UPDATE:

European investigators who analyzed the flight recorders of the downed Russian plane said Friday that the cockpit voice recorder of Metrojet Flight 9268 showed an explosion, which was confirmed by its flight data recorder.

The finding convinced investigators that there was, indeed, a bomb on board, France 2 reported.

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U.S. President Barack Obama earlier said it was possible that a bomb was on board the ill-fated passenger jet that crashed into the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt last Saturday, killing all on board.

In a radio interview, Obama said a bomb may have been the cause of the plane's destruction and the death of more than 200 passengers, but did not categorically say that terrorists were behind the explosion.

"I don't think we know yet," Mr. Obama told the Seattle radio station KIRO during an interview broadcast Thursday afternoon.

"Whenever you've got a plane crash, first of all you've got the tragedy, you have to make  sure there's an investigation on site. I think there is a possibility that there was a bomb on board. And we are taking that very seriously."

Mr. Obama said it will take some time before U.S. investigators, the intelligence community, and aviation experts could figure out what went wrong with the Russian jet and and make a definitive pronouncement.

"What I can say is that it is certainly possible that there was a bomb on board," he said.

Obama's statements did not go as far as his counterparts in the United Kingdom, who have pinpointed a terrorist explosion as behind the plane crash and the death of all on board.

But observers say this was the first statement of the American president indicating that the Russian airliner crash was caused by something other than a technical malfunction.

Amid the earlier pronouncement by President Obama, U.S. authorities are studying and investigating the cause of the crash, including the possibility of a bomb and pilot error.

White House officials told reporters that the U.S. has not yet made a determination of what caused the crash but said they are not ruling out possible terrorism. They cautioned those involved, however, that the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Russian airliner Metrojet Airbus 321 was bound for St. Petersburg and carrying more than 200 Russian citizens when it crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula 23 minutes after taking off from Sharm el Sheikh resort last Saturday.

TagsUS President Barack OBama, Russian airliner, terrorist explosion, bomb, sinai peninsula, Sharom el Sheikh resort, Flight 9268