Black boxes retrieved from American Airlines plane wreckage
[Cheonji Ilbo Washington=Reporter Eloise Lee] — January 30
Investigators have recovered a flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, known as black boxes, from the crash site of American Airlines flight 5342 and an Army helicopter, according to CBS News.
The recorders reportedly belong to the American Airlines plane, which had fatally collided with the Blackhawk helicopter while descending into Washington D.C.,’s Ronald Reagan Airport, just under 24 hours ago.
Both aircraft fell into the freezing Potomac River following the mid-air implosion. A search and rescue operation for survivors on Wednesday night has turned into a recovery effort for the bodies of the 67 victims, as officials declare that no survivors are expected.
Black boxes offer key information that help investigators piece together what may have happened during a catastrophe. The crucial evidence has been sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s lab for analysis.