Submarines seek black boxes from EgyptAir MS804 crash

CAIRO, May 22 (UPI) -- A submarine is headed to the EgyptAir MS804 crash site in search of black boxes that might reveal more information about why the jetliner with 66 on board dropped from radar screens on May 19.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Sunday a submarine belonging to his country's Oil Ministry was headed to the site of the crash in the eastern Mediterranean, expected to join the search for the cockpit voice and flight data recorders.

The president also said Egypt was jointly investigating the crash with the French government Fox News reported.

"It is very, very important to us to establish the circumstances that led to the crash of that aircraft," he said in comments broadcast live on Egyptian television channels.

The submarine, which has the capacity to operate at a depth of almost 10,000 feet below the surface, headed for the crash site Sunday. He gave no further details.

Making his first public comments since the Airbus A320 crashed en route from Paris to Cairo, Sisi said it "will take time" to determine the exact cause of the crash.

The announcement came just a day after the first available audio from the doomed EgyptAir flight was released.

Some personal effects from passengers and airplane life preservers have been located.

Those on board included 56 passengers, two cockpit crew, five cabin crew and three security personnel. Citizens from Egypt, France, Iraq, Britain, Belgium, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Chad, Portugal, Algeria and Canada were on board.

Debris and passenger belongings were found in the Mediterranean Sea north of Alexandria, Egypt, on May 20.

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, said the plane made "sudden swerves" as it descended -- first 90 degrees to the left, then 360 degrees to the right.

EgyptAir has asked local and international media to be considerate to families of plane crash victims, Ahram Online reported.

Meanwhile, Sisi urged all media outlets Sunday not to jump to conclusions about the crash and said all possible causes for the disaster are being reviewed thoroughly.

"Investigations take time, [so] there is no need to rush in to conclusions now," Sisi told a crowd of dozens outside Misr Fertilizer Production Company in Damietta, where he was attending a ceremony for the company's expansion.

Sisi said Egyptian and French officials are coordinating investigations into the causes of the crash of the Airbus 320.

The jet crashed after flying at 38,000 feet, when it suddenly swerved before descending thousands of feet and vanishing from radar.