UI Airbus A321-231 EI-ETJ,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 320193

Date:	Saturday 31 October 2015
Time:	06:13
Type:	Airbus A321-231
Owner/operator:	Metrojet
Registration:	EI-ETJ
MSN:	663
Year of manufacture:	1997
Total airframe hrs:	56000 hours
Cycles:	21000 flights
Engine model:	IAE V2533-A5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 224 / Occupants: 224
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	UI
Location:	ca 50 km SE of Hasna, North Sinai - Egypt
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Sharm el Sheikh International Airport (SSH/HESH)
Destination airport:	Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI)
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
An Airbus A321, operated by Metrojet (also known as Kogalymavia), was destroyed in an accident central Sinai, Egypt. All 224 on board were killed.
Metrojet flight 9268 took off from Sharm el Sheikh at 05:50 hours local time (03:50 UTC). It followed airway R650 to the north along the shoreline of the Gulf of Aqaba. Overhead the Nuweibaa (NWB) NDB at FL210 the aircraft turned left, heading 340° to cross the Sinai Peninsula. Last contact with the flight was about 06:13 hours.
The Flight Data Recorder suddenly stopped at 06:13:20 hours while the aircraft was climbing through 30,888 ft altitude with the autopilot engaged. Airspeed recorded at that time was 281 knots.
Based on logged ADS-B data, flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows the aircraft climbing to 30875 feet, after which it shows erratic altitudes and speed indications. Last altitude recorded was 27925 feet at a speed of 62 knots.

Investigators reported that they believed the aircraft broke up in the air. Footage from the crash scene shows a main impact zone of the forward fuselage and wings. Engines were found away from the main wreckage, as was the tail section of the aircraft.
The debris is scattered over a wide area more than 13 km in length.

The Russian Federal Security Service stated on November 16 that the crash was caused by a terrorist attack. Traces of explosives were found in the wreckage of the plane. During the flight, a homemade device with the power of 1.5 kilograms of TNT was detonated.
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee reported that it was determined that the aircraft skin had undergone high energy dynamic influence (from inside to outside) and that internal overpressure caused an inflight rapid decompression.

Sources:

Egyptian Civil Aviation Agency (ECAA) press briefing 7-11-2015
BBC
Flightradar24
AP

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

16 November 2001 F-OHMP Middle East Airlines - MEA 0 Cairo International Airport (CAI) sub