BLACK BOX RECOVERY OPERATION STARTS AT BLACK SEA CRASH SITE

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 16 2006

SOCHI, May 16 (RIA Novosti) – Rescuers at the site where an Armenian
airliner crashed into the Black Sea early May 3 started an operation
to recover the plane’s flight recorders Tuesday.

The black boxes are seen as the key to discovering why the Airbus
crashed 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) off the Russian coast with the loss
of all 113 people on board.

A remote-controlled deep-sea robot with special grippers will be used
to lift the recording devices to the surface, rescue officials said.

Transportation Minister Igor Levitin, who is overseeing the recovery
effort, said earlier that recovery efforts could take two or three
days, depending on the weather.

The latest data shows the black boxes are at a depth of 496 meters
(1,627 feet) and are 5 meters (16 feet) apart from each other.

The Airbus A-320 operated by Armenia’s Armavia was flying from the
Armenian capital, Yerevan, to Adler airport, which services the
popular Russian resort of Sochi, when it came down in stormy weather.