Gameel Al-Batouti
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Gameel Al-Batouti (February 2, 1940 – October 31, 1999) was a pilot for EgyptAir, his home country's national airline. A former officer for the Egyptian Air Force, Batouti and 216 other people were killed when Flight 990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean 60 miles SE of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, on October 31, 1999.
Batouti was the pilot the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suspected of deliberately crashing Flight 990 into the ocean, a claim denied by Egyptian authorities. According to the NTSB, Batouti seized the plane's controls after the pilot left the cockpit and turned off the autopilot. He then led the plane into a dive, continually repeating, "I rely on God." The pilot then came back into the cockpit, tried to stop the dive, but could not prevent the plane from crashing into the ocean.
Some investigators learned that he was supposedly reprimanded for inappropriate behavior with female guests at a New York City hotel often used by EgyptAir crews. An EgyptAir official said to be responsible for the alleged reprimand was a passenger on Flight 990. The details of the reprimand included the removal of Gameel Al-Batouti privilege of flying any flight to the United States and that Flight 990 would be his last.
There were some suggestions that Batouti may have been a terrorist, but his life was comfortable and his family and friends indicated that he had no strong political beliefs.
Trivia
Batouti was a fancier of comic books and liked to play squash. His family's favorite Disney character was Donald Duck.