Ill-Fated Sukhoi's Flight Data Recorder Found

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported that local residents of Cijeruk have found the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) of the ill-fated Sukhoi Superjet 100 at the crash site on Mount Salak area, West Java Province.

"The local inhabitants have found the FDR. When it was discovered, the FDR was buried in a location around 20 metres from the plane's tail," said Basarnas Chief Vice Marshal Daryatmoko at Halim Perdanakusuma, East Jakarta, on Thursday.

The FDR, which is part of the plane's black box, was discovered by nine Cijeruk residents at noon on Wednesday; they later handed it over to the joint SAR team represented by Colonel AM Putranto of the Suryakencana Military Command 061.

The Basarnas chief handed over the FDR to the head of the National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT), Tatang Kurniadi.

The Russian-made SSJ-100 was on a demonstration flight with 45 people on board - eight Russians, 35 Indonesians, one Frenchman and one American - when it crashed into Mount Salak in Bogor District, West Java, on May 9, 2012. All 45 passengers were killed in the plane crash.(IGT)