November 17, 1999
Web posted at: 9:51 p.m. EST (0251 GMT)

In this story: Family: Aviator looking forward to retirement Few in Cairo believe suicide theory RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

CAIRO (CNN) -- The family of the backup co-pilot of EgyptAir Flight 990 is devastated by speculation that Gameel el-Batouty could have played a deliberate role in the October 31 crash that killed 217 people.

"When my father died we considered him as immortal," said el- Batouty's 22-year-old son Mohamed. "Now they want to take him away from us."

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El-Batouty's wife Umaima and their daughters, 27-year-old Sally and 10-year-old Aya, were staying in a Cairo suburb at one of the family's two villas. Son Karim said his mother broke down following reports about el-Batouty's possible connection to the plane crash.

The image of el-Batouty that emerges from interviews with family and friends is that of a financially secure and indulgent father of five, a devoted husband, and a devout Muslim who did not smoke or drink.

Married for 27 years, el-Batouty joined EgyptAir in 1987 after training pilots at Egypt's Civil Aviation Authority and the air force.

The 59-year-old backup co-pilot had more than 5,000 flight hours in a Boeing 767 and was to have retired in March.

An EgyptAir employee who knew el-Batouty said he had at least five flights left before retirement and perhaps more. El- Batouty was expected to get a lump sum of $108,824 on retirement, in addition to the monthly pension and social insurance.

A nephew says el-Batouty was looking forward to retirement.

"He was very happy that he would finally get some rest and spend some time with his family because he spent his life traveling," said Walid el-Batouty. "So he thought this was about time."

Murder and suicide, he said, couldn't have been further from his uncle's mind.

"He was a very fit man, very healthy man and if there is anybody in this world who would love to hang onto life, it's going to be Gameel," said the nephew.

Sharif el-Batouty, the backup co-pilot's cousin, also said el-Batouty was looking forward to retirement so he could devote himself to helping his daughter Aya deal with her immune disorder, lupus.

He also said el-Batouty planned to enjoy the easy life of a wealthy man who employed two maids and to run the farm he co- owns with a childhood friend. The cousin denied reports the co-pilot was depressed.

"This guy belongs to a very old and strong family. He's very well off. He has all the success of ... life and he has no motivation whatsoever but to continue and continue success," said Sharif, who heads a construction company.

El-Batouty's son-in-law says he has lost faith in the U.S. investigators and that he doesn't believe anyone in Cairo will trust them.

Cairo businessman Mamdouh Abu Youssef said branded suicide suggestions are nonsense.

"They (the Americans) have made it into a big movie. Bringing in the director for the movie Titanic would have been more original," he said.

Muslims believe the soul of anyone who commits suicide will suffer eternal damnation.

The rarity of suicide in Egypt makes it difficult for Egyptians to believe el-Batouty deliberately caused the crash. Whatever new information is emerging from the investigation in the United States, the suicide scenario is being met with profound skepticism in Egypt.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.