Air Niugini black box retrieved

The flight data recorder or black box of the crashed Air Niugini aircraft has been recovered.

Civil Aviation Minister, Alfred Manase, confirmed in a statement, civilian divers engaged by F-S-M retrieved the black box yesterday afternoon.

They will continue to dive today to recover the cockpit voice recorder and other recording devices.

"The recorders will be transported by the F-S-M investigators to the PNG Accident Investigation Commission Laboratory, in Port Moresby, for data downloading and analysis.

"The aircraft is now on the seabed thirty metres below the surface of the Chuuk Lagoon", said Minister Manase.

Meantime, the body of the deceased passenger is in the Chuuk State Hospital and the F-S-M government is notifying the deceased's country while Air Niugini is making arrangement for its repatriation.

NBC News