Terrorism in the Skies: Where it all BEGAN

On October 31, 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean with 217 people aboard. There was no distress call. Inside the cockpit, the captain repeatedly pleaded, “Pull with me.” What investigators recovered from the flight recorders would ignite a bitter dispute over pilot actions, mechanical failure, and international politics. In this video, we examine the cockpit recordings, flight-control evidence, FBI interviews concerning relief first officer Gamil al-Batouti’s behavior at a New York hotel, and the controversy surrounding the investigation. Why did the NTSB want to turn the case over to the FBI? What did the opposing elevator movements reveal? And why did American and Egyptian investigators reach different conclusions? The NTSB attributed the crash to the relief first officer’s flight-control inputs but stated that the reason for his actions was not determined. We explore the evidence behind that finding—and the questions it left unresolved. Includes edited ATC/CVR excerpts, English translations, archival footage, and animated reconstructions. The opening quotation presents a reported al-Qaida claim about the crash’s influence on the September 11 attacks. We remember the 217 people who lost their lives and the families they left behind. #EgyptAir990 #AviationHistory #AirCrashInvestigation