Mangalore: It was an eureka moment for
investigators after they stumbled upon the "Black Box" in
the wreckage of the Air India plane today, 75 hours after it
crashed while landing.
Mehboob Ali, a crane operator, said the mood among
investigators was like as if India had won the Cricket World
Cup.
"The moment they found it they shouted in joy as if
India won the World Cup for Cricket. I too felt the same way,"
he said.
Scenes of jubilation were witnessed at the site of the
Boeing 737-800`s crash near Bajpe airport, 22 km from this
coastal city after the Digital Flight Data recorder (DFDR) or
the Black Box which can give vital clues on the cause of the
crash was retrieved.
"It`s intact," said a beaming Air India official G M
Mathew, as he held the battered and slightly charred recorder
aloft for media gathered at the hill-top crash site.
Eureka is derived from a Greek word to express triumph
upon finding or discovering something.
The excitement among the investigators was understandable
because the Black Box can help unravel the mystery why the
Boeing 737-800 crashed amid various theories being propounded.
158 persons were killed in the crash last Saturday.
Following an accident, recovery of the "black box" is
second in importance only to the rescue of survivors and
recovery of human remains.
The data recorded by the DFDR is used for accident
investigation, as well as for analyzing air safety issues,
material degradation and engine performance.
Due to their importance in investigating accidents, these
International Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO)-regulated
devices are carefully engineered and stoutly constructed to
withstand the force of a high speed impact and the heat of an
intense fire.
Contrary to the "black box" reference, the exterior of
the DFDR is coated with heat-resistant bright red paint for
high visibility in wreckage, and the unit is usually mounted
in the aircraft`s empennage (tail section), where it is more
likely to survive a severe crash.
PTI
