A routine flight from a popular holiday destination turned tragic when a plane carrying 224 passengers, including families, crashed moments after takeoff. The reason behind the fatal crash remained a mystery until an aviation expert possibly uncovered the truth a decade later.
Metrojet Flight 9268 departed from Sharm el-Sheikh airport in Egypt on October 31, 2015, bound for Russia. Shortly after sunrise, the Airbus A321 ascended into the sky, but disaster struck just 23 minutes into the journey at 31,000 feet when the plane exploded mid-air, causing a catastrophic chain of events.
The aircraft plummeted into an uncontrolled dive, disintegrating before crashing into the Sinai desert. Sadly, all 224 individuals onboard, including 25 children, perished in the tragedy.
Most passengers succumbed to severe barotrauma due to the rapid air pressure changes. Identification of victims was challenging as many were severely injured. Initial investigations pointed towards terrorism as a likely cause of the fatal crash, although other theories, such as a fuel or battery explosion, were also considered.
Speculations arose, including technical problems reported by the pilot at the start of the ascent and concerns about a potential homemade bomb being smuggled on board. While ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, Egypt did not confirm it as a targeted assault.
The official cause of the crash was never definitively determined. Aviation expert Julian Bray now suggests that the signs of a terror attack were missed at the time, pointing towards the possibility of a bomb being used. He believes that terrorists loaded a piece of luggage containing TNT onto the plane, causing the catastrophic explosion.
Julian emphasizes the devastating impact a small bomb could have had on the aircraft, potentially leading to fuel line damage, electrical failures, and fires. He speculates on various methods the terrorists might have used to detonate the bomb onboard, such as through a mobile phone or a timing device.
The incident, marked as one of the deadliest plane crashes in history, continues to pose unanswered questions, with Julian Bray’s insights shedding new light on the tragic event.