Days after the deadly plane crash in South Korea, the investigators have extracted data from one of two black boxes retrieved from the crashed Jeju Air plane.

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The data extracted from the cockpit voice recorder will be converted into an audio file. Meanwhile, the second black box, which is a flight data recorder, will be sent to the US for analysis. 

The recorder had some external damage, including a missing connector that links its data storage unit to the power supply, Yonhap News Agency reported. 

South Korea's Deputy Minister for civil aviation, Joo Jong-wan, said that the initial data had been extracted from the Boeing 737-800's cockpit voice recorder, adding that the contents were being converted into audio file. 

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The plane crashed on Sunday (Dec 29) shortly after landing, killing 179 people out of the total 181 on board. Both of them were crew members seated at the rear tail section of the aircraft. Their seating is what saved them.

This was one of the deadliest aviation disasters in South Korea in decades. 

Also read: South Korea plane crash | Tears, empty desks: Office mourns death of five colleagues in Jeju Air accident

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What is a black box?

The black boxes are placed in the tail of an aircraft, which apparently sustains the least damage in an accident. These boxes are designed to survive high-speed impact and fires. 

Also read: South Korea plane crash had two survivors. What saved them?

The US and South Korean authorities are hoping that the devices will provide crucial clues about events which led to the pilot's attempt to land after the aircraft's landing gear apparently failed to deploy. 

“The damaged flight data recorder has been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction domestically,” Joo said, adding, “It was agreed today to transport it to the United States for analysis in collaboration with the US National Transportation Safety Board.”

The deadly crash happened when the Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Bangkok to Muan attempted to land shortly after 9 am but crashed into a fence.

Also read: South Korean plane crash: Over 60,000 people cancel Jeju Air flight reservations after tragedy, says report

Shocking videos of the accident show the twin-engine plane skidding off the runway, crashing, and bursting into flames. It made a Mayday call and appears to have attempted a belly landing as the landing gear might have malfunctioned.

An “initial extraction (of the cockpit voice recorder) has already been completed,” Joo said.

It could take around two days for investigators to convert the data, the ministry said, adding that transferring the damaged data recorder to the US could help them get to the bottom of the disaster. 

(With inputs from agencies)