Five people have died after a plane believed to be carrying EU border officials crashed and exploded into a ball of flames in Malta. The light aircraft crashed shortly after taking-off from the runway at Malta Airport in Luqa at around 5.30am on Monday.
No one aboard the flight, which was heading for Misrata in Libya, is thought to have survived.
Download Our Android Application on Google Playstore HERE..
One witness told the Times of Malta how they saw the plane take-off and rise before it tipped onto its right side ‘and went straight down into the ground.’
Emergency services are on the scene and rescuers are searching the burning wreckage for any survivors.
Flight MS804 plunged 38,000ft into the Mediterranean after being downed by a terrorist attack, aviation experts feared last night.
All 66 passengers and crew died when the EgyptAir Airbus A320 fell out of the sky during its doomed trip from Paris to Cairo. There was no distress call before the jet vanished off the radar while flying in clear weather.
British geologist Richard Osman, 40, from Tanerdy, Carmarthenshire – who had just recently had a second child – was believed to be among the dead.
Egyptian officials said Flight MS804 made a sudden swerve to the left then to the right before diving into the sea near the Greek island of Karpathos.
One aviation analysts claimed the sharp movements could indicate there was a struggle in the cockpit before the pilot lost control at 12.30am yesterday.
But others feared the jet could have been brought down by a timer bomb planted before it arrived in Paris – similar to the one the blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1998.
As focus shifted towards al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as the main suspects behind the tragedy, former UK air accident investigator Phil Giles said: “It’s a real mystery.
“But it sounds like there could have been a device, placed on the plane earlier at another airport in some kind of Lockerbie situation. It may have been placed on board at Paris, though security is very tight there.
“We may see a focus on the airside staff there in the coming days.”
The route taken by the doomed flight
Aviation expert Jean-Paul Troadec added: “There’s a strong possibility of an explosion on board from a bomb or a suicide bomber.”
But aviation analyst Paul Charles said the plane’s sudden movements before crashing point to an on board struggle. He added: “It wasn’t necessarily a device on board. It would suggest the pilot has been involved in some sort of an incident in the cockpit.”
Relatives wait for news at Cairo airport
The tragedy came just days after Islamic State terrorists, who were behind last year’s Paris massacre, issued a fresh attack warning to France.
The group had claimed responsibility for bringing down a Russian Metrojet flight 9268 that crashed in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula in October, killing all 224 on board.
The EgyptAir flight MS804 that crashed in the Mediterranean could have been downed by a smuggled Lockerbie-style timed bomb, it's feared.
Investigators are looking into whether a device was placed on the Airbus A320 from Paris to Cairo before it went missing with 66 people on board, including one Brit, in the early hours of this morning.
Wreckage from the plane , which had been flying 10 miles inside Egyptian airspace when it made "sudden swerves", has since been discovered near the Greek island of Karpathos.
The plane, which had previously stopped in Eritrea and Tunisia, plunged 22,000ft while spinning at 360 degrees before disappearing off radar.
Investigators are looking into whether a Lockerbie-style device was placed on the aircraft in Tunis or Asmara before it landed in Paris.
The route missing EgyptAir flight MS804 was taking
Here are five theories as to why the plane crashed:
1. A bomb was planted at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. However, this is thought to be unlikely as security there is unprecedente in the wake of the Paris attacks.
2. A very complex and sophisticated device planted in Cairo on two timers. The first timer kicks in close to take off in Egypt and starts a barometric pressure device when it lands in Paris. When the pressure decreases as the plane stars to land over the Mediterranean, a second timer goes off, causing the explosion as in the Lockerbie disaster.
3. Catastrophic engine failure .
4.Taken out by accident in a very crowded sky where Russian, Syrian, UK, American and the Arab Air Force are operating.
5.Crew or passenger initiated the bomb.
Aeronautics specialist Gerard Feldzer admitted the chances of a mechanical malfunction were slim.
He said: “It’s a modern plane, the incident happened in mid-flight in extremely stable conditions.
“The quality of the maintenance and the quality of the plane are not in question in this incident.”
Air travel expert Julian Bray said no alert being made could mean the airliner suffered a “catastrophic failure” possibly as a result of an explosion.
“There’s a lot of concentrated focus on terrorist issues around Paris,” he added.
“One has to be cautious about drawing conclusions.
“It would not have needed to be a large device - if it was a terrorist-related failure - to lose cabin pressure.”
European air traffic network manager Eurocontrol said there were no weather issues at the time of the plane losing contact.
Certainly one of life's greatest questions.....what happens when you flush the toilet on a plane? You're 70,000 feet up in the air, so what do airlines do with the waste from over a hundred passengers?
They clearly can't drop it on us as we would have definitely known about it if that happened.
For more than 3 decades, aeroplanes have been using vacuum toilets so that they don't have to carry unneccessary water, which would drastically add to the weight.
According to Gizmodo.com :
"Pressing the flush button opens a valve in the bottom of the bowl, exposing the contents to a pneumatic vacuum.
"That vac sucks the load down the plane's sewer line into a 200-gallon holding tank."
Waste remains in the tank for the duration of the flight and is evacuated by crews upon landing.
How do they ensure pilots don't accidentally drop the waste in mid-air? Clearly there's a latch on the exterior of the plane, so it can only be opened from the outside.
Just try not to think about the fact there's a 200-gallon tank of excrement under your feet.
A British-born Nigerian was removed from an Easyjet flight at Luton
airport after a fellow passenger read a message that mentions 'prayer'
on his mobile phone and alerted cabin crew, who raised alarm with the
police.
Laolu Opebiyi was using WhatsApp to
arrange a
conference call prayer session with friends, as the Amsterdam-bound
flight was waiting to take off at Luton airport on Thursday February 25
when a passenger next to him questioned him about message that included
the word 'prayer' asking "What do you mean by prayer?"
The
40-year-old Nigerian-born business analyst from London explained
to the passenger that he was preparing to pray with friends. Few
minutes later, he was pulled off the flight by two firearms officers. It
is thought the man misread the name of Mr Opebiyi's prayer group
“ISI men” – which stands for "iron sharpens iron” from a Bible quote –
as Isis.
Mr Opebiyi told the Guardian: "That guy doesn’t know me and within two minutes
he’s judging me. Even if I was a Muslim, it was pretty unfair the way I
was treated. If we keep on giving into this kind of bigotry and
irrational fear, I
dare say that the terrorists will have achieved their aim."
Mr Opebiyi was taken into questioning by police and quizzed about
his Christian faith and where he attends church. He was forced to hand
over his phone and password so officers could check his communication.
He was eventually freed and allowed to catch another flight about three hours later.
Seven other passengers reportedly got off the flight fearing a terror threat and also took the next plane, Guardian reports.
This is the shocking moment a man's huge suitcase was unzipped to reveal 10 live baby animals trapped inside.
Hearing squeaks and strange noises coming from his large bag a 58-year-old man was stopped at airport customs.
As the footage shows a series of wicker boxes were rammed inside the black holdall with the tiny creatures locked inside.
Five lemurs and five monkeys were saved.
One tiny lemur set free to show its living conditions seems so terrified it did not want to leave its box.
Then as it emerges blinking onto the airport floor, it tries to flee but apparently lacks the strength to even sit up properly.
CEN
Luggage: The monkeys were found in boxes, as the footage shows
From another cage, a baby monkey emerges but seems too confused to even eat a slice of apple it has been offered.
Eventually, the clearly anxious youngster squats with its head against a wall.
CEN
Rescue: A lemur being removed from its box
Holes had been cut into the boxes to allow the terrified animals to breath, but shocking official police video footage of their conditions show there was no food or water and no way for them to urinate except on top of each other.
The man, who had arrived on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, was taken into custody.
He is facing cruelty and smuggling charges in Russia.
CEN
Help: A monkey removed from its box after its ordeal
Police say the trafficker - who had no proper documentation - confessed he had planned to sell the animals to a friend in Moscow.
Luxury: The designs show the Skyacht One, which has drawn comparisons to a superyacht
Fancy experiencing the luxury of a superyacht fit for Roman Abramovich at 40,000ft? You may soon be able to - if you have a spare £58million.
These are the private jet designs are for the Skyacht One, dubbed the most luxurious plane in the world thanks to its classic, opulent elegance.
A
modified version of the Embraer Lineage 1000E model, the jet comes with
a price tag of $83m (£58m) - $30m (£21m) more than the standard model.
Its
nautical elements include a wooden interior, 14th Century star maps,
and a mural inspired by the 15th Century Ducal Palace's Studiolo of
Italy.
Up in the air: The private jet has a price tag of £58million
They were the idea of SottoStudios, a high-end design studio, in California, US.
Also
included are elements that one would expect from the world's finest
yachts - such as a spa-like lavatory, a walk-in show, and in-flight
entertainment.
Opulent: The plane boasts a nautical interior, with lots of wood
Slick: The jet would have five distinct cabin zones
Measuring 118ft, the jet would have five distinct cabin zones
that could be laid out in "hundreds" of different ways, the studio
revealed.
Production of the first Skyacht One has yet to begin,
but were a super-rich buyer to come along, they would be guaranteed that
the jet would be allowed to operate in restrictive airports, bypassing
the busy JFK and LaGuardia, Gatwick and Heathrow .
Special access: The plane would be allowed to operate in restrictive airports
Edward Sotto, president of SottoStudios, said: "We
wanted to include a sense of classic elegance drawn from the details of
romantic yachts of the past.
"Features include skyports in the ceiling and Italian references to navigation and design throughout.
"It was nominated last year for best new concept, and so far the Skyacht has 25 pages of Google search results."
This is the terrifying moment passengers realise their plane door is OPEN at 10,000ft.
The plane took off without the door being properly sealed and a visible gap could be seen between the doors.
Some people on board said they suffered headaches and felt pain in their ears.
The plane was forced to return to Chebu Airport in Seoul where 163 passengers were offloaded.
Video filmed inside the aircraft showed a gap between the door and the door frame making a strange noise.
Seoul's
Yonhap news agency said the Jin Air flight bound for South Korea's
south-eastern port city of Busan returned to Cebu after about 30 minutes
in the air.
Scary: The gap between the two doors was visble
Safe: No one was hurt in the incident
Passenger Kim Jin-bae said: "The flight turned back about 30
minutes after (takeoff) because the door was open and the gap was big
enough to put a finger in it."
Kim added: "I thought I would die here because I was numb with a headache."
Another
passenger called Lee Sang-gyu said: "Adults felt so much pain because
of (the pressure on) eardrum. How painful could it be for children?"
Head of Jin Air Busan office, Park Mun-seong, apologised for the incident.
Delayed: But they were delayed by 15 hours
The passengers finally arrived at Gimhae airport in Busan on another plane at 9pm - 15 hours later than scheduled.
Seven people are feared dead after a helicopter crashed on a glacier in New Zealand.
The
chopper is believed to have come down at Fox Glacier, a popular tourist
destination, the country's search and rescue agency said.
"A
helicopter has crashed off Fox Glacier. It's understood seven people are
on board," New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre spokesman Vince
Cholewa said.
"Four helicopters have been dispatched to the scene of the crash."
Chopper: The Eurocopter Squirrel was carrying seven people (File photo - Alpine Adventures helicopter not shown)
Neither the condition of the passengers nor their nationalities were known, Cholewa said.
Fox Glacier is on the remote west coast of New Zealand's south island and is visited by thousands of tourists each year.
Mission: Rescue teams face a race against time and bad weather
The helicopter - reportedly a Eurocopter Squirrel - was
operated by Alpine Adventures, a company that provides scenic flights
and landings on the glacier, according to local media.
In 2010, a
plane headed for Fox Glacier crashed while taking off from a near-by
town, killing all nine people on board, including four international
tourists.
Brad Pitt's still got it, if these snaps of the star showing off his trimmed beard and body are anything to go by.
The
World War Z actor looked to be in great shape as he stepped out
sporting handsome facial hair and a stylish fedora hat to film scene for
The Big Short.
The 51-year-old star looked suave but serious as
he was spotted in Louisiana, keeping things cool and casual with his
all-black outfit for the shoot.
Brad strokes his greying beard
The upcoming drama is produced by Brad and based on the
Michael Lewis' book of the same, which looked at the financial crisis of
2007-2010.
Brad's wife Angelina Jolie recently opened up about devastating moment she was told she could be showing signs of early cancer and praised her husband for rushing to her side.
Brad films his scene
Writing in a piece for the New York Times, she revealed: "I called my husband in France, who was on a plane within hours.
"The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity.
"You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful."
FilmMagic
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive at the 15th Annual AFI Awards
She also spoke about going to see the same surgeon as her mother - the last time they saw each other was when her mother passed away.
On meeting, they both started to cry.
“That
same day I went to see the surgeon, who had treated my mother. I last
saw her the day my mother passed away, and she teared up when she saw
me: 'You look just like her.'
"I broke down. But we smiled at each other and agreed we were there to deal with any problem, so 'let’s get on with it.'"
Damage: The wheels which detached from the aircraft
This incredible photo shows wheels which snapped off a jet as it landed at East Midlands Airport.
The Boeing 737, which was carrying 10 tonnes of freight to the UK
from Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, when it skidded across the
runway after its landing gear separated.
The plane, which had two crew and no passengers on board, eventually came to a stop after sliding down the tarmac.
Fortunately no-one was hurt in the accident, which was detailed today by the Air Accidents Investigations Board.
The report says: "During the landing at East Midlands Airport, as the
aircraft's speed reduced, the co-pilot handed control to the commander
who then made a brake pedal application to disengage the automatic brake
system.
"The aircraft shuddered and rolled slightly as the lower part of the main landing gear detached.
Flight: The plane had been carrying freight into East Midlands Airport
"The inner cylinder of the main landing gear had fractured, allowing the main left wheels and brakes to detach."
The report details how the flight started out in Athens taking cargo
to Paris and heading from their to East Midlands Airport on April 29
last year.
The plane, which had been carrying 10 tonnes of freight and 8 tonnes
of fuel, alerted the airport that it was having a problem as it
descended.
The report says: "The co-pilot made a transmission to the tower
controller, reporting that the aircraft was in difficulties, after which
the co-pilot of another aircraft made a transmission referring to smoke
from the 737's landing gear.
"He was concerned that the aircraft might be on fire." Damage: The landing gear was found to have fractured due to "intense heating"
The plane was not on fire but, as it landed on the runway, it skidded
for 115 metres "veering left before coming to a gentle stop".
The landing gear fell off because of a fracture caused by "intense, localised heating" of chrome plating.
The gear was found to have been within "acceptable tolerances," before it came off.
The report concludes that the "landing gear overhaul company has
carried out a comprehensive review of their processes as a precaution.
"A variety of factors caused some communications between air traffic
control and other agencies not to flow as smoothly as might have been
otherwise the case.
"(As a result) the airport operator issued a safety bulletin to air
traffic controllers reminding them of emergency communication protocols
and procedures, undertook a review of internal emergency communications
procedures and planned investment in new communications equipment in
order to enable better and more automated communications."
Meanwhile, earlier this month footage showed the moment two Ryanair planes appeared to clip wings at Dublin Airport.
The planes were taxiing along the runway when the winglet of one aircraft looked to have touched the tail fin of another.
"Both aircraft were under the instruction of Dublin airport air traffic control at the time,” Ryanair said in a statement.
Snapped: Some of the pictures date back as far as 2011
Saucy snaps of naughty air stewardesses stripping off in cockpits and even performing sex acts have been released.
The shocking images, found by Polish media, provide an alarming glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes during flights.
The images include a Russian stewardess, who flashes her cleavage,
and a Russian air hostess, who hides out of view of passengers as she
hoists up her skirt to show off her stockings.
In another picture, an air hostess exposes her thong-clad behind in front of a male steward.
Flashing: One stewardess strips off while on board with passengers
The photos, taken by airline crew and posted onto social media, were gathered together by Polish newspaper FAKT.
In one of the most shocking, dated from 2011, an air hostess on a
Cathay Pacific flight is even seen performing a sex act on a pilot.
Tough action: The pictures have sparked calls for action to stop the misbehaving
Both were later sacked after the company confirmed the images were
genuine although they had been taken when the plane was not in flight.
Chinese media reported at the time that the pair were a couple and
the pilot claimed the pictures had been stolen from his personal
computer and distributed online without his knowledge.
