Press releases by FSM Investigator in Charge since the date of the Air Nuigini crash in Chuuk

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Category: News

Published: Thursday, 18 October 2018 06:45

Written by Bill Jaynes

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October 10, 2018 at 6:00 PM / No. 7
The aircraft accident investigators from the FSM, PNG and the USA arrived in Port Moresby from Chuuk on Sunday 7 October and immediately commenced work preparing the recorders for data download and subsequent analysis and analyzing records.
PNG AIC is using state of the art download electronic equipment specially brought to PNG from Canada for this accident investigation.
Because the aircraft crashed into the Chuuk Lagoon the recorders had been immersed in salt water. The AIC investigators have today completed the disassembly of the recorders to remove the data memory chip boards while they remain immersed in water. They have painstakingly cleaned them in distilled water to ensure no salt water and other contaminants remain on the boards.
The FDR and CVR boards are being dried in an oven for between 18 and 36 hours to ensure all traces of moisture have been removed before being connected to the downloading electronic equipment.
The international teams from PNG and the USA have been diligently assisting the FSM investigators. The Government of the Federated States of Micronesia is grateful for their support to achieve the best possible safety outcome for aviation globally and particularly in our region.
The FSM Government is pleased to learn that the PNG AIC is buying the 21st century technology MARS recorder download and analysis system and the Insight Flight Animation Software. This will ensure the AIC is at the cutting edge if this technology and will be equipped to conduct flight recorder downloading and analysis for years to come. This is vitally important for aviation safety throughout Pacific Region.
Official update to the media will be issued by the FSM Investigator in-charge.

October 7, 2018 at 6:00 PM / No. 6
The recovery of essential evidence and flight recorder units from the Air Niugini Boeing 737 that crashed into Chuuk Lagoon on September 28, 2018 has been completed.
Data from the Flight Data and Cockpit Voice recorders and the Automated Flight Information Reporting System recorder will be downloaded and analysed in Port Moresby at the Recorder Laboratory of the PNG Accident Investigation Commission.
The Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System and the Flight Management Computer from the aircraft will be downloaded and analysed in the US by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The examination and analysis of relevant documents and the recorded data is an exhaustive collaborative undertaking by the FSM, PNG AIC, US NTSB and their teams, which includes specialists from the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and the US FAA.
Air Niugini is fully cooperating with the FSM investigation.
A Preliminary Report is expected to be published by the FSM National Government by the end of October. That report will provide a summary of information that has been verified as factual at that time. This is a complex investigation and the final report is expected to take a number of months to complete.
Official update to the media will be issued by the FSM Investigator in-charge.
October 5, 2018 at 6:00 PM / No. 5
At 1:40 PM on Friday October 5, 2018, US Navy Divers working at the direction of the FSM Investigator in Charge recovered the Cockpit Voice recorder (CVR) from the Air Niugini Flight 073 that landed into the water of the Chuuk Lagoon.
The CVR preserves the recent history of the sounds in and around the cockpit, including the communication between the aircraft and air traffic control and the conversations of the pilots for about two hours.
The CVR will now be taken to the PNG AIC Laboratory in Port Moresby accompanied by FSM Investigators for data downloading and analysis to determine the cause of the accident.
The Government of FSM expresses grateful thanks to the US Navy dive team, the civilian divers, Boeing representatives and the investigators from the PNG Accident Investigation Commission, the US National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA who provided on-site assistance during the diving operations to recover the recorders that are vitally important to the investigation.
Once the data from all recorders has been downloaded the painstaking analysis of the recorded information will commence.
A Preliminary Report is expected to be published by the FSM National Government by the end of October. That report will provide a summary of information that has been verified as factual at that time. This is a complex investigation and the final report is expected to take a number of months to complete.
Official update to the media will be issued by the FSM Investigator in-charge.
October 4, 2018 at 6:00 PM / No. 4
At 10:25 AM on Thursday October 4, 2018, the civilian Divers contracted by FSM recovered the Automated Flight Information Reporting System unit (AFIRS) from the Air Niugini Flight 073 that landed into the water of the Chuuk Lagoon.
The Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS™), provides functions such as safety services voice and text messaging, data collection and transmission, and on-demand streaming of flight data recorder (black box), engine and airframe data.
AFIRS 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.
The unit will accompany the Flight Data Recorder to the PNG AIC 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) recovered from the aircraft yesterday will be taken to the manufacturers facility in the USA to be decoded with specialised software. It’s stored data will provide the investigation with additional information on alerts and warnings.
Diving in support of the search for the Cockpit Voice Recorder is continuing.
Official update to the media will be issued by the FSM Investigator in-charge.
October 3, 2018 at 6:00 PM / No. 3
At 11:10 AM on Wednesday October 3, 2018, the civilian Divers contracted by FSM recovered the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) from the Air Niugini Flight 073 that landed into the water of the Chuuk Lagoon.
The EGPWS is a system in the aircraft designed to alert pilots if the aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle.
Diving will continue on Thursday to recover the Cockpit Voice Recorder and other recording devices from the aircraft. The US Navy divers will now join the contracted divers to search for the recorders in an area below the floor that is crushed and difficult to access.
The recorders will be transported to the PNG AIC laboratory in Port Moresby accompanied by FSM Investigators for data downloading and analysis to determine the cause of the accident.
Official update to the media will be issued by the FSM Investigator in-charge.
October 2, 2018 at 4:00 PM / No. 2
At 2:35 PM on Tuesday October 2, 2018, the civilian Divers contracted by FSM recovered the Flight Data Recorder (Blackbox) from the Air Niugini Flight 073 that landed into the water of the Chuuk Lagoon.
The diving will continue on Wednesday to recover the Cockpit Voice Recorder and other recording devices from the aircraft.
The recorders will be transported to the PNG AIC laboratory in Port Moresby accompanied by FSM Investigators for data downloading and analysis to determine the cause of the accident.
Official update to the media will be issued by the FSM Investigator in-charge.
October 1, 2018 at 6:00 PM / No. 1
On September 28, 2018, at around 9:45 a.m. Air Niugini Flight No PX073 from Pohnpei to Chuuk with 47 people on board the plane ended in a crash into the Chuuk Lagoon near the international airport. One person on board the plane died, 9 were admitted to the Chuuk Hospital with 4 in critical condition needing immediate medical attention. Surviving passengers were transported safely to Port Moresby by a rescue flight from Chuuk.
FSM is thoroughly investigating the incident with Assistant Secretary Master Halbert of the FSM TC&I in charge of the investigation. FSM Justice Department/ National Police is securing the site and providing necessary assistance to the investigation.
Request was made to the US Government for its assistance, and investigators arrived in Chuuk to join the investigation team. FSM and PNG are also working together on this investigation. The FSM IIC welcomed the assistance that the PNG Aircraft Incident Commission (AIC) has offered to FSM and is requesting further cooperation especially in the downloading, decoding and analyzing the data from the so-called Black Box (Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorders and the Quick Access Recorder) once it is extracted from the airplane.
US Navy Divers have successfully extracted body of the unaccounted person on board and transported to Chuuk State Hospital. FSM Government is notifying the Country of Nationality through its Foreign Affairs