EgyptAir flight data shows smoke detected in bathroom before crash: Report

Data transmitted from a doomed EgyptAir flight minutes before it fell off radar screens suggests a fire had broken out on board the plane, according to an aviation industry website.

AvHerald.com is reporting that data transmissions from EgyptAir Flight 804 to ground stations show smoke was detected in a bathroom near the cockpit.

The ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting) system sent a series of messages investigators are poring over to determine what may have happened on the plane before it went down, the website reported.

SEE ALSO: EgyptAir Debris, Passengers' Belongings Found

Sixty-six people were aboard the Airbus A320 flying from Paris to Cairo before it vanished early Thursday morning. Wreckage from the plane was found Friday in the Mediterranean Sea some 180 miles off the Egyptian coast.

See images related to the tragedy:

Terrorism has been cited as a potential cause of the crash — though officials have cautioned against speculation and there has been no credible claim of responsibility from any group.

U.S. intelligence sources tell NBC News they are aware of the AvHerald.com report about the ACARS data and have no reason to believe the information is not accurate.

SEE ALSO: Deep Seas, Underwater Mountains Could Slow EgyptAir Search

The report includes the plane-to-ground messages sent in the final minutes of the flight:

00:26Z 2600 SMOKE LAVATORY SMOKE

00:27Z 2600 AVIONICS SMOKE

00:28Z 561100 R FIXED WINDOW SENSOR

00:29Z 2200 AUTO FLT FCU 2 FAULT

00:29Z 2700 F/CTL SEC 3 FAULT

The information would suggest the possibility of smoke or a fire in close proximity to the electronics and equipment bay of the Airbus below the floor of the cockpit.

The timestamps refer to "Zulu" time -- or Greenwich Mean Time. Thus, the information of smoke in the lavatory was sent at 12:26 a.m. GMT, which corresponds to 2:26 a.m. local time of the flight -- approximately 10 minutes before the flight fell off radar.

An "FCU" refers to a unit in cockpit the pilot uses to input instructions into the flight computer. "SEC3" refers to the computer that controls the spoilers and elevator computers of the plane.

No mayday call was sent from the jet.