Flash Airlines Flight 604
Flash Airlines Flight 604 was a charter flight from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport in Egypt to Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris, France, with a stop-over at Cairo International Airport, provided by Egyptian private charter company Flash Airlines. On 3 January 2004, the Boeing 737-300 that was operating the route crashed into the Red Sea shortly after takeoff from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, killing all 135 passengers, most of whom were French tourists, and all thirteen crew members. The findings of the crash investigation were controversial, with accident investigators from the different countries involved unable to agree on the cause of the accident.
SU-ZCF, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in June 2003 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 January 2004 |
| Summary | Loss of control and crash into sea after takeoff; cause disputed
|
| Site | Red Sea near Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 27°50′N 34°23′E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-308 |
| Aircraft name | Nour |
| Operator | Flash Airlines |
| ICAO flight No. | FSH604 |
| Call sign | FLASH 604 |
| Registration | SU-ZCF |
| Flight origin | Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt |
| Stopover | Cairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt |
| Destination | Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France |
| Occupants | 148 |
| Passengers | 135 |
| Crew | 13 |
| Fatalities | 148 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Flight 604 was the deadliest air disaster in Egypt until it was surpassed almost twelve years later by the bombing of Metrojet Flight 9268. It remains the deadliest accident involving a 737 Classic aircraft.