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France sends second expert team to Egypt to investigate A321 crash

It is normal practice to increase expert teams that investigate major air crashes

PARIS, November 2 /TASS/. The French authority responsible for safety investigations into accidents or incidents in civil aviation known as BEA on Monday sent a second expert team to Egypt to assist investigating the A321 crash, A BEA statement said.

The first group of BEA experts has been working at the crash site since November 1. "It is normal practice to increase expert teams that investigate major air crashes," BEA stressed.

The A321 plane belonging to Russia’s air company Kogalymavia was flying from Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt to St. Petersburg in Russia (flight 9268) when it crashed over the Sinai Peninsula early on October 31. The plane fell 100 km to the south of Al-Arish, the administrative center of the North Sinai province. All the 224 people onboard, including 217 passengers and the 7-member crew, died. The passengers, most of whom were Russians, also included four Ukrainians and one citizen of Belarus.

The Egyptian authorities are investigating the A321 air crash with the Inter-State Aviation Committee and the Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya). The Russian Investigation Committee is studying all possible versions of the crash, including technical problems with the plane.