
Smoke alarms were sounding for almost three minutes on board EgyptAir Flight 804 before it plummeted into the sea, investigators have confirmed, leading experts to claim the crash was likely caused by a bomb or 'incendiary device'.

Experts have drawn various conclusions from leaked data about alerts sent out by the doomed jet in its final moments, with many pointing out that for now any information gleaned is 'pure conjecture'.

While the data indicates that something catastrophic did occur on board the plane - seeming to rule out theories that it was deliberately crashed into the sea by a pilot or hijacker - there is disagreement as to whether it points to a bomb or a fire on board.

Egyptian investigators have said it is still 'too soon' to make a judgement on what happened based on the information available.

It comes as the first pictures of the mangled wreckage emerged from the crash site.

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Discovery: The plane's twisted blue metal panelling, marked with EgyptAir branding as well as items of clothing and yellow life jackets have been recovered from the Mediterranean Sea, where vessels continue to search for the wreckage

Search effort: The first pictures of the mangled wreckage from the EgyptAir flight 804 has emerged as investigators confirm smoke was detected in multiple places moments before the plane plummeted into the Mediterranean

'It looks like the right front and side window were blown out, most probably from inside out,' an unnamed European airline pilot told the Telegraph, indicating that a bomb on board caused the crash.

A screen grab of data leaked by air industry news site The Aviation Herald showed what appeared to be a break-down of the alerts sent out by the plane's Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), before it lost contact at 00.29GMT.

The pilot pointed out that fog could also have set off the alarms, filling the air due to a sudden loss of cabin pressure.

They added that an ‘internal explosion’ seemed to be the most likely explanation, based on the alerts concerning the windows in the cockpit.

Meanwhile aviation analyst David Soucie told CNN that the data indicated a fire on board caused the crash, rather than a bomb.

'If there's fire on board the aircraft, in this area which the ACARS indicates, then something was close to the cockpit,' Mr Soucie said.

'It could have been either something mechanical that had failed, a short circuit, or it could have been an incendiary device of some kind as well.'

ACARS does not provide a cause of the crash, but Mr Soucie said it was significant that the data was sent over a period of one to two minutes.

'Now if it it was a bomb, the characteristic bomb... would have ruptured the skin of the aircraft,' he said.

'This is not the indication you would have had, because a bomb that would do that would be instantaneous and these reports would not have gone over two minutes like they do.'

The analyst added that a fire in the front section of the plane may well have affected the communications equipment.

According to the leaked data, smoke alarms in the lavatory behind the cockpit first began sounding at 00.26GMT. Less than a minute later, smoke was also detected in the avionics [electronics].

The final two alerts from the plane indicate faults with the FCU - the flight control unit used by the pilot to input instructions into the flight computer - and the SEC 3 - the computer that controls the plane's spoilers and elevator computers.

Leak: Data has emerged indicating the EgyptAir Flight MS804 was on fire before it plummeted into the Mediterranean. An ACARS screen grab (above) shows smoke alarms in the lavatory behind the cockpit sounded at 00.26GMT, three minutes before the plane lost contact

Crash: The cause of the crash that killed all 66 on board remains unclear but smoke alarms were sounding for almost three minutes before it began its rapid descent, according to the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) data

Find: The discovery of the black box could provide vital clue into what caused the passenger jet to crash on its journey from Paris to Cairo

The plane's twisted blue metal panelling, marked with EgyptAir branding, as well as items of clothing and yellow life jackets have been recovered from the sea, where investigators continue to search the wreckage.

Egyptian media have also reported that divers have found the black box close to the crash site. The black box has yet to be recovered by rescuers but could provide vital clues into what caused the plane to crash just as it entered Egyptian airspace on its journey to Cairo.

Agency spokesman Sebastien Barthe confirmed the sounding of the smoke alarms 'generally mean the start of a fire,' but insisted that everything is currently 'pure conjecture.'

Experts are pouring over the crash site with concerns that the plane fire may have been caused by a bomb blast due to suspect nature of the fire.

While Egyptian officials continue saying that they suspect terrorism, no group has yet come forward to claim credit as theories as to the cause of the crash continue to circulate.

It comes as hundreds of mourners gathered to offer prayers for the 66 passengers and crew killed in the EgyptAir disaster.

The twisted remains of the plane debris reveals the damage caused to the plane, with investigators still remain unsure what caused the apparent fire in the toilet and cabin

A video image released by the Egyptian Defense Ministry shows a ship during the search in the Mediterranean Sea for missing EgyptAir Flight MS804 plane which crashed after disappearing from the radar in the early hours of Thursday morning while carrying 66 people

The parents of EgyptAir MS804 victim, air hostess Yara Hani Tawfik, at her funeral held at the Church of Virgin & Saint Athanasius in Cairo

Friends and family of one of the EgyptAir MS804 victims, air hostess Yara Hani Tawfik, mourn at her memorial service

The Aviation Herald claimed to have received the data from three independent channels, which were unidentified.

The ACARS screen grab provided information about smoke and heat on a window near the co-pilot and in the lavatory, which was behind the cockpit.

Meanwhile, family, friends and colleagues held back tears as the Imam led prays for their salvation at the Al Sedeq mosque close to Cairo International Airport where the doom jet had been due to land.

The hour-long Friday prayers ended with pall bearers carrying a symbolic coffin for the missing bodies out of the sprawling complex.

Outside, family members told of their shock at the sudden disappearance of passenger jet, while colleagues praised the professionalism of the crew.

Ahmed Asem, the father of co-pilot Mohamed Mamdouh Ahmed Asem, was overwhelmed by messages of condolence.

Mohamed's cousin, Hizam Asem told MailOnline: 'Mohamed was a very, very good pilot. He was the best in his class. He was very skillful.

'Ever since he was a little boy he had wanted to fly a plane. And finally he was realising his dream. He was just a young man of 27 but he was living the life he had always wanted.'

The coastguards and rescue workers have been trying to locate the wreckage in the Mediterranean Sea after the plane crash

Egyptian media have also reported that divers have found the black box between close to the crash site

The black box could provide vital clues into what caused the plane to crash just as it entered Egyptian airspace on its journey to Cairo

At present no survivors have been found from the plane crash wreckage, where life jackets were recovered from the water

According to the leaked data, smoke alarms in the lavatory behind the cockpit first began sounding at 00.26GMT. Less than a minute later, smoke was also detected in the avionics [electronics]

The smoke is thought to have filtered out from the toilet and was also detected near the cockpit, according to the alarm data

The devastating impact of the crash appears to have torn the plane to pieces with insulation and parts of the wall surfacing in the water

Lying on the deck of the vessels, recovered items appears to include shoes and handbags from the crashed plane

Devastated family members of one of the victims weep as they leave the Church of Virgin & Saint Athanasius in Cairo

Several friends and relatives comfort one distraught woman at the memorial service at the church in Cairo

Prayers were also held at Al Sedeq mosque close to Cairo International Airport where the doom jet had been due to land

The co-pilot's uncle Hisam Asem added: 'Mohamed loved his job. He loved being a pilot. He introduced me to Captain Mohamed Said Ali Ali Shoukair. He was a very nice man, a very good pilot.

Grief-stricken air-hostesss Rasha Al Saandy and Shereen Fouad hugged each other in support outside the mosque.

Rasha Al Saandy told MailOnline: 'I knew Captain Shoukair and some of the crew. They were the best colleagues anyone could hope for.

'I did not know the younger air hostesses Samar [Ezz Eldin] or Yara Hany because they had not been working on but [steward] Haietham Elzazizi was my best friend. He was so funny, he was always smiling and laughing.

'Since I heard what happened I cannot sleep, I cannot sleep.'

Shereen Fouad added: 'This is so terrible. I cannot imagine how this has happened.'

At another emotional service, the father of Captain Mohamed Said Ali Ali Shoukair collapsed in grief for his missing son.

Distraught Bahgat Shoukair was unable to stand during the absent funeral service for his pilot son Mohamed following Friday prayers in his home city of Badrashin, south of Cairo.

Frail Mr Shoukair could only sit in a chair throughout the service at the Yusef mosque, being too weak to stand and knee as is customary in Muslim prayers.

Gripped by grief: EgyptAir stewardesses console each other outside the Al Sedeq mosque where hundreds of mourners gathered to offer prayers for the crew of missing EgyptAir flight MS804

Ahmed Asem (centre), the father of co-pilot Mohamed Mamdouh Ahmed Asem, was overwhelmed by messages of support as he visited the Al Sedeq mosque close to Cairo International Airport to pray for his son and the other 65 people on flight MS804

Ahmed Asem is consoled by members of the Al Sedeq mosque where they held the hour-long Friday prayers for the missing

Hizam Asem (left), the uncle, and Hisam Asem, the cousin of the EgyptAir co-pilot attend the Friday prayers at the mosque

Friends and relatives of the EgyptAir crew console each other outside Al Sedeq Mosque in Cairo

The family of co-pilot Mohammad Mamdouh Assem had sacrificed everything so could fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot

Devastated: A mourner wipes away a tear during Friday prayers for the passengers and crew killed in the EgyptAir disaster

Members of the Al Sedeq Mosque in Cairo pray for the crew members of the crashed EgyptAir plane as at emotional service near Cairo

Family, friends and colleagues held back tears as the Imam led prays for their salvation at the Al Sedeq mosque near Cairo Airport

Members of the Al Sedeq Mosque in Cairo console friends and relatives of the co-pilot of the EgyptAir plane which crashed yesterday

However the father was able to shake hands with people who offered him their condolences for the loss of his son.

'Bahgat Shoukair was distraught,' one onlookers told Egyptian internet news service Video 7.

'He could not stand up. He had to sit on a chair. He could only shake hands with people. After the prayer service his relatives carried him to his home.'

The captain's uncle, Shihab Shakir, told Youm7: 'The information we received is the same as what they said on TV. They remained tight lipped about what happened.

'If there was anything, he would have known because he's not an inexperienced pilot. He's very experienced and all his managers and bosses say that he is one of the best pilot's in Egypt.

'[The last time I spoke with him] he called and asked if I needed anything, if I wanted him to bring me anything when he comes back, but then he said his flight would be late.

BRITON WHO CHEATED DEATH BECAUSE HIS WORK TRIP TO EGYPT WAS CANCELLED AT THE LAST MINUTE SO HE DIDN'T BOARD DOOMED FLIGHT A British man is lucky to be alive after a work trip to Cairo was cancelled at the last minute. Father-of-two Ian Phillips, from Peterborough, was supposed to be on the doomed EgyptAir Flight MS804 that plunged into the Mediterranean Sea killing all 66 people on board. But in an astonishing turn of events the work trip was called off just hours before he was set to board the flight. 'It didn't really sink in how lucky I was until yesterday afternoon,' he told MailOnline today. Father-of-two Ian Phillips, from Peterborough, was supposed to be on the doomed EgyptAir Flight MS804 that plunged into the Mediterranean Sea killing all 66 people on board. Pictured with his daughter Zoe, who is pregnant, and son Bryn 'I'm very relieved and very grateful that I am still here. Luckily I didn't even get near the airport. 'It took me a few hours to realise the seriousness of it.' The 48-year-old, who is also about to become a grandfather, works at a courier firm that requires him to hand-deliver sensitive documents around the world. He gladly accepted the job which would have seen him fly from London City airport to Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris before getting the connecting flight on to Cairo International. I'm very relieved and very grateful that I am still here. It took me a few hours to realise the seriousness of it. Ian Phillips And he was only mildly relieved when the client cancelled, saving him a trip that would have involved several nights away from home. But it was only when he arrived at the London office of CMS Network and saw the news of the missing plane that he realised quite how lucky he had been. He added: 'On the one hand I feel quite lucky and grateful and on the other it all seems a bit surreal. 'I didn't know which flight they were going to put me on until I got into the office. Just before the client cancelled, they couldn't find any direct flights from the UK and that was looking like the best option. 'Just for once I'm quite pleased the client cancelled.' Although he often flies to Europe for work, Mr Phillips rarely travels further afield than Zurich or Switzerland – as most of CMS Network's clients are in the banking sector. Still reeling from discovering his near-miss, Mr Phillips turned to social media to come to terms with the shock. 'I got to work yesterday morning to be asked if I would be happy to deliver a package to Cairo,' he posted on Facebook, following news of the flight's disappearance. 'Of course, said I, and by 9.45am I was on my way back to Peterborough to get my passport and pack a bag. 'Thankfully our client cancelled at the last minute so I didn't go but can you guess which flight I was due to travel on.' Friends have described his experience as 'sobering' and a 'close shave'. Others have recommended he 'do something you were putting off – have a big holiday, down a pint, or something like that!' But he said his near-miss hasn't put him of flying to Cairo for work again if it was needed. Advertisement

'He was always inviting all his colleagues at the company and he would bring them together and take them for meals and fix their problems. He didn't have any problems with any one.'

The services were held has search crews revealed they had found a severed arm, luggage and a two-mile-long oil slick in the Mediterranean.

The news will deal a devastating blow to families who are holding out a glimmer of hope their loved ones may have survived the crash.

The Egyptian military discovered wreckage around 180 miles north of the coastal city of Alexandria and have announced that the plane's black box recorders have also been found, which could hold the key to the plane's mysterious disappearance.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said a body part, two seats and suitcases were found in the search area, slightly to the south of where the aircraft had vanished from radar.

Greek journalist Liana Spyropoulou later said Mr Kammenos revealed the body part was an arm.

A two-mile oil slick has also been spotted 20 miles south-east of the plane's last location by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A radar satellite.

Egyptian President Adbel Fattah al-Sisi, meanwhile, offered condolences to families of those on board, amounting to Cairo's official confirmation of their deaths.

At another emotional service, Bahgat Shoukair, the father of Captain Mohamed Said Ali Ali Shoukair collapsed in grief for his missing son

Celebration: Captain Mohamed Said Ali Ali Shoukair had been promoted just four days before the crash

EXTREMISTS APPLIED FOR AIRPORT JOBS AT PARIS AIRPORT Islamic extremists tried to get jobs at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris this spring, it was revealed yesterday. It came despite France having been under a state of emergency since the Paris attacks in November and a sweep at Charles de Gaulle, Roissy and Orly Airports that saw 70 workers stripped of their accreditation five months ago. The security scare was discussed at an emergency meeting of officials from countries including Britain yesterday. An intelligence source said: 'These attempts have been made after officials stripped dozens of staff at French airports of their accreditation over suspected radicalisation.' It means it is possible a bomb was placed on the doomed EgyptAir flight in Paris or hijackers could have boarded there. Air security expert Xavier Tytelman said an employee smuggling a bomb on board was more likely than explosives being hidden inside baggage loaded on the plane. He said three checks were made on luggage before being placed in the hold and the systems at Charles de Gaulle worked 'very well'. Advertisement

Although fingers pointed towards Islamist militants who blew up another airliner over Egypt just seven months ago, no group had claimed responsibility more than 24 hours after the disappearance of flight MS804, an Airbus A320 that was flying from Paris to Cairo.

Three French investigators and a technical expert from Airbus arrived in Cairo early on Friday to help investigate the fate of the missing plane, airport sources said.

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said yesterday that it was too early to rule out any explanation for the disaster, but the country's aviation minister said a terrorist attack was more likely than a technical failure.

Friday's announcement that debris had been found followed earlier confusion about whether wreckage had been located. Greek searchers found some material on Thursday, but the airline later said this was not from its plane.

An intelligence source said: 'There was no mayday call from the cockpit which suggests that it was a terrorist attack. We are still trying to ascertain if the crew in the cockpit were overpowered by hijackers or if a bomb went off. We will only know when we examine the wreckage.'

Agencies did not pick up any unusual 'chatter' in France or Egypt in the days before the attack, the source added.

Mike Vivian, former head of operations at the Civil Aviation Authority, said the jet's sudden swerves before vanishing were more likely to be caused by a forced cockpit takeover than a bomb.

'One's inclined to go towards the theory that there had been some interference in the aircraft and on the flight deck, with the control of the aircraft,' he said.

While there was no official explanation of the cause of the crash, suspicion immediately fell on Islamist militants who have been fighting against Egypt's government since Sisi toppled an elected Islamist leader in 2013.

In October, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for blowing up a Russian jetliner that exploded after taking off from an Egyptian tourist resort. Russian investigators blamed a bomb smuggled on board.

Last year's crash already devastated Egypt's tourist industry, one of the main sources of foreign exchange for a country of 80 million people, and another similar attack would crush hopes of it recovering.

Clues: This image released by the European Space Agency from its Sentinel-1A satellite reportedly shows a two-mile-long oil slick (circled) in the Mediterranean Sea around 20 miles from the last-known location of the EgyptAir plane which vanished near Greece on Thursday

An Egyptian plane and ship search the Mediterranean for missing EgyptAir flight 804 plane which crashed in mysterious circumstances

An Egyptian plane searches for debris and personal belongins from the missing EgyptAir plane which crashed in the Mediterranean Sea

An engineer stands in front of a C-130 HAUP of the Hellenic Air Force which took part and is on stand by in the search operation

While most governments were cautious about jumping to conclusions, U.S. Republican candidate for president Donald Trump tweeted swiftly after the plane's disappearance: 'Looks like yet another terrorist attack. Airplane departed from Paris. When will we get tough, smart and vigilant?'

Many hours later his likely Democratic rival Hillary Clinton also said it appeared to be an act of terrorism, although she said an investigation would have to determine the details.

Officials from a number of U.S. agencies told Reuters that a U.S. review of satellite imagery so far had not produced any signs of an explosion.

They said the United States had not ruled out any possible causes for the crash, including mechanical failure, terrorism or a deliberate act by the pilot or crew.

Amid uncertainty about what brought down the plane, Los Angeles International Airport became the first major U.S. air transportation hub to say it was stepping up security measures.

In Britain, a spokesman for the David Cameron said Whitehall officials from different departments will be working throughout the day and into the weekend on the disaster and will update secretaries of state and the Prime Minister on all developments.

However, the Government is refusing to discuss security procedures until the cause of the crash is known.

The military has sent a vessel to follow the flight path of the plane and is heading south west towards where wreckage has reportedly been found.

Hunt for clues: The Egyptian army today reported finding wreckage and personal belongings from the missing jet around 180 miles north of Alexandria. The discovery came a day after other debris found in another area near the African coast turned out not to come the plane

The RAF sent a C130 plane which completed a surveillance flight last night and a second flight is ongoing.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch has also offered its assistance to the investigation and is ready to offer support if required.

Meanwhile, heartbreaking details are beginning to emerge of the lives cut short on board the doomed flight.

Air hostess Samar Ezz Eldin, 27, who had recently married, uploaded a prophetic image of a plane crashing into the sea on her Facebook page in September 2014 just four months after she started working at Egypt's national carrier.

It shows an air hostess dressed smartly in wet clothes pulling a carry-on suitcase out of the water as a passenger jet plunges into the sea behind her.

A friend of Ms Eldin revealed: 'It was the job of her dreams, but she always felt a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that something bad would happen.

'She was often telling friends that she would die in an airline crash. This is very sad but also prophetic.'

Other victims identified include the captain who celebrated a promotion just four days earlier, the co-pilot whose family sacrificed everything so he could learn to fly and a cabin manager who gave up a successful TV acting career to become an air hostess.

Captain Mohamed Said Ali Ali Shoukair, 37, from Giza, had invited his colleagues and former flying school classmates to a huge dinner to celebrate his promotion to the rank of senior pilot, MailOnline can reveal.

Ahmed Adly, of the Egyptian Pilots Association, told MailOnline: 'I can confirm that Mohamed Said Ali Ali Shoukair was the captain of the Egyptair MS804 that has been lost.'

Another friend Ahmed Mashaal said: 'God bless you Shoukair. I last saw him four days ago at a party.

'He invited his whole colleagues from EgyptAir and fellow students from the flying school to a huge dinner to celebrate his promotion four days ago [on Monday]. He was celebrating his promotion.'

Captain Shoukair was a very experienced pilot with 6275 flying hours, 2101 of those hours flying an Airbus 806. He was not married and did not have any children.

EgyptAir stewardess Samar Ezz Eldin (left) posted a picture of an air hostess in front of a passenger jet crashing into the sea behind her (right) on her Facebook page. The 27-year-old was among the first passengers and crew on board Flight MS804 to be named

Captain Shoukair (right) with colleagues. Air traffic controllers said he was in 'a good mood and gave thanks in Greek' when he was in last contact around 25 minutes before the jet fell out of the sky in a suspected terror attack

His co-pilot Mohammad Mamdouh Assem had dreamed of flying planes since he was five years old and his mother had put all her savings into helping him achieved his lifelong goal.

According to friends, co-pilot Mohammad Mamdouh Assem's lifelong dream was to cruise the skies – with his mother spending all her savings on sending him to aviation school.

EGYPTAIR FLIGHT HAD THREE AIR MARSHALLS ON BOARD PLANE EgyptAir Flight MS804 had three air marshals on board when it crashed in the Mediterranean on Thursday, authorities have said. France's transport chief Alain Vidalies told NBC News that the high number of security officers onboard was 'the usual practice'. Analysts say the higher number of air marshals onboard could be explained by a recent boost in security following a number of terrorist attacks involving passenger planes. Three air marshals also makes it less likely that the crash was called by a hijacker, as a terrorist would have to overpower not only the armed air marshals but also plane staff and passengers. Another argument against this is that no one managed to send a mayday, which suggests a hijacker would have had to break into the cockpit extremely quickly – or had inside help. Advertisement

Childhood friend Omar Nasef told The Daily Beast: 'He wanted to be a pilot since he was five. He was an unbelievable person, social.'

His mother tragically died a few years ago from cancer and the family was still struggling to cope with her loss when news broke that he had perished on the doomed flight.

'His mom put all her savings towards his education,' Nasef said. 'The academy and all that, and it's very expensive in Egypt. That was a big sacrifice.'

'All that I know is that he loved flying. That was his dream job and that's it,' he said.

Cabin manager Mervat Zakaria was also revealed to be a former TV actress who had been promoted to her position just one month before the crash.

Ms Zakaria had joined the national airline carrier in 1986 after giving up a successful acting career.

She had starred as a troubled teenager, Hala Awad, who had lost her mother in the hit Egyptian drama Abu El Ela El-Bashery.

The show was named after the character of the widower who was bringing up his daughters on his own.

But Ms Zakaria, who is believed to be married with a daughter, quit before the second series to take up a career as an air hostess for EgyptAir.

Meanwhile, it emerged today that the wife of British passenger Richard Osman had warned him to be careful whenever he travelled abroad on his work, but he laughed off her fears, telling her: 'It is never going to happen to me.'

The geologist had celebrated becoming a father for the second time with wife Aureilie, 36, just three weeks before the crash.

He had been flying regularly to Egypt with his job with Australian gold mining firm Centamin Ltd- often taking the plane from Paris to Cairo.

His brother Alastair said: 'Aureilie had warned him to be careful but he took the view that it's never going to happen to you. He just laughed it off.

'We kept in touch regularly and I would speak to him a couple times a month but he never mentioned the possible threat of terrorism on his flights across the Mediterranean to me.

'But the family was worried because ISIS and groups like them don't think that any of their victims have family members or a past or a history of hopes and dreams.'

Cabin manager Mervat Zakaria (pictured, left, and with her daughter, right) gave up a successful acting career to become an air hostess

Mervat Zakaria starred as a troubled teenager, Hala Awad, who had lost her mother in the hit Egyptian drama Abu El Ela El-Bashery

Mr Osman had celebrated the birth of his second daughter Olympe just three weeks ago and was travelling to Egypt for work.

Speaking yesterday, Alistair said: 'I still can't take it in I got a call from our sister first thing this morning and I'm still in shock.

'Richard was so happy at the birth of his second daughter, and yet weeks later he is no longer with us - it's an absolute tragedy.'

Mr Osman was also father to a 14-month-old girl called Victios.

His two daughters are being looked after by Aureilie in Paris, where the couple have a home.

Alastair, 36, a biochemistry student at Swansea University, said: 'Of all the family I would've thought Richard would have been the last to go.'

'He was incredibly fit and a workaholic and since leaving university he has never stopped.

'He was really happy about having the baby and was looking forward to enjoying a lovely family life with his two girls.'

He is believed to be a dual citizen of Australia, following a statement issued by the Australian government saying that one of those presumed dead is a UK-Australia dual national.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop declined to give additional details, including details on the passenger's identity.

Family man: Richard Osman was among the 66 victims on board the jet. His brother has described his 'delirious happiness' after the birth of his second daughter just three weeks ago. Mr Osman is pictured here with his French-born wife Aureilie and his first daughter Victios

Happier times: Mr Osman's brother has spoken of his 'shock' at hearing the news of the plane crash this morning. Mr Osman, a geologist who was travelling to Egypt for work, leaves behind a wife (pictured here on their wedding day) and two infant daughters

Future: Mr Osman's brother Alastair described the crash as an 'absolute tragedy', adding that Mr Osman had been looking forward to a 'lovely future' with his wife and two young daughters

Passenger: A Canadian woman among those on board the plane has been named as Marwa Hamdy (pictured)

The 56 passengers on board included one Briton, 30 Egyptians, 15 French, one Belgian, one Iraqi, one Kuwaiti, one Saudi Arabian, one Chadian, one Portuguese, one Algerian and at least one Canadian.

A Canadian woman among the passengers has also been named as Marwa Hamdy.

Other crew members included air-hostess Yara Hany, stewards Atef Lotfy and Haietham Elazizi and EgyptAir security officers Mahmoud Ahmed, Ahmed Mohamed Magdy and Mohamed Abd El Menem.

The search is continuing for missing EgyptAir flight 804, which disappeared from the radar while carrying 66 passengers and crew from Paris to Cairo.

Authorities are scouring a wide area south of the Greek island of Crete on Friday to search for wreckage, over 24 hours after the Airbus 320 lost contact.

The Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos says that the plane swerved wildly before plummeting into the sea.

The Egyptian military says that no distress call was received from the pilot. The country's aviation minister Sherif Fathi says the likelihood the plane was brought down by a terror attack is 'higher than the possibility of a technical failure.'

The distressed relatives of those on board have spent the night in a hotel in Cairo while they await news.

Three French investigators and a technical expert from Airbus arrived at Cairo International Airport early Friday morning to help investigate the fate of a missing jet, airport sources said.

The French investigators are part of the French civil aviation ministry's office of investigations and analysis, the sources said.

Yesterday, EgyptAir retracted its claims that the wreckage of the downed Flight MS804 had been discovered floating in the Mediterranean Sea as the mystery surrounding the missing passenger jet deepens.

It comes as U.S. authorities say they have so far been unable to find any indication that an explosion took place on board the plane before it plunged 22,000ft into the water with 66 people on board.

Flight MS804 was travelling from Paris to Cairo when it vanished from radar 10 miles into Egyptian airspace at 00.30am GMT without making a distress call.

Greek defence minister Panos Kammenos said the Airbus A320 made 'sudden swerves' in mid-air, lurching 90 degrees to the left then 360 degrees to the right. It then dropped from 37,000 feet to 15,000ft before the signal was lost at around 10,000 feet.

Security experts, ministers and former air accident investigators said all the evidence pointed to the plane being targeted in a terrorist attack.

But U.S. officials have cast doubt on these claims, stating that they have so far found no evidence of an explosion on board.

The ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee said there are conflicting reports about the EgyptAir plane during its last minutes of the flight.

Nor is there anything yet to confirm whether terrorism, structural failure or something else was the cause, he added.

'We're working with the French to try to figure out if there is any information we have that could shed light on any of the passengers, but there's nothing yet to confirm the cause of the plane crash,' said California Rep. Adam Schiff.

He said the plane did seem to have broken apart in mid-air, but the reason was unclear.

Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi said the possibility of a terror attack was a 'stronger' possibility than technical failure.

Relatives of passengers on board the EgyptAir flight cry at Cairo Airport as they try to receive information on their loved ones

Loss: Relatives of passengers on the missing EgyptAir flight break down as they console each other at Cairo International Airport in Egypt

Meanwhile, EgyptAir has retracted its earlier statement that wreckage of the plane had been found off the Greek island of Karpathos.

Egyptian officials are now taking a more cautious line, similar to that of Greek authorities, and are saying they 'stand corrected' and it 'is not our aircraft'.

The head of the Greek air safety authority earlier insisted that wreckage found in the Mediterranean close to where the jet is thought to have crashed 'does not come from a plane'.

'Up to now the analysis of the debris indicates that it does not come from a plane, my Egyptian counterpart also confirmed to me that it was not yet proven that the debris came from the EgyptAir flight when we were last in contact around 1745 GMT,' said Athanasios Binis.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered the civil aviation ministry, the army's search and rescue centre, the navy, and the air force to take all necessary measures to locate debris from the EgyptAir plane.

They will join French, Greek and U.S. forces in the search.

In a statement issued by his office, Sisi also ordered an investigative committee formed by the civil aviation ministry to immediately start investigating the causes of the plane's disappearance.

Photographs emerged earlier of what was claimed to be debris from the plane as search vessels reported seeing plastic objects including lifejackets and seats floating in the sea around 230 miles south of the Greek islands of Crete and Karpathos.

The images of the debris were posted on Facebook by Tarek Wahba, who is understood to be the captain of Egyptian container vessel, Maersk Ahram.

He wrote: 'Been finding life jackets and debris including chair to the plane.'

The ship was among a number of vessels sent to the area to help with the search.

A Greek frigate also reported spotting two large plastic objects floating in the sea 230 miles south of the island of Crete.

They appeared to be pieces of plastic in white and red and were spotted close to an area where an emergency transponder signal had been emitted.

Greek military officials say a Greek C-130 military transport plane is still participating in the search for debris from the EgyptAir jet, but a frigate initially sent to the area has been recalled.

The same officials say all potential debris located so far in the sea has been spotted by Egyptian aircraft.

If confirmed to be a terror attack, the disaster would deal another hammer blow to Egypt's crippled tourism industry just months after a Russian Metrojet plane was brought down in the Sinai peninsula by a bomb planted at Sharm el-Sheikh airport.

A Canadian woman among the passengers has also been named as Marwa Hamdy. The nation's Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion issued a statement claiming two Canadians were on board the flight.

Ms Dion said: 'Based on the information currently available, Global Affairs Canada confirms that two Canadian citizens are among the passengers on this flight.'

The airline has said that Ms Hamdy was the sole Canadian on the flight.

U.S. government officials were working on an initial theory the jet was downed by a bomb, two U.S. officials told CNN, although they cautioned that hypothesis could change.

The U.S. State Department has not yet issued a travel warning to Egypt, according to spokesman John Kirby in Washington.

He told reporters that it is too early to make any definite decisions and that he is 'not aware that we recorded, saw, photographed or have possession of any electronic indications about what happened'.

The head of Russia's top domestic security agency, Alexander Bortnikov, also claimed it was 'in all likelihood it was a terror attack'.

Meanwhile, Jean-Paul Troadec, the former chief of the BEA national investigation unit, said the lack of a live emergency alert meant it was almost certainly destroyed in a terror attack.

He told Europe 1 radio station in Paris: 'A technical problem, a fire or a failed motor do not cause an instant accident and the team has time to react.

'The team said nothing, they did not react, so it was very probably a brutal event and we can certainly think about an attack.'

Their comments came after a merchant ship captain reported seeing a 'flame in the sky' over the Mediterranean.

ISIS has been waging a deadly insurgency against Egyptian security forces and last October claimed the bombing of a Russian airliner flying home holidaymakers from the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh which killed all 224 people on board.

The flight was the aircraft's fifth of the day, having also flown to the Eritrean capital of Asmara, the Tunisian capital Tunis and Brussels in Belgium.

French President Francois Hollande said nothing had been ruled out about the cause of the crash.

Speaking at the Elysee Palace in Paris, he said: 'When we have the truth we need to draw all the conclusions. At this stage, we must give priority to solidarity toward the families (of the victims).'

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the accident.

The prosecutor said in a statement that its collective accident department opened the investigation with the national gendarme service, adding that 'no hypothesis is favoured or ruled out at this stage'.

In the minutes and hours after the crash, devastated relatives gathered at Charles De Gaulle and Cairo Airports, weeping and comforting each other as waited for news of their loved ones.

The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with the family of the British national who was feared dead.

Prime Minister David Cameron told LBC Radio: 'I absolutely feel for them [the families]. This is obviously a dreadful event. We don't know very much right now about what's happened.

'We know that there was one British national on the plane. It looks as if it has gone down in the Mediterranean.'

'One of our ships RFA Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay is nearby and so we've sent it to the area, but I think it's too early to speculate about what the cause was.

'We simply don't know but all the experts are talking to each other and trying to work out what has happened and when we know more, we'll be able to say more.'

The Airbus A320 left the French capital's Charles De Gaulle Airport at 9.09pm GMT last night before coming down off the Greek island of Karpathos ten miles into Egyptian airspace at around 00.30am GMT. It was scheduled to arrive at Cairo Airport at 1.15am GMT.

EgyptAir first reported on the disappearance of the flight, tweeting: 'An informed source at EGYPTAIR stated that Flight no MS804, which departed Paris at 9.09pm (GMT) heading to Cairo, has disappeared from radar.'

Greece's Civil Aviation Authority CAA said the flight entered the Greek air traffic control area (FIR) at 2.24am Greek time (11.24am GMT).

It was identified and approved on its flight course before passing into the next section of air traffic control where it was approved by the controller for the exit point of the Greek FIR.

The CAA said the last communication traffic controllers had with the EgyptAir pilot at around 00.05am found him in good spirits.

It said the pilot 'was in a good mood and gave thanks in Greek when authorised to exit the Athens flight information region'.

EGYPTAIR JET HAD TRAVELLED TO TERROR HOTSPOTS IN BRUSSELS, TUNIS AND ERITREA HOURS BEFORE CRASH The EgyptAir plane that crashed into the Mediterranean had flown to terror hotspots in Tunisia, Eritrea and Belgium in the days before the disaster, it has emerged. The travel log of the Airbus A320 will likely form a major part of the investigation into the crash which experts say was most likely caused by a terror attack. Internet site FlightRadar24 indicates the jet travelled to Tunis, Brussels and the Eritrean capital of Asmara in the two days before, leaving open the possibility that an explosive device could have been planted aboard prior to its arrival in France. All destinations have been targeted by terror attacks or plagued by jihadist uprisings in recent months. Tour of terror: Flight radar data showed how the EgyptAir plane that crashed in the Mediterranean had travelled to Tunis, Cairo, Eritrea and Brussels, all area targeted by Islamist militants Brussels Airport and the city's Metro station were targeted in March in ISIS suicide attacks that killed 32 people. Those attacks have been linked to the same cell that killed 130 people in a November massacre in Paris, where flight MS804 took off last night. More than 20 people were also killed in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, in March last year when two Islamist militants stormed the Bardo Museum. Meanwhile, Ethiopian authorities said last week that they had thwarted a terror attack by Eritrean jihadists who trained and armed in Asmara. If a bombing is established, the question for investigators will be how a device was possibly smuggled aboard a flight taking off from France's busiest airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle, where security has been on high alert since last year's jihadist attacks. Aeronautics expert Gerard Feldzer said: 'A bomb placed on board at (Paris) or in Cairo is always possible because it's difficult to make your airport 100 per cent watertight, even in an airport with such tight surveillance as Roissy (Charles de Gaulle).' Advertisement

Upset: Relatives and friends of passengers who were on the EgyptAir plane leave the EgyptAir in-flight service building at Cairo Airport

Terror: Relatives gather at Cairo Airport. Among the 56 passengers on board the plane were 30 Egyptian nationals, 15 French, two Iraqis, one Briton, Belgian, Kuwaiti, Saudi, Sudanese, Chadian, Portuguese, Algerian and a Canadian

Air traffic controllers tried to contact the pilot again at 00.27am for the handover of the plane to Cairo's area of responsibility, but 'despite repeated calls, the aircraft did not respond'.

Air traffic control called on the emergency frequency and again there was no response.

At 00.29am GMT, the aircraft was over the exit point of the Athens FIR, and at 00.29.40am GMT, it vanished from radar.

The Greek authority said the military was asked for help in case the plane could be located on a military radar, but there was no sign of it.

Search and rescue operations then kicked in 00.45am.

Egypt's state-run newspaper Al-Ahram quoted an airport official as saying the pilot did not send a distress call and that last contact with the plane was made 10 minutes before it disappeared from radar.

EgyptAir said the plane sent an emergency signal, possibly from an emergency beacon attached to the plane, at 2.26am GMT two hours after it vanished.

In water crashes, an underwater beacon attached to the aircraft's flight recorders starts to emit a signal or ping which helps search and rescue teams to locate the crash and find the black boxes.

Egyptian military aircraft and navy ships were taking part in a search operation off Egypt's Mediterranean coast to locate the debris of the plane, which was carrying 56 passengers, including one child and two babies, and 10 crew members.

Greece also joined the search and rescue operation, officials at the Hellenic National Defense General Staff said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault offered to send military planes and boats to join the Egyptian search for wreckage.

'We are at the disposition of the Egyptian authorities with our military capacities, with our planes, our boats to help in the search for this plane,' he said.

'We cannot rule anything out': Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail talks to reporters at Cairo International Airport. He said it was too early to say whether a technical problem or a terror attack caused the plane to crash

On high alert: A French officer of the Police aux Frontieres (Borders Police) stands guard at Charles de Gaulle airport

Guard: Police take up position at Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle airport, after the EgyptAir flight vanished from radar

Worry: The EgyptAir counter at Charles de Gaulle was empty first thing this morning after reports of the disappearance began to surface

He spoke after French President Francois Hollande held an emergency meeting at the Elysee Palace.

Later, the French military said a Falcon surveillance jet monitoring the Mediterranean for migrants had been diverted to help search for the EgyptAir plane.

Military spokesman Colonel Gilles Jaron said the jet is joining the Egypt-led search effort and the French navy may send another plane and a ship to the zone.

BREAKDOWN OF PASSENGERS 56 passengers (including two infants and a child)

3 security personnel

2 cockpit crew

5 cabin crew crew Passenger nationalities: 30 Egyptians

15 French

1 British

1 Belgian

1 Iraqi

1 Kuwaiti

1 Saudi Arabian

1 Chadian

1 Portuguese

1 Algerian

2 Canadians Advertisement

Mr Hollande has spoken with Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi by telephone and they agreed to 'closely cooperate to establish the circumstances' in which the EgyptAir flight disappeared.

The government statement cited Hollande as saying he shares the anxiety of families.

Speaking on RTL radio, he said the Paris airport authority has opened a crisis centre to support the families coming to Charles de Gaulle Airport.

He said 'no theory can be ruled out'.

Search and rescue teams have been sent to a specific location believed to be 40 miles from the Egyptian coast.

Greece has also joined the search and rescue operation.

Two aircraft, one C-130 and one early warning aircraft have been dispatched, officials at the Hellenic national defence general staff said.

They said one frigate was also heading to the area, and helicopters are on standby on the southern island of Karpathos for potential rescue or recovery operations.

Ahmed Abdel, the vice-chairman of EgyptAir holding company, said no distress signal had been sent, as far as he knew.

He added that there had been no reported problems with the plane when it left Paris.

The captain of the plane, Abdel said, had more than 6,000 flying hours. This includes 2,000 on an A320.

He also said there was no special cargo on board and the airline was not informed about any dangerous objects on board.

As the plane was in Egyptian airspace, their air traffic controllers should have been in contact with the flight team.

However, it does not necessarily mean the plane was over land at the time, as Egyptian air space stretches over the Mediterranean Sea.

According to flight schedules, it was the plane's fifth flight of the day.

Shortly after news of the disappearance broke, the Egyptair website crashed.

The Airbus A320 is a short-to-mid range aircraft and is one of the most commonly used in the world that first entered circulation in 1986.

It has a capacity of 150 passengers and a range of more than 3,000 miles.

FROM A JOVIAL CONVERSATION WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TO RADIO SILENCE: HOW MS804 VANISHED IN MID-AIR 11.09pm local time (9.09pm GMT) Wednesday: EgyptAir flight MS804 departs Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport bound for Cairo with 56 passengers and 10 crew including three security guards. 2.24am Greek time (11.24 GMT) Thursday: Airbus A320 enters the Greek air traffic control area, also known as the flight information region (FIR). The plane was identified and approved on its flight course before passing into the next section of air traffic control where it was approved by the controller for the exit point of the Greek FIR. 00.05 GMT: The last communication traffic controllers had with the pilot found him in good spirits. The captain 'was in a good mood and gave thanks in Greek' when authorised to exit the Athens FIR. 00.27 GMT: Air traffic controllers try to contact the pilot again for the handover of the plane to Cairo's area of responsibility, but despite 'repeated calls, the aircraft did not respond'. Air traffic control called on the emergency frequency and again there was no response. 00.29am GMT: The aircraft crosses over the exit point of the Athens air traffic control area. 00.29.40secs GMT: The jet vanishes from radar 170 miles from the Egyptian coast. The Greek authority said the military was asked for help in case the plane could be located on a military radar, but there was no sign of it. 00.45am GMT Search and rescue operation gets underway 4.26am local time (2.26 GMT) There is confusion over a new distress signal that was reportedly received by an Egyptian military tower, two hours after the last confirmed contact with the aircraft. It is believed to have come from the aircraft's emergency devices. Advertisement

An EgyptAir plane was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus in March. A man who admitted to the hijacking and is described by Cypriot authorities as 'psychologically unstable' is in custody in Cyprus.

The incident renewed security concerns months after a Russian passenger plane was blown out of the sky over the Sinai Peninsula.

The Russian plane crashed in Sinai on October 31, killing all 224 people on board. Moscow said it was brought down by an explosive device, and a local branch of the extremist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for planting it.

With its archaeological sites and Red Sea resorts, Egypt is a traditional destination for Western tourists.

In 1999, EgyptAir Flight 1990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near the Massachusetts island of Nantucket, killing all 217 people aboard.

U.S. investigators filed a final report that concluded its co-pilot switched off the autopilot and pointed the Boeing 767 downward.

But Egyptian officials rejected the notion of suicide altogether, insisting some mechanical reason caused the crash.

EgyptAir has provided the following numbers for those wanting more information or who may have families on board:

080077770000 from any landline in Egypt

+ 202 25989320 outside Egypt or any mobile in Egypt

FRENCH SPY CHIEF WARNED COUNTRY WAS 'CLEARLY BEING TARGETED BY ISIS' A WEEK BEFORE EGYPTAIR CRASH The head of France's internal intelligence agency had warned the country was being 'clearly targeted' by ISIS a week before the Paris to Cairo flight took off. It has now emerged that Patrick Calvar, the head of France's DGSI agency, told a parliamentary committee on national defence in Paris on May 10 that ISIS was planning 'a new form of attack'. France was targeted twice last year – with the Charlie Hebdo attack in January and the Paris attacks in November – and the French security forces are on a state of high alert. Concern: Patrick Calvar (pictured), head of French internal intelligence, warned last week that ISIS was planning new attacks on France Mr Calvar was quoted in The Local as saying: 'We risk being confronted with a new form of attack: a terrorist campaign characterised by leaving explosive devices in places where big crowds gather, multiplying this type of action to create a climate of panic.' He made no mention of attacks on aircraft. But he said he believed France was 'the country most threatened' by ISIS, which is often known as Daesh, and also warned that Al-Qaeda remained a threat and was champing at the bit to 'restore its image' as a major player, especially in the Maghreb and the Arabian peninsula. Advertisement

Missing: A closer locator map shows where the flight lost contact with radars around 170 miles from the the Egyptian coast

Hunt for MS804: Several vessels are seen on radar joining the search for the doomed Airbus A320 in the Mediterranean

The airline then tweeted that there were 56 passengers on board and 10 crew members

The airline revealed that the flight had gone missing after posting this Tweet early on Thursday morning

They then confirmed that the flight lost contact with air traffic controllers 10 miles inside Egyptian airspace