Search continued for the second day on Monday to locate the crucial Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) that will help ascertain the reasons behind the Saturday crash of the Air India Express flight that left 158 people dead.
Investigators had on Sunday recovered the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the wreckage of the ill-fated flight from Dubai that crashed at Bajpe airport here after overshooting the runway, plunging down a ravine and exploding into flames.
All but eight passengers, now recovering in hospitals, had survived the disaster which claimed 158 lives, including six crew.
The CVR and the Digital Flight Data Acquisition Unit (DFDAU) record cockpit conversation and technical details and would provide vital clues on the cause of the crash.
The CVR captures radio transmissions and sounds in the cockpit such as the pilot’s conversation with the Air Traffic Controller and engine noises. The DFDR, known as the ‘Black Box’, logs actual flight conditions, including altitude, airspeed, heading and vertical acceleration.
The throttle in the cockpit was also extricated from the debris on Sunday and was found to be in a forward position, implying that the pilot may have attempted a final thrust to take-off seconds before the crash.
Police have, meanwhile, preserved 22 bodies which are yet to be identified in morgues at different hospitals in Bangalore.
Gopal B. Hosur, IG (Western Range) told PTI that DNA samples of these 22 bodies, as well as the claimants, have been taken.
The DNA reports are expected in three to five days.
Mr. Hosur said police would ensure that the victims’ families get all documents, including post-mortem reports, delivered at their doorstep.
