Dubai: Recordings from the black boxes of the UPS Boeing 747-400 cargo plane, which crashed in Dubai on September 3rd, have been successfully downloaded.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, it looks likely that a reason for the tragic accident will eventually come to light.
The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) investigation team has found that all of the flight recorders from the digital flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, both of which are known as black boxes, have been successfully downloaded.
Analysis of the information, taking place in the USA National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) laboratories, is being carried out by the UAE GCAA, Investigation Section in conjunction with international experts.
The team is focusing on the cargo which the plane was carrying and the associated risks.
They’re said to be reviewing the aircraft systems and the standard operational procedures.
The new records show that after the plane departed, it was approaching the end of a climb, at approximately 7.12pm, when an alarm bell in the main deck sounded, suggesting a fire had broken out. The crew went through the check-list and requested landing clearance from Bahrain ATC, the nearest airport. They were offered Doha, but chose to return to Dubai instead.
Fire and smoke are thought to have broken out in the main deck and the lower aft cargo compartment. Records also show that during the descent the crew had difficulty seeing the cockpit primary flight instrument displays as a result of the smoke. There is also evidence to indicate that they had difficulty communicating with the airport authorities.
The plane over flew the Dubai runway at approximately 4,000 feet. It made a right-hand turn and approximately five minutes later, crashed in the Nad Al Sheba district.
The GCAA say the investigation will most likely continue for several more months.
