WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The EgyptAir plane could have crashed in the Mediterranean Sea as a result of a surface-to-air missile strike, the US-based intelligence analysis company Stratfor said on Thursday.
"A surface-to-air missile strike is also possible, though militants in Egypt and surrounding areas are not believed to have access to missiles capable of hitting an aircraft at that altitude," the report stated.
Earlier in the day, EgyptAir flight MS804 with 66 people on board disappeared from radar screens while flying ten miles into Egyptian airspace.
Stratfor noted that a detonated improvised explosive device is a more obvious possibility, while a mechanical failure at the cruising altitude of 37,000 feet is unlikely.
"Catastrophic failure of the airframe cannot be ruled out," the report added.
The EgyptAir flight originated from the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France and was heading to Cairo, Egypt.
