Flash Airlines Flight 604 was a charter flight operated by Egyptian charter company Flash Airlines. On 3 January 2004, its Boeing 737 crashed into the Red Sea shortly after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, killing all 135 passengers, many of them French tourists, and all 13 crew members. The wreckage was found about 9 miles south of the airport. January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A charter airline is one that operates charter flights, that is flights that take place outside normal schedules, by a hiring arrangement with a particular customer. ... Flash Airlines plane Flash Airlines was a private charter airline operating out of Cairo, Egypt that was part of the Flash Group tourism company. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Boeing 737 is the worlds most popular medium range - narrow body commercial passenger jet aircraft. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea (Arabic البحر الأحمر al-Bahr al-Ahmar; Hebrew ים סוף Yam Suf; Tigrigna ቀይሕ ባሕሪ QeyH baHri) is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... View of the Red Sea and Tiran Island from the Sheraton Sharm hotel Sharm el-Sheikh (شرم الشيخ, also transliterated as Sharm ash Shaykh), often known simply as Sharm, is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Janub Sina, Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red...

The flight took off at 04:44 (EET) from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and was due to have flown to Paris via Cairo. Initially it was thought that terrorists might have been involved, as fear of aviation terrorism was high (with several major airlines in previous days canceling flights on short notice). British Prime Minister Tony Blair was also holidaying in the Sharm el-Sheikh area. However, recent media reports suggest that the plane crashed due to technical problems, possibly a result of the apparently questionable safety record of the airline (see Flash Airlines for details). Eastern European Time (EET) is the time zone 2 hours ahead of UTC. Time zones of Europe, Blue WET or GMT or UTC , Red CET/MET, Green EET, Khaki MSK During summertime, DST (Daylight Saving Time) is in effect in some countries such as Finland and all other member states... View of the Red Sea and Tiran Island from the Sheraton Sharm hotel Sharm el-Sheikh (شرم الشيخ, also transliterated as Sharm ash Shaykh), often known simply as Sharm, is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Janub Sina, Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; transliterated: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... The exact definition of terrorism is highly controversial. ... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. ... View of the Red Sea and Tiran Island from the Sheraton Sharm hotel Sharm el-Sheikh (شرم الشيخ, also transliterated as Sharm ash Shaykh), often known simply as Sharm, is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Janub Sina, Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red... Flash Airlines plane Flash Airlines was a private charter airline operating out of Cairo, Egypt that was part of the Flash Group tourism company. ...

Despite all this speculation, the cause of the crash is unknown. The pilot is said to have made no radio contact. The two 'black box' flight recorders have been recovered and investigations continue. This process may take several years. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

Update: See the article Safety - Mode Confusion, Timidity Factors by David Evans for a frightening account of this accident.

External links

• BBC News Online coverage
• CNN coverage
• Flash Airlines official website
• Families' website
• Avionics Magazine July 2005 Safety Article