Damaged flight data recorder delays investigation

The flight data recorder, recovered on Tuesday, could hold key information about the final moments of Flight 587.

SUMMARY:

The flight data recorder from American Airlines Flight 587 has a damaged memory module, which will delay gathering information about the crash, which left 262 dead in a Queens, New York, neighborhood.

UPDATE:

Investigators said Wednesday that the flight data recorder from an American Airlines jet that crashed into a Queens beach community Monday had been damaged.

George Black, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said despite the damage. "The memory is there," said Black. "We just can't get to it."

Black said an analysis of the data was being delayed because the recorder had a "damaged interface."

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The flight data recorder, which was recovered from the crash site Tuesday, tracks the readings of 200 instruments. Investigators hope a careful analysis of the information will shed more light on the crash.

Black said the recorder was being sent to its manufacturer in Sarasota, Florida, for further work.

Most of those aboard the Dominican Republic-bound jet were Dominicans returning home or visiting family. They included a U.S. Navy sailor on his way to see his wife and children after returning Saturday to Norfolk, Virginia, from duty in the Arabian Sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

KEY QUESTIONS:

What caused the crash?

How will the crash affect the airline industry?

What will the impact be on the psyche of New Yorkers who are still recovering from the terrorist attacks of September 11?

What is the extent of the injuries of those on the ground?

WHO'S WHO:

FAA: Federal Aviation Administration, government entity charged with ensuring and promoting the safety of civil aviation

NTSB: National Transportation Safety Board, federal agency that investigates aviation accidents in the United States

FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency, an independent agency that responds, plans for and promotes recovery from disasters