Voice and Flight Data Recorders Retrieved from Airliner and Black Hawk

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are getting their first look at cockpit audio and flight data recordings after divers successfully pulled black boxes from the fatal Potomac crash. All three have been taken to the lab and seem to be in good condition.

The crash occurred at around 9:00 pm on January 29 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Footage shows that a Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers on board collided with the side of an American Eagle Bombardier CRJ700 carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew. Both aircraft exploded and plummeted into the Potomac River off the approach end of Runway 33. As of January 31, over 40 bodies had been pulled from the water and authorities believe there are no survivors.

On the evening of January 30, a dive team was able to pull two “black boxes”, or flight data and cockpit voice recorders, from the American Eagle passenger jet. The pair of devices were transported about a mile from the site to a lab at the NTSB headquarters for examination.

Todd Inman, the 48th Member of the National Transportation Safety Board, stated that the flight data recorder was “in good condition.” The cockpit voice recorder experienced a “water intrusion,” but investigators have “a very high level of confidence” that they will be able to pull information from it.

Retrieving the military helicopter’s black box took some additional planning that involved the Army and Sikorsky, the manufacturer. However, dive teams were able to recover the downed Black Hawk’s recorder on January 31. Inman confirmed that the black box appears to be undamaged.

These three devices will play a crucial role in the ongoing investigation and determining its root cause. Black boxes, which are actually colored orange to make them stand out in wreckage, are typically equipped with beacons that transmit a signal when submerged. Investigators will listen to communications between the crew, pilots, air traffic controllers, and other cockpit alerts that could provide hints. The NTSB will also be paying close attention to the altitude data in the Black Hawk’s recorder.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov