Living in a Social World
Psy 324: Advanced Social Psychology
Miami University

News from a Social Psychology Perspective

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What Brought Down EgyptAir Flight 990?:  Attribution with Consequence -- October 31, 1999.  

    In the early morning hours of October 31, 1999, EgyptAir Flight # 990 crashed into the Atlantic ocean killing all 217 people on board.   Initial descriptions of the tragedy were chillingly similar to those of TWA Flight 800 three years earlier.  In both cases the plane had taken off from the U.S. and a short time later disaster struck suddenly and without warning.  In both cases initial hopes of locating survivors were quickly dashed.  And in both cases great faith was placed in the plane's flight data recorders to determine the cause of the crash.  The information from the EgyptAir recorders, however, seemed to suggest much different reasons for the two accidents.  In particular, the EgyptAir data contained irregularities that raised attributional questions not found in the TWA case.  Attention focused on the meaning of words uttered by the co-pilot and whether they were indicative of someone committing suicide or someone realizing the desperate nature of the situation.  In situations of attributional ambiguity we tend to rely on causal theories, schemas, and stereotypes to interpret information -- some of which may be culturally based.  For example, cultural background might account for differences in accepting suicide as a possible causal factor.  At any rate, the EgyptAir case illustrates the great importance we place on attributing the causes of events and the powerful role of social factors in shaping those attributions.

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Social Psychology / Miami University (Ohio USA). Last revised: . This document has been accessed   times since 21 November, 1999.  Comments & Questions to R. Sherman

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