Flash Airlines Flight 604 was a charter flight operated by Egyptian charter company Flash Airlines. On 3 January, 2004, its Boeing 737 crashed into the Red Sea shortly after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport , killing all 135 passengers, many of them French tourists, and all 13 crew members. The wreckage was found about 9 miles south of the airport.
The flight took off at 04:44 (EET) from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and was due to have flown to Paris via Cairo. Initially it was thought terrorists may have been involved, as fear of aviation terrorism was high (with several major airlines in previous days cancelling flights on short notice), and British Prime Minister Tony Blair was also holidaying in the Sharm el-Sheikh area. However, recent media reports suggest that the plane crashed due to technical problems, possibly a result of the apparently questionable safety record of the airline (see Flash Airlines for details).
Despite all this speculation, the cause of the crash is unknown. The pilot is said to have made no radio contact. The two 'black box' flight recorders have been recovered and investigations continue. This process may take several years.
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