Smoke was detected aboard EgyptAir Flight MS804 before it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea but the cause remains unclear, France's air accident investigation agency said Saturday.
The plane's automatic detection system sent messages indicating smoke a few minutes before it disappeared from radar, BEA spokesman Sebastien Barthe told The Associated Press.But, he said, they were "drawing no conclusions from this.
The search continues for the missing jet after Egypt's military confirmed on Friday that search parties found debris from the plane in the Mediterranean Sea, NBC News reported.
Egypt's Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Samir said on his verified Facebook page Friday that his military's search jets and vessels discovered parts of the plane along with some passengers' belongings about 180 miles north of the city of Alexandria.