On May 19, an EgyptAir flight went missing with 66 passengers on it. Plunging into the Mediterranean, the plane may be lost forever. Many are still searching for information on the location and causes of the crash. Although it’s been weeks, the investigation continues. The search revealed many different types of debris, believed to be from the plane. Additionally, they have found signals from the black box - which contains information on the last hours of the plane’s life.

The black box is a very important part of the plane. It doesn’t assist with the flight or the engine running, but is a voice recorder. It is used to record problems and assist in the investigation of crashed planes. Although they seem useless, they are the one link that can be used to find why a plane crashed and how it could have been prevented. The recorder will likely have the last thirty minutes of the flight on it. French and Egypt naval ships are searching around the clock to find the black box. In order to reach these fragile pieces of technology, robots that can work a large distance underwater are needed. The question is, are the recorders even still intact?

EgyptAir does not have a clean history when it comes to flights. Planes are commonly hijacked, many have crashed, been detoured, or been destroyed by hijackers. It is stated that EgyptAir is the victim of no fewer than eight hijacks in its history, many of them costing the lives of those onboard as well as the hijackers. Specifically, the plane that crashed, was turned around three times within 24 hours of the crash. Every time the plane returned to its take-off airport, it quickly was released after a “thorough” investigation. The technicians found nothing amiss.

No one survived the crash into the Mediterranean, but is there someone at fault for the 66 innocent lives lost? Egypt’s civil aviation minister, Sherif Fathi believes terrorist groups are to blame. With EgyptAir’s murky history, many stand behind him. No terrorist group as claimed responsibility for this attack. The flight recorder is necessary for determining if this was a fault in the plane or a deliberate act.

A French naval ship found a signal from the black box of the missing plane, allowing the possibility that the information on this mystery will be uncovered. If it has been majorly damaged by the water, we may never know the events that occurred on May, 19. French and Egypt search teams are searching for the plane to allow the family members to have a proper funeral. Although this is a tragic occurrence, the amount of teamwork that has been shown by Egypt and France is amazing. Hopefully we will soon understand what costed 66 people their lives that terrible day.