Aircraft Accident Brief Ntsb/aab-02/01 (Pb2002-910401): Egypt Air Flight 990, Boeing 767-366er, Su-Gap - National Transportation Safety Board Page 8
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HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On October 30, 1999, the accident airplane departed Los Angeles International
Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, California, as EgyptAir flight 990, destined for Cairo, with a
scheduled intermediate stop at JFK. EgyptAir flight 990 landed at JFK about 2348 eastern
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daylight time (EDT)
and arrived at the gate about 0010 EDT on October 31, 1999.
Because of the 10-hour scheduled en route flight time from JFK to Cairo, ECAR
Part 121, Subpart Q, required that the accident flight have two designated flight crews
(each crew consisting of a captain and first officer). According to the EgyptAir flight
dispatcher who accompanied the two accident flight crews from their hotel in New York
City to the airport, they departed the hotel about 2330 EDT on October 30 and arrived at
JFK about 40 minutes later, about the same time as the airplane, inbound from LAX,
arrived at the terminal gate.
According to air traffic control (ATC) records, by 0101, the pilots of EgyptAir
flight 990 had requested, received, and correctly read back an IFR clearance from ATC.
ATC transcripts further indicated that between about 0112 and 0116, air traffic controllers
issued a series of taxi instructions to EgyptAir flight 990. At 0117:56, the pilots advised
the local controller that they were holding short of the departure runway (runway 22 right
[22R]) and that they were ready for takeoff. The local controller instructed EgyptAir
flight 990 to taxi into position and hold on runway 22R and, at 0119:22, cleared the
accident flight for takeoff. The first officer acknowledged the takeoff clearance, and, about
0120, the airplane lifted off runway 22R.
Shortly after liftoff, the pilots of EgyptAir flight 990 contacted New York Terminal
Radar Approach (and departure) Control (TRACON). New York TRACON issued a series
of climb instructions and, at 0126:04, instructed the flight to climb to flight level
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(FL) 230
and contact New York Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). According
to ATC and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) records, at 0135:52, New York ARTCC
instructed EgyptAir flight 990 to climb to FL 330 and proceed directly to DOVEY
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intersection.
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According to the CVR transcript,
about 0140 (20 minutes after takeoff), as the
airplane was climbing to its assigned altitude, the relief first officer suggested that he
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relieve the command first officer at the controls,
stating, “I’m not going to sleep at all. I
might come and sit for two hours, and then…,” indicating that he wanted to fly his portion
of the trip at that time. The command first officer stated, “But I…I slept. I slept,” and the
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At 0200 EDT on October 31, 1999, local time in the eastern United States changed from 0200 EDT
to 0100 EST. Unless otherwise indicated, all times in this document are EST, based on a 24-hour clock.
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FL 230 is 23,000 feet mean sea level (msl), based on an altimeter setting of 29.92 inches of mercury.
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This clearance resulted in EgyptAir flight 990 passing through a type of special-use airspace referred
to as a “warning area.” New York ARTCC and U.S. Navy records indicated that the warning area was not in
use by the U.S. Navy at the time of the accident. For additional information, see the Air Traffic Control
Group Chairman’s Factual Report and its attachments.
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A complete, English-language transcript of the CVR is attached to this report.
NTSB/AAB-02/01
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