For now, however, finding the airplane and any possible survivors is the priority, authorities said.

Latest developments

— An Egyptian search aircraft has spotted two floating objects 210 nautical miles southeast of Crete, but it’s unclear whether the objects are part of the missing aircraft, according to a spokesman for Greece’s Hellenic National Defense General Staff.

— President Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation, said Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. The U.S. military is monitoring the situation and willing to assist if necessary, a U.S. military official with direct knowledge of the latest information told CNN. A U.S. Navy task force in the region is making preparations to help if called, the official said.

— The airplane “swerved and then plunged” before descending into the Mediterranean, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos told reporters.

— Greek controllers tried to reach EgyptAir Flight 804 about 10 miles before it left the country’s airspace and for about 90 seconds after and received no response, the head of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority told Greek broadcaster ANT1 TV.

— Prosecutors in Paris have opened an investigation into the disappearance of the plane, the office said.