Hong Kong recovers black boxes from cargo plane crash

Hong Kong authorities have recovered two “black boxes” from a cargo plane that crashed earlier this week, killing two airport security workers, and have pledged to release a preliminary report within a month.

The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA), responsible for investigating the crash, confirmed on October 25 that the two flight data recorders were retrieved from the wreckage on the night of October 24  after the Airport Authority lifted the aircraft’s tail from the water. The AAIA noted that the devices had been waterlogged, Caliber.Az reports via South China Morning Post.

The Airport Authority deployed a professional team and two salvage vessels on October 23 to remove the plane, which went down on October 20.

The AAIA has sent the recovered devices to a laboratory for preliminary examination to determine the next steps.

“Following the successful recovery of the ‘black boxes’, the subsequent data processing, along with a thorough analysis and integration of other evidence, will take time,” an AAIA spokesman said. “We will release a preliminary investigation report within one month and continue to conduct a thorough and rigorous investigation to determine the sequence of events and causes of the accident, as well as to propose safety recommendations to enhance aviation safety.”

Experts will conduct an in-depth analysis of the collected data, which will include interviews with relevant personnel, laboratory results, examination of the aircraft wreckage, aircraft operating procedures, system status and maintenance records, weather, and other relevant factors.

The crash involved Emirates flight 9788 from Dubai, operated by Turkish cargo charter carrier ACT Airlines. The Boeing 747 freighter swerved off the north runway while landing and struck a security patrol vehicle, killing two airport employees. The aircraft failed to stop in time and ended up in the waters off the runway along with the vehicle.

By Sabina Mammadli