More than 16 hours after the crash and with night falling, authorities downplayed hopes of finding survivors and search efforts focused on recovering the remains of passengers still strapped to their seats and the black box flight recorders.
Flight ET409, a Boeing 737-800, heading for Addis Ababa, disappeared off the radar five minutes after taking off at 2:37 am (7:37 pm ET).
The Lebanese army said the plane had broken up in the air before plummeting into rough seas. One witness described the impact as a “flash that lit up the whole sea.”
