Father of two Richard Osman (40) died when EgyptAir flight MS804 plunged into the Mediterranean while en route from Paris to Cairo in May 2016. No one survived.
The French and Egyptian authorities are carrying out separate investigations, with both teams exploring vastly different possible causes of the crash.
The Cairo-based investigators have long believed that the jet was brought down by a bomb and have stated that traces of explosives have been found on the victims.
But almost from the outset, the French have reportedly favoured the theory that the plane was brought down by a fire on the flight deck, possibly caused by the co-pilot’s mobile devices overheating after being plugged into an incorrect socket.
Earlier this month, France’s BEA air investigation agency issued a statement reaffirming their theory that the ‘most likely hypothesis’ was that a ‘fire broke out in the cockpit… and that the fire spread rapidly, resulting in the loss of control of the aeroplane’.
But the Egyptians last week publicly rejected the theory, saying that there was no evidence to support claims of a cockpit fire.
In a statement, the Egyptian Public Prosecution said: ‘Reports on news sites suggesting that the cause of the crash was a
fire inside the cockpit have no basis.
‘The investigations are still ongoing and the report from the forensic medicine authority has confirmed the presence of traces of explosive materials on the victims’ body fragments as well as some metal, plastic and solid materials from the plane wreckage that were stuck to the body parts at the crash scene.’
The aircraft was flying at 37,000 feet when it disappeared about 130 nautical miles off the Greek island of Karpathos.
It descended 22,000 feet and swerved sharply before it disappeared from radar screens, according to previous reports.
Meanwhile, the family of Mr Osman, who worked as a geologist for mining company Centamin, have launched a legal fight for compensation in a case being heard in London’s High Court.
