Russian plane 'broke down in midair,' official says

The Russian plane that crashed Saturday in the Sinai Peninsula "broke down in midair at high altitude," Russia air transport chief Alexander Neradko said Sunday, USA Today reports.

What exactly caused the plane to go down isn't yet known, but authorities have recovered the data and cockpit voice recorders, which may provide more details. All 224 passengers, most of whom were Russian tourists, died in the crash.

The plane was en route from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, Russia. At least three major airlines have announced they'll avoid flying over the Sinai Peninsula until they know more about Saturday's crash.

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