PORTION OF THE
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT FROM EGYPTAIR FLIGHT 990 on October 31, 1999
NOTE: EgyptAir
Flight 990 Crashed Sixty Miles South of Nantucket Shortly after leaving JFK with the loss
of 217 persons, including 100 Americans and 89 Egyptians.
El Batouty: Look, here’s the new first officer’s pen.
Give it to him please. God spare you.
(unidentified voice):Yeah.
El Batouty: To make sure it doesn’t get lost.
El Habashy: Excuse me, Jimmy, while I take a quick trip to the toilet …
(whirring sound similar to electric seat motor operating;
sound of click; sound similar to cockpit door operating)
El Batouty: Go ahead, please.
(sound of several clicks)
El Habashy: … before it gets crowded. While they are eating, and I’ll get
back to you.
(sound similar to cockpit door operating; sound of thunk;
sound of clink)
(unidentified voice): [three unintelligible syllables]
(sound of click and thump)
El Batouty: I rely on God. (heard faintly)
(sounds of thumps and clicks for about 30 seconds; whirring
sound similar to electric seat motor operating; two faint thumps followed by louder thump;
about 17 seconds later, two clicks and two thumps)
El Batouty: I rely on God.
(one loud thump and three faint thumps)
El Batouty: I rely on God. I rely on God.
(four tones similar to Master Caution aural beeper)
El Batouty: I rely on God. I rely on God. I rely on God. I rely on
God.
(sound of loud thump)
El Batouty: I rely on God.
El Habashy: What’s happening? What’s happening?
El Batouty: I rely on God.
(sound of numerous thumps and clicks continue for
approximately 15 seconds; repeating high-low tone similar to Master Warning aural starts
and continues to the end of recording)
El Batouty: I rely on God.
El Habashy: What’s happening?
(unidentified voice): [unintelligible]
El Habashy: What’s happening, Gamil? What’s happening?
(four tones similar to Master Caution aural beeper)
El Habashy: What is this? What is this? Did you shut the engine[s]?
(one microphone detects a change and increase in sound)
El Habashy: Get away in the engines. Shut the engines.
El Batouty: It’s shut.
El Habashy: Pull. Pull with me. Pull with me. Pull with me.
According to investigators, the transcript ends here — at
1:50 a.m. and 38 seconds EST — as the aircraft starts to descend from cruise
altitude. Apparently, electrical power to the recorder ended at that time.
