Authorities Detect EgyptAir Flight 804 Black Box Signals

New information could lead to finding main aircraft wreckage.

Authorities from both Egypt and France claim they have discovered signals emanating from the flight data recorders aboard EgyptAir Flight 804, which could provide clues to where the aircraft went down. Reuters reports the signals were discovered on Wednesday, June 1, after increased searches throughout the Mediterranean Sea.

According to the Egyptian investigative committee, the signals were first discovered by French ship Laplace, carrying equipment from search firm ALSEAMAR. Additional ships contracted by the search committee are scheduled to join the efforts to locate the exact location of the black box.

“The signal of a beacon from a flight recorder could be detected,” French BEA director Remy Jouty confirmed in a statement to CNN. “The detection of this signal is a first step.”

Although the signal identification is a breakthrough for the committee, crews are running against the clock to locate the “black box,” believed to be among the wreckage. When submerged underwater, the flight data recorders are designed to transmit audio signals for up to 30 days on battery power. The teams may have until mid-June to locate the data recorders, which could lie under nearly 10,000 feet of water.

Without the data recorders, investigators worry they may not be able to determine how MS804 fell off radar screens and what ultimately caused the aircraft’s crash. While the aircraft sent messages during its final moments in flight, the notices alone were not enough to determine what caused the crash. In addition, no terror organizations have claimed responsibility, leaving multiple theories open.

MS804 crashed on May 19, killing all 66 aboard the aircraft. In the days since the crash, debris and human remains have been found, but the main wreckage has yet to be located.

[Photo: Funeral services in Cario commemorate the victims of EgyptAir flight 804, SN/APA (AFP)/KHALED DESOUKI]