The black box is designed to withstand a full impact crash. The 4th flight to auger in, most certainly they recovered it. The flight data of 3 angles I believe will be recorded, as well as the cockpit conversation.
My love of Boeing aircraft began at age 4..when my mom took me to the airport to see my father off on a business trip, the 727 was relatively new in aviation (1964) and I got to see a 707 and 727 parked side by side, a rare event during a time of transition from turbo props to jets. It was the first time I saw a jet. I told my dad "I'm going to build those one day". I don't recall this, but my dad reminds me whenever he visits.
At 18, my first job was a mill operator building spares parts for the last of the 727's (production stopped in 1978). Then I was honored to be part of the tooling up for the 757, then 767 programs, a first in Boeings history, to roll out two brand new different types of aircraft that had the technological advantage of being identical cockpits, or near identical, in regards to pilot familiararity.
I attended both roll outs, and remember how much my chest stuck out at a young age watching these aircraft come out of the hangars (separate roll out dates, same year)
I think I speak for every Boeing employee that we are a proud breed of American workers that try to build the best product known world wide as Boeing jets. Everytime one has fallen to the ground, employees I have worked with in the past and presence, felt some sort of 'loss'. To witness them used in this terrible feat is something that words do no justice. I guess being 4 years old had more benefits because of the unknown.
[ 09-12-2001: Message edited by: Ripsnort ]
