MOSCOW — The break-up of a Russian passenger jet in mid-flight over the Sinai peninsula was not caused by malfunction or pilot error, the airline said Monday, deepening the mystery over the disaster but leaving open probes into some kind of possible plot or attack.
The latest statements in Moscow gave no clear indications of the direction of the investigations into Saturday’s crash that killed all 224 aboard, and raised questions about how the airline drew its conclusions before a full analysis of the wreckage and flight recorder.
The comments appeared to reinforce suspicions that experts were digging into possible terrorist-linked scenarios in a region with militant factions including the Islamic State. Russia says the group is one of the targets of Moscow’s military intervention in Syria.
Alexander Smirnov, deputy general director of the airline, insisted the tragedy could only be the result of some “mechanical impact on the aircraft.”
Dmitri Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said an act of terrorism had not been ruled out.
Some defense experts have raised strong doubts over whether the Islamic State would have missile systems capable of hitting an airliner at 31,000 feet.
In Washington, James Clapper, director of national intelligence, said there was no “direct evidence of terrorist involvement yet” but noted it cannot be fully disregarded.
