EgyptAir Crash Called Intentional Act

April 19 -- A draft report to be given to Egyptian authorities today will say the co-pilot of EgyptAir Flight 990 intentionally brought down the plane in 1999, killing all 217 people on board.

The National Transportation and Safety Board report is expected to conclude that investigators found no evidence of mechanical failure on the Boeing 767, which was flying from New York to Cairo, sources close to the U.S. investigation said.

The conclusion comes as no surprise as officials have publicly stated since the crash that all signs pointed to the actions of Gameel El-Batouty, the co-pilot.

EgyptAir officials and Egyptian authorities, however, have objected to such a conclusion in the past. And on Wednesday, the airline issued a press release raising questions about the Boeing 767.

Response from EgyptAir

"We urge the NTSB, the FAA, and Boeing to continue to presstheir inquiry into what caused the loss of Flight 990 and toconsider the possibility there might be an inherent flaw in thedesign and/or maintenance procedures of the Boeing 767 flightcontrol system," the airline said.

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"We and the aviation industryowe it to the families of those aboard Flight 990 — and to theflying public — to learn what caused this tragedy and ensure thatit never happens again," according to the statement.

Egyptian authorities will have 60 days to submit their ownconclusions on the crash before the report becomes official.

The NTSB has dismissed theories that mechanical problems caused the crash. Earlier this year, EgyptAir acknowledged, agreeing to pay damages to families that are eligible to sue in U.S. courts. Still, the airline did not accept full blame for the crash.

In the draft report to be released today, the NTSB will not suggest that the co-pilot committed suicide by forcing the plane into a dive.

"We don't know and can't confirm that it was a suicide," an NTSB official said on condition of anonymity. NTSB sources in the past have described the crash as a "deliberate act."