Jakarta (ANTARA) - National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT) cannot reach a scientific conclusion on the cause of Sriwijaya Air flight SJ 182 crash if its cockpit voice recorder (CVR) is not found, its chief, Soerjanto Tjahjono, stated.
"It is saddening that we are unable to come to a conclusion that we can account for scientifically," he noted at a press conference on a preliminary report of the investigation into SJ 182 here on Wednesday.
However, Tjahjono remarked that the KNKT was insistent on continuing its search for the CVR until it is retrieved.
"We do not think of not being unable to retrieve the CVR. The CVR must be found. As long as the Transportation Ministry and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) are willing to assist us, we will continue the search until it is found," he affirmed.
The KNKT has continued its manual search for the CVR since the search operation was terminated on January 2021, he stated.
Tjahjono pointed to bad weather having hindered the search for the CVR.
"We have prepared the instrument to remove the mud covering the CVR and remaining debris of the plane. The weather is very crucial. May the weather be good, and we find the CVR," he revealed.
Meanwhile, Chief of the KNKT Sub-Committee for Flight Accident Investigation Capt. Nurcahyo Utomo noted that the committee had continued its search for the CVR by making lines beneath the sea to form blocks measuring 5x6 meters each in order to facilitate the search operation.
Utomo believes that the CVR is located not far from the site where the flight data recorder (FDR) and CVR casing or electronic module were retrieved earlier.
"We project that the location has dimensions of 25x25 meters. It is believed to be buried in seabed mud," he stated.
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EDITED BY INE
