As investigators try to get some answers as to why the Russian airliner went down in Egypt, some are suspecting that it was shot down, especially after ISIS took responsibility for the crash.
Here’s the evidence that supports that theory:
This video supposedly shows the plane exploding and going down and appears to be taken by a camera phone. There are other videos reportedly showing the plane at the time it went down, and of course this could be false footage being posted as the Russian plane.
In the New York Times, there are details from eyewitnesses that fit the story that it was shot down:
Press reports in Egypt quoted the initial security services who reached the site as saying the plane had broken in two, with many of the passengers still strapped in their seats. The Egyptian government dispatched about 50 ambulances to collect the remains of the passengers.
And…
A website called Flightradar24, which tracks air traffic around the globe, said the plane had been descending at a rate of 6,000 feet per minute just before it disappeared from radar. Eyewitnesses reported one engine on fire as it went down, according to a report in Masry Al-Youm, an Egyptian newspaper.
The Egypt Independent also has some initial reports supporting the claim:
A north Sinai security source said initial examination showed the crash was due to a technical fault, but gave no detail. The plane, he said, had landed in a “vertical fashion”, explaining the scale of devastation and burning.
The Russian Embassy in Cairo said it had been told by Egyptian officials the pilot had been trying to make an emergency landing at El-Arish.
“I now see a tragic scene,” an Egyptian security officer at the site told Reuters by telephone. “A lot of dead on the ground and many who died whilst strapped to their seats.
“The plane split into two, a small part on the tail end that burned and a larger part that crashed into a rock. We have extracted at least 100 bodies and the rest are still inside,” the officer, who requested anonymity, said.
Sinai is the scene of an insurgency by militants close to Islamic State, who have killed hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police and have also attacked Western targets in recent months.
Walid Shoebat takes it from here in order to connect all the dots:
…we have Russia’s transport minister claiming that MANPAD stinger missiles are not within range to bring down an airliner that was flying at 31000 feet since MANPADS have maximum reach of 15000 feet.
However, the surprise comes when an SA-8 GECKO was used to down a cargo plane around Damascus by Syrian rebels last year which is highly mobile and has the range of 40,000 feet, well within distance of the reported height (36,000 ft).
Then we have the eyewitness account which do seem to corroborate the ISIS reported footage. A website called Flightradar24, which tracks air traffic around the globe, said the plane had been descending at a rate of 6,000 feet per minute just before it disappeared from radar. Eyewitnesses reported one engine on fire as it went down, according to a report in Masry Al-Youm, an Egyptian newspaper.
Whether or not the videos are real or staged productions is currently unknown but heat seeking missiles usually hit one engine which leaves only 30% chance of landing safely. The footage can be legitimate and ISIS does infest the Sinai which makes their report plausible, especially when we see the official reporting contradictory including the claims that terrorists only have simple low range stingers is no longer the case as evidence reveals.
Of course it behooves ISIS to take credit for the downing of the aircraft as it would be seen as another victory over the infidels. On the other hand, there’s plenty of reason for the Russians and Egyptians to cover up such a strike in order to avoid the embarrassment of such a victory.
We’ll keep an eye on the details that come out about this story.