Both the black boxes from American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon on Tuesday were recovered early this morning, Arlington assistant county manager Dick Bridges said today.
Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team found both black boxes – data and voice recorders – at 3:40 a.m. today. "It's a step forward in the investigation ... it's a step forward for America," Bridges said.
He described the data box as "charred" and the voice recorder as "bad." He said the boxes were found where investigators had expected they would be but wasn't more specific.
"It wasn't any real secret where we were expected to find the boxes. It was just a matter of getting to them," he said.
He said earlier reports that there had been a signal from one of the Pentagon boxes were false.
"This is a step forward, as opposed to stasis," Bridges said. "It's a significant development, and we're moving ahead."
On the workers who found the boxes said he was pleased to have found the data recorder, "but by the same token, I'd much rather find someone alive."
Bridges also said the fire from Thursday night was under control but workers expected nuisance fires to continue to flare up.
"The wind is a concern because of spot fires. We never declared the fire to be extinguished – just under control."
