Plane crash: Voice recorder data successfully extracted, being analysed by investigation team, says Loke

PUTRAJAYA: Data from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) memory puck of the Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) that tragically crashed near Shah Alam has been extracted and sent for analysis by the Transport Ministry’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau team, according to Anthony Loke.

The Transport Minister disclosed that Brigadier General Tan Chee Kee, the team’s chief, visited the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) laboratory in the United States on Monday (Aug 28) to extract the voice recording from the CVR of the aircraft that crashed in Shah Alam earlier this month.

Loke further revealed that the team spent the entire day at the laboratory in St Petersburg, Florida to extract the data.

“On Monday (Aug 28, US time), the engineers from L3Harris (the manufacturer) successfully retrieved and downloaded the voice data from the recorder,” he stated during a press conference at the ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya on Tuesday (Aug 29).

Loke added that all the voice recording data, particularly the last 30 minutes before the incident occurred, was successfully downloaded.

He announced that the data was sent to the investigation team in Kuala Lumpur via secure email for analysis, which will aid in the continued investigation of the airplane crash in Shah Alam.

Furthermore, Loke mentioned that the team will return to Malaysia once the hurricane situation in Florida has calmed down.

“Originally, the team was scheduled to return home once the data was extracted, but despite not having the physical data in hand, it has been safely transmitted via secure email,” stated Loke.

“All recordings of the two pilots and the events in the cockpit will be analyzed. Additionally, this data is crucial for the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the crash,” he added.

Loke confirmed that the preliminary report on the plane crash at Bandar Elmina will be issued within the next two weeks. It is expected to be ready within 30 days of the incident.

When asked about the content of the voice recording, Loke declined to speculate, emphasizing the need for experts to thoroughly analyze the data first.