Sinai plane crash: US military thinks Metrojet A321 flight 7K9268 was blown up – but rules out missile attack
US military said it has evidence that rules out theories that Metrojet A321 flight 7K9268 was brought down with a missile, instead suggesting there could have been an explosion on the plane itself.
A US satellite picked up signs of a "heat flash" in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula at around the time the Russian passenger jet crashed on its way home from Sharm-el-Sheikh.
The data ruled out an attack, but suggested an explosion of some kind could have occurred on the aircraft itself, "either a fuel tank or a bomb", according to a US official speaking on NBC News today.
"The speculation that this plane was brought down by a missile is off the table," the official said. "There is no evidence a missile of any kind brought down the plane."
Yesterday Russian airline Kolgalymavia blamed an "external factor" for this weekend's crash, in which 224 people were killed.
"We exclude technical problems and reject human error," airline official Alexander Smirnov said.
Isis has issued a statement claiming responsibility for the crash, describing it as an attack on "Russian crusaders".
However, Egyptian authorities have rubbished this as "propaganda".
The black box has been found intact, and the investigation is ongoing.