Further press release yesterday, 12th October:
Press Release by the FSM Investigator-in-Charge / October 12, 2018 at 6:00 PM / No. 8
On Wednesday October 10, 2018 investigators from the PNG Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) successfully downloaded the data from the Flight Data Recorder from the Boeing 737 that crashed in Chuuk lagoon of September 28, 2018. This was followed on Thursday October 11 with the successful download of the data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder.
The meticulous preparation and cleaning and drying of the data chip boards by the AIC investigators and the use of the state of the art MARS recorder download and analysis system brought in from Canada, was instrumental to the success of the downloads, and speeded up what would otherwise have been a much longer process. This process was conducted in the AIC’s Flight Recorder Laboratory in Port Moresby in the presence of an investigator from the FSM.
The data will now be jointly analysed by the FSM TC&I investigators and investigation teams from the US NTSB and the PNG AIC to determine the factors that contributed to this accident.
The AIC will analyze the data using the latest version of the Insight Analysis software and the Flight Animation System (FAS). This will provide the FSM Investigation team with a high quality animated visual reproduction of the recovered data.
Our respective Nations’ resources are finite, so it is important that small countries such as PNG and FSM share resources and draw on available expertise in the interest of aviation safety improvement. The people of FSM and PNG are assured that their safety is paramount whether they are travelling in FSM, PNG, or flying beyond our borders.
The Government of the Federated States of Micronesia is grateful for the ongoing support from the PNG and USA Governments to achieve the best possible safety outcome for aviation globally and particularly in our region.
Official update to the media will be issued by the FSM Investigator in-charge.