Russian jet black box found

The new Sukhoi Superjet 100 slammed into Mount Salak, a dormant volcano south of the capital Jakarta, last week killing all 45 people aboard.

Indonesian special forces and Russian experts had combed the densely forested mountain for days looking for its "black boxes" as questions mounted about whether technical failure or human error caused the Sukhoi to crash.

The cockpit voice recorder tapes pilots' conversations between themselves and with air traffic control, and was found about 100 metres away from the plane's tail. Another black box, which records vital aircraft functions, remains missing, though the search continues.

The plane, helmed by a veteran Russian pilot, disappeared from radar screens on 9 May shortly after taking off from Jakarta. It was supposed to be on a brief exhibition flight to showcase the new plane to prospective buyers.

The voice recorder, which was charred though officials could not say whether it had sustained damage, has been handed over to Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), which is leading the investigation with the help of more than 70 Russian experts.

Investigators said it will take up to three weeks to process the data if the box is in good conditiuon.

The twin-engine jet is Russia's first post-Soviet civilian aircraft and was to be the new mascot for the nation's aviation industry. A joint venture with Italy's Alenia Aeronautica, it made its first commercial flight last year.

A Russian fact-finding committee has said there are indications that safety standards were violated in the demonstration flight. Russian officials said that a full investigation could take up to a year.

Key to the mystery is why the pilot requested permission to descend from 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) to 6,000 feet before the plane crashed into Mount Salak, which rises to 7,200 feet.

Indonesia's transport ministry has confirmed that a control tower in Jakarta gave the pilot permission to descend as the plane approached a military base, where mountains reach up to around 3,000 feet.

Online photos of an earlier demonstration flight on the same day show relaxed passengers smiling on board, being treated to champagne, as well as cheerful Russian and Indonesian crew members posing outside the jet.

The victims included eight Russians as well as a Frenchman and a US national. The rest were Indonesian. Some of the bodies have been recovered from the crash site and are undergoing DNA identification tests in Jakarta.