Black box reveals unusual sounds before Russian plane crash

The Russian plane's black box is said to have recorded sounds "atypical of a normal flight" before it disappeared from radar screens and crashed in Egypt, killing 224 people.

Black box of Russian plane crash in Egypt. Photo: AP

Interfax quoted officials in Cairo as providing the first information from the cockpit voice recorder. They said that after routine conversations between crew members, "the recording revealed sounds that were not typical of a normal flight before the plane disappeared".

According to the company, the recording suggests "a sudden emergency occurred on board, surprising the flight crew, and the pilots did not have enough time to send a distress signal."

Meanwhile, Russia's Itar Tass news agency quoted a source as saying that "non-aircraft objects" were found at the crash site. "They have been sent for analysis," the agency's source said.

Kogalymavia Flight 9268 (known as Metrojet) crashed about half an hour after departing Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for St. Petersburg, Russia. It is considered Russia's worst air disaster. Officials believe the plane may have broken up in the air, but warn it is too early to say what caused the disaster.

According to VNE