Downed Russian plane reportedly broke apart midair

A Russian airliner that crashed in Egypt broke up "in the air", an investigator said Sunday, as the bodies of numerous 224 people killed on board were flown home.

"The only possible explanation is a mechanical force acting on the aircraft", Smirnov said.

At the crash site, emergency workers and aviation experts from Russian Federation and Egypt swept across the barren terrain Monday, searching for more victims and examining the debris for more clues as to the cause of the crash.

Experts say human or technical error more likely caused the crash - although they concede a surface-to-air missile could have struck the aircraft if it had been flying at lower altitude for a few reason.

The ministry said the next plane carrying bodies would leave Cairo on Monday evening for St Petersburg.

The airline said the flight crew had not recorded any technical concerns in their log book during the jet's last five flights - though the wife of co-pilot Sergei Truckahev reportedly at the weekend that he had complained "the technical condition of the aircraft left much to be desired".

Smirnov said the plane dropped 300 kph (186 mph) in speed and 1.5 kilometers (about 5,000 feet) in altitude one minute before it crashed.

The situation is expected to become clearer after the data is recovered from the plane's flight recorders.

Viktor Yung, a deputy director general at the Russian airline, spoke Monday at a news conference in Moscow.

The jet disintegrated in mid-air because of faulty repairs 22 years earlier, and observers have noted the Metrojet aircraft involved in this latest incident suffered tail damage in 2001.

A Russian cargo plane early Monday brought the first bodies of Russian victims killed in the crash to St. Petersburg, where many of them are from. All people on board, including 25 children, were confirmed dead by Russian and Egyptian authorities.

The aircraft vanished from radar shortly after taking off from the Red Sea resort and was flying at around 31,000ft when it lost contact. The Metrojet charter crashed Saturday morning 23 minutes after taking off from Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, a top destination for Russian tourists.

British experts have met to assess whether the crash should lead to a change in United Kingdom security plans and travel advice.

When planes do break up in mid-air it is usually because of one of three factors - a catastrophic weather event, a mid-air collision or an external threat, such as a bomb or a missile.

He told The Associated Press on Monday "that's a very serious piece of equipment, and I don't think they have that sophistication". Most were Russian and many were from St. Petersburg.

He also said the Sinai desert is well-scrutinized by intelligence agencies, so a missile system would have been seen.

An Egyptian official had previously said the pilot radioed that the plane was experiencing technical problems and he meant to try to land at the nearest airport.

President Vladimir Putin declared Sunday a national day of mourning.

BBC reported that a number of major airlines - Emirates, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways - have decided not to fly over the Sinai Peninsula until more information is available.

Russia's Investigative Committee says 130 bodies and 40 body parts from the Metrojet plane crash in the Sinai have arrived in St. Petersburg.

And speaking at a military symposium, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi welcomed Russian cooperation and said "the issue is being extensively investigated".

Mourners have been coming to St. Petersburg's airport since Saturday with flowers, pictures of the victims, stuffed animals and paper planes.

However, Egypt and Russian Federation both disputed the group's claim, suggesting militants in northern Sinai, where Egypt has been fighting an Islamic insurgency, did not have the weaponry to down a flight at 9,000 metres (31,000ft).

"Experts have affirmed that technically planes at this altitude can not be shot down, and the black box will be the one that will reveal the reasons for the crash", Mr Ismail was quoted by state news agency MENA as saying.