November 1, 1999

Allan Kozinn reviews Washington Opera performance of Massenet's Le Cid, Washington, DC; photo (M)

Egyptair Boeing 767 jetliner, on New York City-Cairo flight with 217 people on board, plunges suddenly into Atlantic off Nantucket Island 33 minutes after leaving John F Kennedy International Airport shortly after 1:00 am; officials say plane plummeted out of control after climbing to crusing altitude of 33,000 feet; report no distress call from pilots; say last voice contact two minutes before plunge was routine; say plane fell from 33,000 feet to 19,100 feet in 36 seconds, or at rate of 23,000 feet per minute compared with normal descent of 1,500 to 2,000 feet; at least 54 Americans are believed among dead; Coast Guard retrieves one body and debris after exhaustive daylong search in debris field; Federal investigators launch probe; National Transportation Safety Board to spearhead inquiry, aided by FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and Coast Guard; trucks that fueled plane at Kennedy International Airport are quarantined; Federal officials question all who came in contact with aircraft; grieving families and friends of victims gather in New York, Los Angeles and Cairo to await news; Mayor Rudolph Giuliani spends most of day near Kennedy Airport consoling families of 16 victims; Gov George Pataki voices sympathy; Pres Clinton orders Federal agencies to coordinate efforts to investigate crash and aid families of victims; Boeing 767's, which went into service in 1982, have good safety record, with only two other fatal crashes--in 1991 and 1996; are workhorse of trans-Atlantic travel; photos; graph; chart (M)

Article discusses growing number of runners who are entering New York City Marathon with intention of completing course; they are not interested in their time; photo (M)

Texas Gov George Bush's unswerving adherence to unchanging script since launching Republican Presidential campaign in June reflects caution, discipline and careful choreography behind his front-running candidacy, special report, The Speech: Bush on the Stump; his oratory has spelled out personality he wants to project, his place on political spectrum, and priorities; he has varied little from day to day, or even from year to year since 1996 or 1997, when he was in middle of his first term as governor; photo (M)

Tiger Woods wins Tour Championship golf tournament; photo (M)