Richard Osman – a father-of-two who worked for mining company Centamin – was one of 66 people on board EgyptAir flight MS804 which plunged into the Mediterranean en route from Paris to Cairo in May last year. No one survived.
Numerous theories over what caused the crash have been put forward, including that the co-pilot’s iPhone 6S and iPad Mini 4 may have overheated and caused a fire after being plugged into a socket in the cockpit.
Now, lawyer Bertrand Courtois, who is representing many of the families of those killed, has reportedly said that a panel of judges set up to investigate the crash are focusing on three possible causes: mechanical failure, a bomb and the over-heating mobile devices.
Speaking after a meeting between some of the families and the judges, Mr Courtois told reporters that the bomb theory was considered least likely.
He added that the aircraft had issued ‘17 messages of electrical anomalies’ in flights shortly before the fatal journey, adding weight to the theory that mechanical or maintenance issues were to blame.
According to reports in French media, a similar investigation led by Egyptian authorities had concluded and a report had been sent to the Attorney General in Cairo.
Mr Courtois said the French investigation was being hampered as the Egyptians were yet to release raw data from the black box recorders, or allow access to debris from the plane.
