Final moments of flight KGL9268

ADS-B data from online tracking website Flightradar24 are providing more indications about the mid-air break-up of the Metrojet Airbus A321 over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, that killed all 224 people on board
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ADS-B, Automatic dependent surveillance: Information is received by air traffic control ground stations

ADS-B broadcasts GPS position, altitude, airspeed, vertical speed and other parameters

1. Pitot tubes: Multiple probes measure air speed from air pressure in direction of flight

2. Static pressure probes: Measure altitude and vertical speed from changes in barometric pressure

3. Angle of attack probes: Angle has large effect on lift generated by wing. Probes trigger stall-alerts

06:06 local time: Aircraft is flying normally at about 30,000ft – with airspeed of 450 knots and ground speed of 408kt – until 06:13:14 seconds
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Altitude (feet) 20000 25000 30000 35000 
Time (secs) 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 29 34 39

15.6 secs: Altimeter indicates aircraft is climbing to 31,700ft but vertical speed is falling by 320ft/min. Ground speed starts falling

16.9 secs: Air speed drops from 450kt to 186kt within fraction of a second

19.8 secs: Altitude reads 33,278ft but ground speed falls rapidly to 263kt

39.3 secs: Ground speed plummets to 47kt, high airspeed of 256kt and vertical speed falling at 26,432ft/min  suggests aircraft is flying vertically toward ground
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Sources: Aviation Week & Space Technology, Flightradar24

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