BEIJING (AP) — The second “black box” was recovered after the crash of a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 last week that killed all 132 people on board, Chinese state media said on Sunday.
Firefighters participating in the search found the recorder, an orange cylinder, on a mountainside about 1.5 meters (5 feet) below ground, state broadcaster CCTV said. Experts confirmed that it was the second black box. The impact of the crash scattered debris widely and created a 20-meter (65-foot) deep pit in the side of the mountain.
Searchers had searched for the flight data recorder after finding the cockpit voice recorder four days ago. The two recorders were designed to help investigators determine what caused the plane to crash from 29,000 feet (8,800 meters) into a forested mountainside in southern China.
The search for the plane’s black boxes and debris was complicated by the remote location and the rainy and muddy conditions. Video posted by CGTN, the international arm of CCTV, showed an officer holding the orange can-like object at the scene, which had the words “RECORDER” and “DO NOT OPEN” written on it. It appeared to be slightly dented but intact.
Flight MU5735 crashed Monday en route from the city of Kunming in southeast China to Guangzhou, a major city and hub for export manufacturing near Hong Kong. An air traffic controller tried several times to contact the pilots after seeing the plane’s altitude drop sharply, but received no response, officials said.
The cockpit voice recorder, also an orange cylinder, was found two days later on Wednesday. It was sent to Beijing for examination and analysis.
Hundreds of searchers have been combing the area outside the city of Wuzhou for days with shovels and other hand tools. Backhoes have been used to remove soil and clear passageways to the site and pumps are used to drain collected rainwater.
Officials announced late Saturday that there were no survivors among the 123 passengers and nine crew members. DNA analysis confirmed the identity of 120 people on board, they said. Investigators found identity cards and bank cards of the victims.
China Eastern, one of China’s four major airlines, and its subsidiaries have all grounded their Boeing 737-800s, totaling 223 aircraft. The airline said the landing was a precautionary measure and did not indicate a problem with the planes.
The Boeing Co. said in a statement that a Boeing technical team is assisting the US National Transportation Safety Board and the Civil Aviation Administration of China, which will lead the investigation into the crash.