EgyptAir jet missing after mid-air plunge, Greeks find life vests

Greek rescue workers found lifevests and bits of plastic floating in the Mediterranean after an EgyptAir jet carrying 66 passengers and crew from Paris to Cairo disappeared from radar in what Egypt said could have been a terrorist attack.

The Egyptian civil aviation ministry said Greek authorities had found "floating material" and life jackets likely to be from the plane. Greek defense sources told Reuters they had found pieces of plastic and two lifevests in the sea 230 miles (370 km) south of the island of Crete.

"All I will say is that our embassy in Athens told us that it was contacted by Greek authorities, who signaled that they found white and blue debris corresponding to EgyptAir's colors," Egyptian ambassador to France Ehab Badawy told France's BFM television. However, Greek sources told Reuters the material they had found so far was not blue and white.

If confirmed as material from the plane, the discovery could help provide clues to its fate. Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said it was too early to rule out any explanation for the crash, including an attack like the one blamed for bringing down a Russian airliner over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula last year.

The country's aviation minister said a terrorist attack was more likely than a technical failure.

Greece had deployed aircraft and a frigate to search for the missing Airbus. Egypt said it would lead the investigation and France would participate. Paris said three investigators would arrive in Egypt on Thursday evening.

In Washington, President Barack Obama received a briefing on the disappearance from his adviser for homeland security and counter-terrorism, the White House said. A White House spokesman said it was too early to know the cause of the crash and offered condolences to the victims.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said the Airbus swerved 90 degrees to the left, spun through 360 degrees to the right and plunged from 37,000 feet to 15,000 before vanishing from Greek radar screens.

According to Greece's civil aviation chief, calls from Greek air traffic controllers to flight MS804 went unanswered just before it left Greek airspace, and it disappeared from radar screens soon afterwards.

There was no official indication of a possible cause, whether technical failure, human error or sabotage. Ultra-hardline Islamists have targeted airports, airliners and tourist sites in Europe, Egypt, Tunisia and other Middle Eastern countries over the past few years.

The aircraft was carrying 56 passengers - with one child and two infants among them - and 10 crew, EgyptAir said. They included 30 Egyptian and 15 French nationals, along with citizens of 10 other countries.

Asked if he could rule terrorist involvement, Prime Minister Ismail told reporters: "We cannot exclude anything at this time or confirm anything. All the search operations must be concluded so we can know the cause."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-egyptair-airplane-idUSKCN0YA08W

Dozens feared dead in Taiwan plane crash

(CNN) -- A twin-engine turboprop plane crashed Wednesday in Taiwan's Penghu Islands, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. CNN affiliate ETTV reported that the plane crashed into a residential building.

Officials are fearful that dozens have died, though Taiwan's Transportation Minister Yeh Kuang-shih told reporters there were no casualties on the ground.

Injured passengers have been rushed to Penghu Hospital, and TransAsia Airways has established an emergency response center, according to a statement issued by the airline.

The Penghu Islands are off the west coast of the main Taiwanese island.

The president of TransAsia Airways, Chooi Yee-choong, appeared briefly at a press conference and bowed in front of news cameras. He choked up as he expressed his sorrow to passengers' families and the public for the tragedy. "I sincerely apologize," he said.

There were 54 passengers and four crew aboard, said Jean Shen, the director-general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

Before Flight GE222 took off from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, it had been delayed due to conditions related to a typhoon, the airline said.

"TransAsia Airways is exhausting all means to assist passengers, victims and families" and working with investigators, its statement read.

The transportation minister said that two French nationals were among those on board, and French authorities have been notified.

One of the plane's "black box" data recorders was recovered and investigators will examine the crash site Thursday, the minister said.

CNN is working on getting details about the crash, and has spoken with Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration, which is saying only that dozens are missing and others are hospitalized. Officials caution that numbers could change.

The plane crashed near Magong Airport at about 7 p.m., according to CNA. Witnesses told ETTV that they saw homes on fire.

The cause of the crash is unknown so far.

Some media reports said strong winds from Typhoon Matmo, which hit Taiwan early Wednesday, forced the plane to attempt a crash landing.

Shen told reporters that visibility at Magong Airport at the time of the plane's attempted landing was about 1,600 meters (1 mile) and considered acceptable for landing.