The aircraft involved in the crash had suffered a tailstrike while landing in Cairo fourteen years earlier . Some have drawn comparisons to Japan Airlines Flight 123 , which crashed into a mountain in 1985 , seven years after the aircraft had suffered a tailstrike while landing . Flight 123 suffered catastrophic damage in mid-air while climbing to its cruising altitude . The crash of Flight 123 was caused by an incorrect repair of the aircraft 's tail section following the tailstrike , which left the rear pressure bulkhead of the airliner vulnerable to metal fatigue and ultimately resulted in explosive decompression . Reports on the wreckage of Flight 9268 have suggested that a " clear break " occurred near the plane 's rear pressure bulkhead , possibly indicating failure of the bulkhead
Japan Airlines Flight 123
Japan Airlines Flight 123
Metrojet Flight 9268