Another device from crashed plane retrieved

DIVERS yesterday recovered the Automated Flight Information Reporting System unit from the Air Niugini aircraft submerged in the lagoon near Chuuk airport where it crash-landed last Friday.
Civil Aviation Minister Alfred Manase said the person in charge of the Federated States of Micronesia investigating the crash confirmed that divers had recovered the aircraft equipment at 10.25am yesterday.
“The Automated Flight Information Reporting System unit (AFIRS) provides functions such as safety services voice and text messaging, data collection and transmission and on-demand streaming of the flight data recorder (Black Box), engine and airframe data,” Manase said.
“IFIRS sends this information through the Iridium Satellite Network to a ground-based server that routes the data to an end point for data analysis. It also provides a real time interface with an aircraft.”
According to the FSM investigator, the AFIRS unit and the flight data recorder would be taken to the Accident Investigation Commission laboratory in Port Moresby, accompanied by FSM investigators for data downloading and analysis to determine the cause of the accident.
“The Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) recorder recovered from the aircraft (on Wednesday) will be taken to the manufacturer’s facility in the USA to be decoded with specialised software. Its stored data will provide the investigation with additional information on alerts and warnings.”
The divers are continuing the search for the cockpit voice recorder.