Russian Plane Crash Update: Experts Say The Plane Broke Up At High Altitude, May Have Been Bomb

Experts are claiming that the Russian plane crash may have been the result of a bomb, as they reveal that the plane broke apart at a high altitude before plummeting to the ground. Both Russian and Egyptian officials initially claimed that the Islamic State’s claims to downing the plane were unfounded. However, terrorism experts say that though the plane was not likely taken down from the ground, it is possible that the plane crashed due to a bomb detonating during the flight.

The Daily Mail reports that new evidence suggests that the Russian plane crash over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula may have been the result of a bomb. Following the plane crash that killed all 224 passengers, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the crash. ISIS released an official statement and video, which revealed that they downed the plane in retaliation for German involvement in the terrorists’ fight in Syria. The statement claimed that “as they kill, they will be killed” and claims that “Allah is in control, though most people do not know.” It was also noted that the alleged downing of the plane was “to show the Russians and whoever allies with them that they shall have no safety in Muslim lands or airspace.”

Despite ISIS staking claim to the downing of the Russian passenger plane, the Egyptian Prime Minister was quick to dismiss the claims noting that “experts have affirmed that technically planes at this altitude cannot be shot down, and the black box will be the one that will reveal the reasons for the crash.” Therefore, ISIS involvement was quickly dismissed. However, terrorism experts say that though a ground to air missile is not capable of taking down the plane at such an extreme altitude, they noted that a bomb could be the culprit. Professor Michael Clarke, Director General of the Royal United Services Institute, notes that evidence of the plane breaking apart at a high altitude suggests an explosion.

“There’s no sign of a distress call, so the idea that the aircraft was undergoing an mechanical problem, or an engine problem, or a fire, or something like that, you would expect that there would be some sort of distress call beforehand. So the fact that there was a catastrophic failure at 31,000 feet, with the aircraft falling in two pieces, suggests to me an explosion on board. So was this caused by some form of terrible accident, which is unlikely, or a bomb, which is much more likely, my mind is moving in that direction rather than anything that happened on the ground.”

The BBC reports that the lead investigator in the crash, Viktor Sorochnko, confirms that the plane disintegrated at a high altitude as debris are spread over a five-mile radius. However, it was not disclosed as to what type of “mechanical failure” or act could have caused the plane to break apart at a high altitude. Meanwhile, mechanics that worked on the plane before takeoff say that it was in “good” condition during the check. One mechanic said he was “shocked” when he heard a mechanical issue may have been to blame for the crash.

Though some experts are claiming a bomb may have been to blame, others say a mechanical issue could have caused the plane to break apart in air due to a previous faulty repair. In fact, it was noted by one air traffic controller that the plane’s pilots had radioed in to let them know they were having technical difficulties and would be landing as soon as possible. Therefore, it seems that there was no mayday call from the plane, but there may have been an alert issued by the pilot of mechanical problems before the crash.

While experts speculate as to what caused the Russian airplane crash, officials in Egypt and Russia say it could be months before an official cause is released.

[Photo by Alexander Aksakov/Getty Images]