The final verdict on the 1999 crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 is that Egyptian pilot Gameel el-Batouty deliberately crashed the plane.
What is interesting about this is that, now, nobody even bothers to raise one of the absurd claims raised back in 1999 by el-Batouty’s family and supporters. That claim was that el-Batouty would never have intentionally crashed the plane because he was a devout Muslim and, as such, suicide was unthinkable.
Here’s what CNN had to say shortly after the crash on November 20, 1999,
For many Egyptians, the investigation has lost its credibility, and the rumors of plots will probably live on for years to come. To most, the notion that el-Batouty could be responsible is simply beyond belief.
El-Batouty was a devout Muslim, and Islam forbids suicide. Many in Cairo are ready to believe sinister forces might have blown up the plane.
Of course — only we silly Americans would postulate a suicidal Muslim pilot to explain an air disaster.
Sources:
Suicide reports in EgyptAir crash spark suspicion in Cairo
. CNN, November 20, 1999.
EgyptAir co-pilot ‘crashed plane’. The BBC, March 21, 2002.