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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Sinai plane crash: 'External activity' caused crash | Sinai plane crash: 'External activity' caused crash |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Russian airline Kogalymavia has blamed "external activity" for Saturday's Sinai plane crash which killed 224 people. | The Russian airline Kogalymavia has blamed "external activity" for Saturday's Sinai plane crash which killed 224 people. |
| One airline official said: "The only reasonable explanation is that it was [due to] external activity." | One airline official said: "The only reasonable explanation is that it was [due to] external activity." |
| An investigation by aviation experts using data from the aircraft's "black boxes" has yet to give its conclusions. | An investigation by aviation experts using data from the aircraft's "black boxes" has yet to give its conclusions. |
| A Kremlin spokesman has told the BBC terrorism could not be ruled out as a possible cause of the crash. | A Kremlin spokesman has told the BBC terrorism could not be ruled out as a possible cause of the crash. |
| At a news conference in Moscow, the deputy director of the airline, which was renamed as Metrojet, ruled out a technical fault and pilot error. | At a news conference in Moscow, the deputy director of the airline, which was renamed as Metrojet, ruled out a technical fault and pilot error. |
| "The only [explanation] for the plane to have been destroyed in mid-air can be specific impact, purely mechanical, physical influence on the aircraft," Alexander Smirnov said. | |
| "There is no such combination of failures of systems which could have led to the plane disintegrating in the air," he added. | |
| Another airline official acknowledged that there had been previous damage to the plane's tail in 2001 during take-off. | Another airline official acknowledged that there had been previous damage to the plane's tail in 2001 during take-off. |
| But he said that the damage had been repaired, and was not thought to be a factor in the crash. | But he said that the damage had been repaired, and was not thought to be a factor in the crash. |
| The plane lost speed and started descending rapidly, and the crew made no attempt to contact and report about the situation on board, Mr Smirnov added. | |
| Saturday's disaster happened shortly after the Airbus 321 took off from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. | Saturday's disaster happened shortly after the Airbus 321 took off from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. |