempt to get in contact and report on the accident situation on board. The plane was flying out of control - that is, it wasn't flying, it was falling.'

Emergency workers are securing the personal belongings of victims to see if they have any evidence to determine what exactly caused the jet to blow up in mid air after it left Sharm al-Sheikh on Saturday

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Two of the largest debris fields, marked with stars, were located approximately one mile apart along the aircraft's final heading

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Russian officials released satellite imagery of two of the larger debris fields to support the theory of a midair breakup

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Air crash investigators claim that if the wreckage is in a small contained area then the accident aircraft was in one piece when it impacted

Egyptian security forces have been gathering the belongings of dead passengers which was strewn across a wide area of the Sinai peninsula following Saturday's disaster

Aviation sources suggested that there was evidence on the tail of the aircraft from photographs taken late last month of leaks of hydraulic fluid.

One said that a persistent leak could be evidence of poor maintenance and that the fluid, skydrol, could weaken exposed composite materials.

Alexander Neradko, head of Russia's aviation authority, criticised the airline's comments, saying they were 'premature and not based on any real facts'.

President Vladimir Putin described the crash, Russia's worst air disaster, as a 'huge tragedy'.

'Without any doubt everything must be done to create an objective picture of events so that we know what happened and can react accordingly.'

The victims' luggage is been taken off to be examined to see if it can provide any clues about what happened

Officials have said it may take many months for the cause of the disaster to be known

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that in the investigation Moscow 'cannot exclude any version' but warned against 'guessing' the cause of the crash.

Analysts have dismissed claims the jet could have been shot down by ISIS-affiliated groups in the region if it was flying at its cruising height of 30,000 feet (9,000 metres), but did not rule out that a bomb might have been planted on board.

To hit the jet at cruising altitude the terrorists would require something like a BUK surface to air missile system which shot down Malaysian Airways flight MH17 over Ukraine.

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Officials have begun downloading the data on the Flight Data Recorder, which will have information on the journey until it broke up

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An initial inspection of the Cockpit Voice Recorder, pictured, found 'unusual noises' immediately before the aircraft was destroyed

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This large piece of the cabin shows no sign of fire damage after it was ripped from the fuselage as the jet plunged from 31,000 feet

These systems require one unit with the missiles, a radar tracking vehicle and a control unit. Experts believe there is no way ISIS, even if they had access to such modern military technology, could move it to within 30 miles of the Israeli border.

The doomed jetlurched up and down before plunging 31,000 feet after being blown apart by an ‘external impact’, airline bosses have revealed.

Travellers still strapped in their seats were sucked from the stricken Airbus A321 through a hole at the back of the jet when the tail blew off 23 minutes after leaving the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, it was claimed.

The plane twice abruptly climbed nearly 3,000 feet in three seconds before falling 3,000 feet moments later in the final minutes before disappearing from radar, crashing in the Sinai peninsula with the loss of all 224 passengers and crew.

The news comes as US officials claim an American infra-red satellite detected a heat flash on the route the aircraft was taking seconds before the plane fell from the sky, suggesting there was some sort of explosion on board.

The data does not show the heat flash travelling at any time, as would be the case had a ground-to-air missile been launched in the plane's direction.

Instead, the satellite evidence illustrates that there was just a single burst of ferocious heat on the jet's path.

That has now opened up the possibility that a bomb on board, or an explosion in a fuel tank or engine as the result of a mechanical failure, caused the plane to come down.

A US official stressed that the infra-red data meant any speculation that a missile had been launched at the jet was simply 'off the table'.

As the first coffins of the victims – who included 17 children – were taken home to Russia on Monday, David Cameron said security officials were ‘looking very carefully’ at whether there was any safety risk to British holidaymakers travelling to the Red Sea.

British military analyst Paul Beaver said he thought the crash was most likely to have been caused by a bomb on board.

He said he was certain that Islamic State – which initially claimed it had shot down the jet – did not possess a missile system capable of hitting the plane.

‘I’m pretty convinced that Islamic State doesn’t have a “double-digit” SAM (surface-to-air missile) that is necessary to go up as far as 31,000 feet,’ he said. ‘That’s a very serious piece of equipment, and I don’t think they have that sophistication.’

He also said the Sinai desert is well scrutinised by intelligence agencies, so a missile would have been seen. But US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said there was no ‘direct evidence’ that terrorists brought down the jet and said no firm conclusions could be reached until an investigation was complete.

However, he noted that IS did have a significant presence in parts of Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.

Alexander Neradko, the head of the Russian aviation agency, also claimed Metrojet’s comments were ‘premature and not based on any real facts’.

He urged aviation experts ‘to refrain from drawing conclusions’ until officials have studied the scattered fragments of the plane in Sinai and the content of its black boxes.

Confusion surrounding the cause of the crash and the safety of the area caused concerns for the 900,000 Britons who visit Egypt every year, many to enjoy winter sunshine in the Red Sea resorts of Sharm and Hurghada.

Several major airlines including Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Qatar Airways said they would avoid flying over the Sinai peninsula while they waited for clarity on what brought the jet down.

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Young women grieve at an entrance of Pulkovo airport. In a massive outpouring of grief, thousands of people flocked to the St Petersburg airport, laying flowers, soft toys and paper planes next to the pictures of the victims of the crash in Egypt that killed all 224 on board

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Mourners weep at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St Petersburg, Russia, during a day of national mourning for the crash victims

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A woman grieves at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St Petersburg, Russia, on Monday as the massive outpouring of grief continues

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Mourners lay flowers, toys and candles outside Pulkovo airport near St Petersburg to commemorate the victims of the Russian air disaster

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A woman puts flowers at the mourning display to the victims in Moscow, where pictures of the Airbus A321's crew members are displayed

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People light candles and leave flowers at an entrance of Pulkovo airport near St Petersburg during a day of national mourning for victims

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Dozens of Russians gathered in front of a memorial paying tribute to the victims who were on board the jet when it came down over Sinai

Russian experts have begun the process of removing the wreckage so it can be examined thoroughly

This section of cockpit was one of 12 wreckage sites spread across the north Sinai desert

Egyptian authorities are keen to rule out terrorism while the airline has dismissed suggestions it was its fault

According to a Tweet posted on November 1, Nicholas Hair claimed: 'Security a bit lax at Sharm el Sheikh? Yeah. I set off a Detector and the bloke told me to keep going so he could eat his dinner. For real.'

Speaking to MailOnline he said: 'I was walking through, the metal detector went off. The terminal was very busy. The security officer was eating his dinner and just waved me through.

'For me, it was a very concerning. It doesn't take an awful lot of time to pat someone down after an alarm goes off, but there were several flights departing and it looked like they were short staffed and under pressure.

‘It was far too lax. I should have at least been patted.

‘I was wearing a thin jacket, t-shirt and jean shorts. Someone later told me they took two one-litre bottles of water on board at Sharm el-Sheikh. It is too early to say exactly what happened, but for me, security was not rigorous enough.'

The team includes experts from Russia, Airbus and Ireland, because the aircraft was registered in Dublin.

So far they have identified 12 separate debris fields, further supporting theories of a catastrophic explosion at high altitude.

A Russian cargo plane brought the first bodies of Russian victims aboard the doomed flight home to St Petersburg, from Egypt, on Monday

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Officials are pictured loading the bodies of victims of the doomed Russian aircraft that crashed in Egypt into a truck at Pulkovo airport

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Officials prepare to load the bodies of victims of the Russia air disaster from a plane and into trucks as they are returned to St Petersburg

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In this Russian Emergency Situations Ministry photo, Egyptian soldiers collect personal belongings of plane crash victims at the crash site

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Military workers trawl through the belongings found at the crash site in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and remove them in bags from the scene

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Egyptian soldiers collect personal belongings of plane crash victims at the site of the doomed Russian holiday jet in Hassana, Sinai, Egypt

Already, the specialist team has listed to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) which was flown to Russia along with the flight data recorder (FDR) after they were recovered from the tail of the stricken jet.

Initially, it had been reported by Egyptian authorities that the pilot had radioed claiming that the jet had a 'technical problem' and wanted to perform an emergency landing in northern Egypt.

However, there is no evidence of such a radio call on the CVR.

So far, more than 140 bodies as well as in excess of 100 body parts have been repatriated to Russia.

Passengers at Sharm el-Sheikh questioned the effectiveness of security at the holiday resort airport

Metrojet has released the Technical Log Book from the doomed flight to show the aircraft had no faults

Metrojet claimed their aircraft was in very good condition on the morning it took off before Saturday's crash

An international team of air crash inspectors has been sent to the site to help determine the cause of the disaster.

Forensic experts will be testing surfaces of the wreckage for explosive residue, as well as the passengers' luggage and their bodies.

Vasundhra

Tuesday, November 3, 2015