Investigation Summary
The flight departed Sharm el-Sheikh at 03:50 UTC (05:50 local time) and was climbing toward its assigned altitude when the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) abruptly stopped at 04:13:20 UTC. The aircraft was at 30,888 feet with the autopilot engaged. Analysis of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) revealed that everything was normal until a sudden loud noise or explosion was heard immediately before the recording ceased. Debris was scattered over a 13-kilometer area, with the tail section found significantly distant from the forward fuselage and wings, indicating a high-altitude breakup. Spectral analysis conducted by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) identified traces of foreign explosives on the wreckage. The investigation determined that the aircraft skin had been subjected to high-energy dynamic influence from the inside out, causing rapid decompression. In November 2015, the ISIL magazine Dabiq published a photo of a Schweppes Gold soda can, a detonator, and a switch, claiming these were the components of the bomb used to down the jet. Security lapses at Sharm el-Sheikh airport were heavily scrutinized, leading to reports that a mechanic may have planted the device with the assistance of airport staff. Abu Osama al-Masri, the leader of the ISIL branch in the Sinai Peninsula, became a primary person of interest in the investigation until he was killed in an airstrike in 2018.
Final Conclusions
The crash was caused by the detonation of an improvised explosive device equivalent to approximately 1 to 1.5 kilograms of TNT. The explosion resulted in a sudden loss of structural integrity and the separation of the tail section, leading to a total loss of control and mid-air breakup. The Russian FSB officially designated the event a terrorist attack on November 17, 2015. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi formally acknowledged terrorism as the cause in February 2016.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Valery Yurievich Nemov
First Officer
Sergei Stanislavovich Trukhachev
Systems & Failure Modes
Fuselage Structure
The aircraft skin showed evidence of high-energy dynamic influence from the inside out, confirming an internal explosion.
Flight Data Recorder (FDR)
The FDR ceased functioning instantly at the moment of detonation, providing no data on the subsequent breakup.
Interesting Facts
- 01Deadliest aviation accident in Egyptian history.
- 02Deadliest crash involving an Airbus A321 aircraft.
- 03The bomb was estimated to have the power of 1 to 1.5 kilograms of TNT.
- 04The aircraft had previously suffered a tail strike in Cairo in 2001 while operated by Middle East Airlines.
- 05Russia suspended all flights to Egypt for several years following the disaster due to security concerns.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Airport Security Audit
Egypt hired the UK security firm Control Risks to assess and overhaul security at major national airports including Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh.
Flight Suspensions
Russia and the United Kingdom suspended all flights to Sharm el-Sheikh until significant security improvements were verified.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Initial Denial of Terrorism
Reference ↗Egyptian authorities initially insisted there was no evidence of a terrorist attack for months after Russian and British intelligence services had concluded a bomb was responsible.