THE only passenger who got off the doomed EgyptAir Flight 990 in New York before it crashed off the US east coast early on Sunday was a grief counsellor who specialized in helping families struck by catastrophes. Edward McLaughlin, vice-president of the Family Enterprise Institute, appeared at a news conference at the New York Port Authority following the crash that killed 217. Under contract to EgyptAir, McLaughlin was considered an airline employee and it was thus possible for him to get off the international flight, something forbidden to ordinary passengers. He was quickly identified and questioned by investigators, who just as quickly ruled him out as a suspect. McLaughlin then had the job of contacting the families of those killed in the crash to inform them of the tragedy.