SURABAYA, 13 Jan. 2015. Divers have retrieved the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which together are commonly known as the “black box,” from the undersea wreckage of the AirAsia flight (QZ8501) that plunged into the Java Sea last month with 162 people aboard.
Tonny Budiono, director of sea navigation at the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation in Indonesia, calls the discoveries “good news for investigators to reveal the cause of the plane crash."
The cockpit recorder was placed aboard an Indonesian Navy vessel headed for Jakarta, where officials will analyze both electronic devices.
The cockpit voice recorder on the Airbus A320-200 aircraft can record and store two hours of conversation between the flight crew—including the pilot, co-pilot, and flight attendants—and air traffic control (ATC) officials.
Officials in charge of search-and-rescue efforts explain that the flight data recorder was found beneath a wing, while the cockpit voice recorder was located under heavy wreckage nearby. Their current theory is that the jet exploded on impact with the water after falling more than 30,000 feet. Additional theories blame harsh weather and a very steep climb outside of the passenger jet’s operational parameters. Officials anticipate that it could take weeks to download and analyze the data on both boxes.
According to the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) Republic of Indonesia, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of QZ8501 aircraft was found and lifted from the seafloor. The CVR was found at a distance of approximately 20 meters from the location where the flight data recorder was found. BASARNAS officials confirm that both parts of the aircraft’s black box (flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder) have been evacuated and flown to Jakarta for further investigation by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).
To date, BASARNAS has confirmed to have recovered a total of 48 remains of which 36 remains have been identified by DVI POLRI and 12 remains are still being identified.
SAR operations led by the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) Republic of Indonesia made a breakthrough with the recovery of QZ 8501 aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR) on 12 Jan. 2015. BASARNAS confirmed that the FDR was found under the plane’s wing wreckage and has been lifted from the seafloor (up to 30 meters below surface). The FDR is being transferred to Jakarta, and handed over to Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) for investigation.
The National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) Republic of Indonesia today confirmed that they lifted the tail piece of QZ 8501’s aircraft from the Java Sea. The tail piece has been transported to Pangkalan Bun and will be handed over to Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) for further investigation.
Other media outlets are reporting that AirAsia did not have a license to fly the route on the day of the crash according to an Indonesian Transport Ministry spokesperson; AirAsia disputes the claim.
