Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Sharm El Sheikh Egypt
Saturday, January 3, 2004 4:45

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

On January 3, about 0445 local time (0245 UTC), Flash Airlines flight 604, a Boeing 737-300, registration SU-ZCF, crashed into the Red Sea shortly after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in South Sinai, Egypt. The flight was a passenger charter flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport, with a scheduled stopover at Cairo International Airport for refueling. The airplane was destroyed, and all 133 passengers and 15 crewmembers (including six off-duty crewmembers and one cockpit observer) were fatally injured. An NTSB Accredited Representative and technical advisers from the FAA, Boeing, and Honeywell assisted in the investigation by the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA). The U.S. investigators supported the MCA throughout the investigation, including numerous meetings in Cairo, Paris, and Seattle. The MCA's final report was released on March 25, 2006. In accordance with the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the U.S. provided a submission on the MCA's draft final report. The U.S. submission and the MCA's final report are available by contacting NTSB Public Inquiries. In addition, the U.S. submission is available at the NTSB's website at http://www.ntsb.gov/events/2006/flashairlines/default.htm.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/3/2004
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 445
Event Time Zone --
Event City Sharm El Sheikh
Event State --
Event Country EGYPT
Zipcode of the event site --
Event Date Year 2004
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator --
On Ground Collision occurred ? --
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 --
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source --
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions --
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling --
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) --
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator --
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury --
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency Foreign
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) --
NTSB Notification Source NTSB Comm Center
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Mar 29 2006 11:30AM
User who most recently changed record ntsb\Administrator
Basic weather conditions --
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number --
NTSB Number DCA04RA016
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Non-U.S., Commercial
Type of Flight Plan filed --
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire --
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Boeing
Aircraft Model 737-300
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number --
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? --
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines --
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed --
ELT Activated --
ELT Aided Location of Event Site --
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name --
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City --
Aircraft Owner State --
Aircraft Owner Country --
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? --
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? --
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
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 Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) --
Second Pilot on Board --
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code --
Departure City --
Departure State --
Departure Country --
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone --
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Mar 29 2006 11:24AM
User who most recently changed record HILF
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight --
Air Medical Flight --
Medical Flight --