US embassy tracking reports on missing EgyptAir flight

The US embassy in Cairo said it is following up reports on EgyptAir flight that vanished from radar at dawn of Thursday. 

"We are tracking reports of missing EgyptAir flight MS804, and our thoughts are with the relatives of passengers at this time," the embassy said on Twitter.

The national flag carrier has earlier said that Flight MS804 with 66 persons on board vanished from radar 10 miles after entering the Egyptian air field.

Some 56 passengers along with 10 crew members were on board the Airbus A320.

The French Foreign Ministry said earlier in the day that there are 15 French passengers on board of the plane.

Radar lost contact with the flight at 2:45 Cairo local time while it was at an altitude of 37,000 feet.

The flight took off from Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday 23:09 Paris local time then it disappeared from radar after entering the Egyptian airspace.

EgyptAir said that the captain had recorded more than 6,000 flying hours, including 2,000 hours in that model.

The Armed Forces sent a number of planes and naval units to search for the plane that disappeared from radar earlier Thursday.

Greece sent a plane in coordination with Egypt to contribute to search and rescue efforts.

Source: MENA