We’re told the US Navy is part of an international effort to find any survivors of the Ethiopian Air Lines crash off Beirut Lebanon.  The 6th Fleet guided missile destroyer USS Ramage which was on maneuvers in the area is involved, as is a P-3 Orion maritime search and rescue aircraft.

The airline is saying no Americans were on the flight.  There was a total of 90 people on board and feared dead. The majority of them are  Lebanese and Ethiopian.  There were two Britons, a French person and a Canadian.

A US official does tell us, though, that there are many “dual nationals” in Beirut, that is, those carrying both Lebanese and American passports, they don’t always show up on first review, so the last word on this will have to wait.

As for cause, locals tell us it was a stormy night in Lebanon and bad weather is being looked at as the principal cause.

Right now terror or sabotage is being ruled oiut.

Mechanical fault can’t be ruled out, although the type of aircraft, the 737-800, is durable.   The New York-based CIT Aerospace firm which actually leased the plane to Ethiopian Airlines referred questions back  to the firm.

The Beirut Airport is built right up against the densely populated outskirts of the city.  New video indicates two flashes came from  the plane over land but the craft went down into the sea.   A tragedy could have been worse.