Accidents
Smoke Detected in EgyptAir A320 Before Crash
ACARS data indicates several malfunctions in quick succession
An EgyptAir Airbus A320 lands in Istanbul. (Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by ltbaspotter - Bulent Kavakkoru/SpotTR)
An EgyptAir Airbus A320 lands in Istanbul. (Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by ltbaspotter - Bulent Kavakkoru/SpotTR)

French accident investigators confirmed Saturday that ACARS data from the EgyptAir Airbus A320 that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea indicates the existence of smoke in the lavatory and avionics bay just as the pilots apparently lost control of the airplane. The series of messages, sent over a period of three minutes, also relayed window sensor indications and problems with the autopilot and flight control system.