Missing EgyptAir jet calls attention to history of flight incidents
U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials are working to gather information on EgyptAir Flight 804, which vanished overnight just as it entered Egyptian airspace.
While the details surrounding the incident are still unclear, Egypt and its flag carrier, EgyptAir, have had a checkered air travel safety record. Two recent incidents in particular have called the country's transportation security into question, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues.
When EgyptAir Flight 181 was hijacked in March, many initially assumed the motive was terrorism. Claiming to be wearing an explosive vest, 59-year-old Seif Eldin Mustafa demanded the domestic Cairo-bound flight divert to Cyprus.
In a standoff on the tarmac, it was discovered Mustafa's interests were personal. He was arrested and no one was hurt.
The incident renewed security concerns at Egyptian airports, following the crash of a Metrojet flight in October 2015. The Russian passenger plane disintegrated over the Sinai desert after departing from the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, en route for St. Petersburg. All 224 people on board were killed. ISIS soon claimed responsibility for the apparent bomb attack.
In 1985, one of the deadliest hijackings in history was on EgyptAir Flight 648. After departing Athens for Cairo, three heavily armed terrorists forced the plane to land in Malta. On the ground, Egyptian troops raided the aircraft in a move that has since been criticized. At least 58 people on board were killed.
Fourteen years later, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed off the coast of Nantucket, shortly after taking off from New York. All 217 people on board died. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the pilot brought down the plane intentionally -- something Egyptian authorities have disputed, instead blaming mechanical failure.
Egypt says it will investigate the latest incident -- what happened to EgyptAir Flight 804 -- joined by French authorities and the plane's manufacturer, Airbus.
There will also be an examination of French aviation safety at airports.