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| Sinai plane crash: 'External influence' caused crash | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Russian airline Kogalymavia has blamed "external influence" 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 influence." | |
| 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 later renamed 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. | "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. | "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 get in 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, headed for the Russian city of St Petersburg. | |
| The plane was carrying 217 passengers, including 25 children, and seven crew members. | |
| Timeline: the course of flight KGL9268 | |
| 05:58 Egyptian time (03:58 GMT): Flight leaves Sharm el-Sheikh, a statement from the Egyptian cabinet says | |
| 06:14 Egyptian time (04:14 GMT): Plane fails to make scheduled contact with air traffic control based in Larnaca, Cyprus, according to Sergei Izdolsky, an official with Russia's air transport agency | |
| 06:17 Egyptian time, approx (04:17 GMT): Plane comes down over the Sinai peninsula, according to Airbus | |
| 11:12 Egyptian time (09:12 GMT): Flight had been due to land in St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport |