Flight Data Recorder May Be Nearby

On Monday, Russian search crews recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the Armavia A320 that went down in the Black Sea almost three weeks ago.

Using a remote diving vehicle with a robotic arm, workers removed a 1 1/2 inch-thick layer of silt -- that had hidden the CVR nearly 1,640 feet beneath the surface -- before removing the recording device from the sea floor.

Authorities told local media that the CVR was damaged in the crash, and may also have suffered further damage while buried under the silt -- but they expressed optimism that the recorder would still reveal information "very important to investigators."

"I think that what happened would be revealed," said Tatyana Anodina, head of the Interstate Aviation Committee, on the chances the recorders will help determine the cause of the accident.

Officials hope the recorders will shed some definite light into what brought down the Airbus jet over the Black Sea May 3, as it was on approach to land at the Russian resort town of Sochi in heavy rain and poor visibility. The accident killed all 113 onboard.

Weather is seen by many as a likely factor in the accident -- but speculation on what caused the crash has run the gambit from a terrorist attack, to pilot and/or controller error, to the possibility that drunken passengers could have played a role in bringing the plane down.

Russian officials also stated they believe the plane's flight data recorder may be within a 15-foot radius from where the CVR was found -- also buried under silt on the sea floor.

FMI: www.armavia.ru