-
Watch Video
-
Related
A third body and a second black box have been recovered from the Air New Zealand Airbus that crashed off the coast of France.
The plane's data recorder was recovered on Monday night from the crash site, but French authorities say the two black boxes are so damaged it could be years before there is an answer to what caused the plane to crash.
Both black box recorders were in the tail section of the jet and Air New Zealand says they will be sent to manufacturer Honeywell in North America, to determine what data can be extracted.
Meanwhile, the families of some of the five New Zealanders
killed in the crash, have visited the spot where the plane plunged
into the Mediterranean Sea in an emotional scene on Tuesday.
Air New Zealand's chief executive Rob Fyfe is personally meeting
with the friends and family members of the kiwis killed.
There are already 14 friends and family members in Perpignan, some of whom went to the scene of the crash on Tuesday on boats, where they laid wreaths and flowers at the crash site.
Air New Zealand international airline general manager Ed Sims says the group went out in two boats to where there they believe was closest to most of the wreckage.
He says it was moving scene and as a tribute to the lost men, a haka was performed at the crash site by the airline's Cultural Ambassador.
"I wanted to come here and be with Murray even though he wasn't necessairly here in person, " says Emma Gould, partner of Air NZ engineer Murray White.
The friends and family of the deceased are now coming to terms with the fact that they may never be able to take their men home.
"I didn't expect to be on my own at 34 like this, so I'm thinking I've got a long lonely road ahead," says Gould.
Sims says as a sign of respect, the divers searching the wreckage stopped their work for two hours.
Two bodies already recovered have still not been identified and the victims' families have taken DNA samples with them to Perpignan to aid the process.
Four bodies are yet to be found.
Sims says French authorities have made it clear that they intend to continue the search and recovery operation until all seven bodies are found.
"We cannot speak highly enough of the French authorities and the efforts they are putting into this operation."
Sims says divers continued their search into the night and despite a deteriorating forecast will continue to do so over the next few days.
Latest NZ News Video
-
Kiwi speaks to TVNZ7 from Everest base camp (1:59)
-
Immigration advisor Bill Milnes discusses claims (4:34)
-
Dance to save Shakti service (0:41)