NEAR MISS British jet had close encounter with missile

Posted on 11/09/2015

The British government and the tourist agency Thompson say a plane carrying British tourists to Sharm el-Sheikh in August came within 1,000 feet (300 metres) of a rocket, according to reports.

The near-miss involving a Thomson jet carrying 189 passengers happened on August 23, about two months before a Russian plane crashed in Sinai, Egypt, on Oct. 31, killing 224 people.

The British Department for Transport said its investigation concluded it was not a “targeted attack,” while Thomson said there was “no cause for concern” for further flights.

A government spokesman said: “We concluded that it was not a targeted attack and was likely to be connected to routine exercises being conducted by the Egyptian military in the area at the time.”

A Thomson spokesman said the British government conducted a full investigation and “after reviewing the details of the case, the investigation concluded that there was no cause for concern and it was safe to continue our flying programme to Sharm-el Sheikh.”