French investigators have said a cockpit fire was likely behind the 2016 EgyptAir MS804 crash, challenging the findings of Egyptian authorities who said traces of explosives were found on the victims' remains.

France's civil aviation accident agency, known by its French acronym BEA, said Friday that information from the flight recorders suggested that "a fire broke out in the cockpit while the plane was at cruising altitude and the fire spread rapidly, causing the loss of control of the aircraft."

The Airbus A320 was en route from Paris to Cairo on May 19, 2016, when it crashed into the southeastern Mediterranean, killing 66 people, including 40 Egyptians and 15 French citizens.

The BEA said the cockpit voice recorder revealed the crew had been discussing a fire and that the plane's automatic ACARS messaging system had signaled there was smoke on board.

The BEA said it was waiting for Egypt's final report to understand how the two countries have come to different conclusions.

An official Egyptian investigation suggested the plane had been bombed and claimed traces of explosives were found on the victims' remains.

law/cmk (AFP, dpa)