DATE=11/19/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=EGYPT AIR INVESTIGATION (L)
NUMBER=2-256377
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=



VOICED AT:


INTRO:  The Chairman of the National Transportation 
Safety Board is sharply criticizing the American and 
the Egyptian media for speculating about the cause of 
the crash of Egypt Air flight 990.   Many Egyptians 
can not believe investigators would suspect one of the 
flight's seasoned crew members would deliberately take 
the plane down.  Still, Correspondent Nick Simeone 
reports the FBI is eventually expected to take the 
lead in looking into whether sabotage was to blame for 
the deaths of all 217 people on board.



TEXT:  This investigation has become a delicate 
diplomatic issue between the United States and Egypt, 
with Egyptian officials calling suspicions of sabotage 
a rush to judgement.
     
U-S law enforcement sources have been telling the 
media that prayer-like remarks heard in Arabic on the 
cockpit voice recorder could mean a lone relief pilot 
deliberately plunged the plane into the Atlantic 
Ocean.  Many in Egypt don't want to believe that and 
with conspiracy theories increasing, National 
Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall moved 
Friday to put an end to what he called a virtual 
cyclone of speculation.

            // HALL ACT //

      Any so-called verbatim information you have 
      heard about that recorder is unauthorized, 
      second, third or fourth-hand and as we have seen 
      in some of the newspapers, headlines with 
      information that is just flat wrong. 


            // END ACT //

But he says investigators at this point still believe 
sabotage might have been the cause of the crash and 
are moving toward handing the case over to the FBI to 
lead a criminal probe.   

Over the past several days, Washington has grown 
increasingly concerned about Egyptian sensitivities 
over a case that could lead to lawsuits, damage to the 
reputation of the country's national airline, and 
affect tourism - a top source of foreign income. But 
N-T-S-B Chairman Hall says the course of the 
investigation will not be guided by the wishes of 
Egypt if the evidence points to sabotage.


            // HALL ACT //

      I would hope that that's a threshold that we 
      could reach together with the Egyptian 
      investigators as we walk through the steps in 
      the investigation that I just outlined.  As I 
      have previously explained, the buck stops here.


            // END ACT //

Nearly three weeks after the crash, air safety 
investigators still have no evidence suggesting the 
plane was brought down by mechanical failure, fueling 
suspicion that the cause might be sabotage. (SIGNED) 



NEB/NJS/PT

 



19-Nov-1999 17:21 PM EDT (19-Nov-1999 2221 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.