The Russian plane that crashed Saturday in Egypt slowed suddenly and then plunged to the Earth at 300 miles per hour (483 kph), according to revised data of its final moments captured by flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.
The Metrojet Airbus Group SE A321 carrying 224 people fell from 31,000 feet to 26,000 feet in the final 26 seconds, according to the final transmissions from its radio transponder reporting information to the ground. The new data are consistent with reports from Egyptian and Russian officials, who said the plane came apart as it was flying at cruising altitude from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg. It also indicates that the plane's direction of travel was wobbling from side to side, which would occur if it was coming apart.
"The FightRadar24 information is better, but it is not yet anything that we can draw any conclusions from," said John Cox, chief executive officer of Washington-based Safety Operating Systems, an aviation consultant.