Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Atlantic Ocean
Sunday, October 31, 1999 1:52 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm. On October 31, 1999, about 0152 eastern standard time, EgyptAir flight 990, a Boeing 767-366ER, SU-GAP, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 60 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. EgyptAir flight 990 was being operated under the provisions of Egyptian Civil Aviation Regulations Part 121 and U.S. 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 129 as a scheduled, international flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, New York, to Cairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt. The flight departed JFK about 0120, with 4 flight crewmembers, 10 flight attendants, and 203 passengers on board. All 217 people on board were killed, and the airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the EgyptAir flight 990 accident is the airplane's departure from normal cruise flight and subsequent impact with the Atlantic Ocean as a result of the relief first officer's flight control inputs. The reason for the relief first officer's actions was not determined.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/31/1999
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 152
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City ATLANTIC OCEAN
Event State ATLANTIC OCEAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site --
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 153 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID NAN
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 120
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 9
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.39
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 217
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 217
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 11450
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 31 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 330
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Mar 25 2002 9:21AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number SUGAP
NTSB Number DCA00MA006
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 129: Foreign
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Boeing
Aircraft Model 767-366-ER
Aircraft Series Identifier 767-366-ER
Aircraft Serial Number 24542
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign Reg./Foreign Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 217
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Oct 4 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 214
Airframe Hours 33354
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EGYPTAIR
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Cairo
Aircraft Owner State --
Aircraft Owner Country EG
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code EGYF
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger/Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code JFK
Departure City NEW YORK
Departure State NY
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 120
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HECA
Destination City CAIRO
Destination State --
Destination Country EG
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Mar 22 2002 2:58PM
User who most recently changed record HAUT
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --