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CNN Saturday Morning News
Egyptian Plane Crashes on Shore
Aired January 03, 2004 - 07:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now more on that Egyptian plane crash. Most of the 148 people aboard the charter plane were French tourists. So far, there is no indication that anyone survived. Shaken family members are waiting at a crisis center set up near Charles de Gaulle Airport for word on their loved ones.
And that is where we find CNN's Jim Bitterman, who now joins us from Paris by phone -- Jim, I imagine it is a pretty grim situation there as family members show up and try and get briefed on the very latest information.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have seen here, Sean, in fact, yes, the number of families who are here at the airport this morning waiting for their loved ones to return. The plane should have been on the ground about four and a half hours ago but, in fact, when the family members arrived to greet their loved ones coming back from vacations, they found something dramatically different had happened.
In any case, they are now at a crisis center or in a hotel at the airport. The prime minister is on his way here to say what he can to help the families. The transport minister is already here. And there have been, as part of this crisis center they've set up doctors and psychologists to be available for the various family members.
There were actually three charter companies involved in this flight that was coming up from Egypt. Fram, Jet Tours and Zig Zag all had some people on board the plane.
Now, in terms of the investigation, an undersecretary of state for foreign affairs has been sent on his way to Cairo to see what kind of cooperation he can establish with the Egyptians. The French government has already offered to send in a crash investigative team if it proves necessary.
One of the undersecretary of states of transportation who is at the apartment this morning told journalists that, in fact, the plane had started to make a turn back towards Sharm el-Sheikh when it hit the water. So, in fact, there may have been some attempt to get back to the airport with some kind of a mechanical problem and he suggested quite clearly that they think it's a mechanical problem rather than terrorism. Although until they really get their hands on the black boxes on board the plane, they won't know for sure -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, Jim Bittermann in Paris.
Early word coming out that it could have been a catastrophic failure. Jim, we'll continue to check in with you as information is warranted.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 3, 2004 - 07:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now more on that Egyptian plane crash. Most of the 148 people aboard the charter plane were French tourists. So far, there is no indication that anyone survived. Shaken family members are waiting at a crisis center set up near Charles de Gaulle Airport for word on their loved ones.
And that is where we find CNN's Jim Bitterman, who now joins us from Paris by phone -- Jim, I imagine it is a pretty grim situation there as family members show up and try and get briefed on the very latest information.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have seen here, Sean, in fact, yes, the number of families who are here at the airport this morning waiting for their loved ones to return. The plane should have been on the ground about four and a half hours ago but, in fact, when the family members arrived to greet their loved ones coming back from vacations, they found something dramatically different had happened.
In any case, they are now at a crisis center or in a hotel at the airport. The prime minister is on his way here to say what he can to help the families. The transport minister is already here. And there have been, as part of this crisis center they've set up doctors and psychologists to be available for the various family members.
There were actually three charter companies involved in this flight that was coming up from Egypt. Fram, Jet Tours and Zig Zag all had some people on board the plane.
Now, in terms of the investigation, an undersecretary of state for foreign affairs has been sent on his way to Cairo to see what kind of cooperation he can establish with the Egyptians. The French government has already offered to send in a crash investigative team if it proves necessary.
One of the undersecretary of states of transportation who is at the apartment this morning told journalists that, in fact, the plane had started to make a turn back towards Sharm el-Sheikh when it hit the water. So, in fact, there may have been some attempt to get back to the airport with some kind of a mechanical problem and he suggested quite clearly that they think it's a mechanical problem rather than terrorism. Although until they really get their hands on the black boxes on board the plane, they won't know for sure -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, Jim Bittermann in Paris.
Early word coming out that it could have been a catastrophic failure. Jim, we'll continue to check in with you as information is warranted.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
