Search crews plow the waters off the Egyptian coast, hoping against hope they'll find survivors from an Air Flash 737-300 that went down shortly after take-off Saturday. But there is little cause for hope that any of the 148 people -- mostly French tourists -- on board have survived. Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry was quick to say the crash appeared to have been an accident, that there were no indications terrorism was involved. The French Deputy Transport Minister, Dominique Bussereau, said the pilot of FSH604 radioed shortly after take-off from Sharm el-Sheik that he had detected problems with the aircraft. There was little indication beyond that of the nature of the problems. The pilot reportedly tried to turn back for the airport, but didn't make it.

After being canceled for two days in a row, British Airways Flight 223 from Heathrow to Dulles took off Saturday, as security officials in both Britain and the US said they were satisfied it was safe to fly. "The Department for Transport has confirmed to us that they are satisfied that it is safe for the aircraft to go," said an airline spokeswoman, on customary condition of anonymity. "Safety and security is our absolute priority and would not be compromised. We would not operate any flight unless we were satisfied it was safe to do so."

For all the extra security at airports over the holidays, the only serious threat to surface amid the hush-hush and the "nothing to see here" comments from Washington occurred -- not on a foreign flight, but on a domestic run from Detroit (MI) to Honolulu (HI). The suspect wasn't a foreign terrorist, but a 31-year old American from Tennessee, who allegedly told members of the flight crew he "needed to go to the cockpit."

Charles Brady, acting TSA chief at Washington Dulles International Airport (VA), is now on administrative leave after he was arrested at 3:00 am after a Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police officer spotted him driving erratically down Route 28 in Northern Virginia. TSA spokeswoman Jennifer Marty said it was obvious the 49-year old Brady wasn't where he was supposed to be doing what he was supposed to be doing. "Obviously it was New Year's, and obviously it was not only a chance to practice but to be on site during the holiday to make sure everything goes smoothly," Marty said. Asked who at the airport had indeed made sure everything went smoothly at that hour, Marty replied, "I couldn't tell you."

The State Department says it's investigating the aircraft involved in a deadly Christmas Day crash off the coast of Benin in West Africa, suggesting the same 727 was stolen from an airport in Angola last year. The US had been looking frantically for the 727, worried that it had been stolen by terrorists intent on using it to attack targets in America. The US even used satellites to image remote airfields, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wayward airplane. But it took a Canadian pilot flying for a humanitarian agency to spot the aircraft. Bob Strothers said he saw the same airplane on the ramp in Conark

The good news is that nobody was hurt. The bad news is that someone has a big mess to clean up. A Delta MD-80 from Atlanta ran off the end of the runway at Pensacola Friday night. The flight carried 140 passengers and five crew members. The aircraft's landing gear sank in the soft dirt at the end of Runway 17. Otherwise, officials on the scene say there was no indication of damage. Still, they admit, getting the aircraft out of the dirt without causing structural damage to the MD-80 is, as the Brits say, a "real poser."