Voice recorder provides few clues

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, NOV 15: An initial review of the cockpit voice recorder from EgyptAir flight 990 provided few clues as to what cau...

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, NOV 15: An initial review of the cockpit voice recorder from EgyptAir flight 990 provided few clues as to what caused last month’s fatal crash, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators said on Sunday.

"No conclusions could be drawn from the initial review," NTSB Chairman Jim Hall said in a statement. CNN television reported however that after listening to audio tape from the "black box," investigators have ruled out hijacking, suicide or a fight between the pilot and co-pilot, as a cause for the crash.

The network, citing a source close to the investigation, reported that the pilot and co-pilot "talked like pals" as they attempted to repair a problem in the cockpit after an alarm sounded, but the problem apparently got worse. The voice recorder, which was collected late Saturday by a remote-controlled robot in waters off the coast of Massachusetts, arrived at NTSB headquarters in Washington at around 1 pm Sunday, Hall said.

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"The recording medium a magnetic tapewas cleaned and checked for damage that may have been incurred as a result of impact forces and its two-week immersion in the ocean," said Hall. "The tape was found to be in good condition, and it provided approximately 31 and a half minutes of data," he said.

Officials said the tape was reviewed by American and Egyptian officials, including representatives from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Hall said an ad hoc team of investigators, including officials from the US Federal Aviation Authority, Boeing Aircraft and Pratt and Whitney engines would convene Monday to continue a review of the tape. One key task faced by the group will be to further pin down the timing of events that led to the disaster, Hall said.