Black boxes may unlock secrets of China Eastern plane's mystery plunge

The recovery of the second black box from the wreckage of a China Eastern Airlines Corp jet potentially gives investigators their best opportunity to find out why the plane carrying 132 people entered a high-altitude nosedive and speared into the ground. The flight data recorder, which was buried about 40m from the main crash site near Wuzhou in southern China, was unearthed on Sunday (March 27) morning. State media reported the device has been sent to Beijing for analysis. Much now depends on how well the black box withstood the impact of the March 21 crash. The Boeing Co 737-800 NG appears to have largely disintegrated, and more than 33,700 pieces of debris have been recovered. Chinese state media said the crash left a crater 20m deep. Some parts of the data recorder were severely damaged, according to the CAAC, possibly complicating the task of retrieving and deciphering any information inside. The box can store hundreds of flight parameters - from speed and altitude to flap positioning and heading - that help investigators recreate the final fateful moments before a crash.<br/>