French specialist vessel to join search for crashed EgyptAir plane's black box

A French solider aboard an aircraft looking out a window during searches for debris from the crashed EgyptAir flight MS804 on May 22, 2016, over the Mediterranean Sea. PHOTO: AFP

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's air accidents chief said on Thursday (May 26) that a vessel provided by French company Alseamar, which specialises in marine wreckage searches, will join within hours the hunt for the black boxes from crashed EgyptAir flight MS804.

Ayman al-Moqadem said negotiations were also underway to contract a second firm to help in the search.

The investigating team had also received radar imagery and audio recordings from Greece detailing the flight trajectory of the doomed plane and the last conversation between its pilot and Greek air traffic control, Moqadem said.

The search for the emergency locator transmitter is also underway and focused on a 5 km area, he added.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.