Sinai Crash : Accident or Attack? And Who's in Charge?

Confusion reigns. On Saturday, a Russian A321 airliner with 224 aboard crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula at dawn, 23 minutes after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh, shortly after losing radar contact at 31,000 feet. All onboard were killed. The Airbus was operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia under the name Metrojet. Communication between the plane and air traffic control before the crash was normal. ~~~~~ Later Saturday, a militant group affiliated with ISIS in Sinai said on Twitter it had brought down the plane "in response to Russian airstrikes that killed hundreds of Moslems on Syrian land....The fighters of the Islamic State were able to down a Russian plane over Sinai province that was carrying over 220 Russian crusaders. They were all killed, thanks be to God." Russia's Transport Minister told Interfax news agency the claim "can't be considered accurate." But, the claim was also reported by the Aamaq website which acts as a semi-official news agency for ISIS. And Zack Gold, a regional expert on Sinai security, said the militant group claimed “they were responsible for downing the plane, not shooting it down....A legitimate ISIS-supporting [social media] account in Sinai said : ‘Why is everyone talking about shooting it down, why is no one talking about a bomb or suicide bomber on board’?” ~~~~~ Lufthansa and Air France-KLM announced they won't overfly the Sinai until the cause of the crash is determined. Airlines in United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait said they will re-route flights to avoid Sinai until there is more clarity. Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said it will continue to overfly Sinai but avoid airspace over certain areas, as advised by Egyptian authorities. ~~~~~ Sinai is the scene of an ISIS-affiliated insurgency by militants who have killed hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police and attacked western targets this year. Much of the Sinai is a restricted military zone. Sinai militants are not believed to have missiles capable of hitting a plane at 30,000 feet. But, Russia, a long-term ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has in the last month launched air raids in Syria against groups, including ISIS, who oppose the al-Assad regime. ~~~~~ Saturday, Egyptian security sources said early investigations suggest the plane crashed due to a technical fault. The claim was contradicted by Alexander Neradko, head of the Russian aviation agency, who is in Cairo. He said it's premature to comment on possible causes since investigators don't have enough data to reach any conclusions. Today, Alexander Smirnov, deputy general director of Metrojet, said the cause of the crash “could only have been an external impact on the plane,” causing it to break up in mid-air. Smirnov added : “The plane was in excellent condition....We rule out a technical fault and any mistake by the crew.” Smirnov said the plane dropped 186 mph in speed and 5,000 feet in altitude one minute before it crashed. He also said the crew didn't send a distress call or contact traffic controllers before the crash. The Metrojet deputy general director for engineering said the fact that in 2001 the plane's tail section struck the tarmac on landing could not have been a factor in the crash because it was fully repaired. Metrojet also said the plane's engines passed inspection in Moscow on October 26, and a Russian inspection of its fuel found that it met requirements. The aircraft, registered in Ireland, received a 2015 certificate of airworthiness from Irish regulators. ~~~~~ Dear readers, a source in the Egyptian committee analyzing the black box recorders told Reuters the outside of the plane wasn't struck and the pilot didn't make a distress call. Aviation experts say a sudden mechanical failure or explosion could have been to blame. If a planted ISIS bomb caused the crash, it raises questions about security systems at Sharm el-Sheikh airport. And tonight, the US reports one of its satellites detected an infrared flash over the Sinai when the plane was there. The truth is we don't know what happened. And nobody seems to be in charge.