MH17 black boxes delivered to the British

LONDON: The black boxes from MH17 that crashed in eastern Ukraine, killing all on board, have been delivered to Britain for expert analysis, the British government said today.
The recorders have been delivered to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) headquarters in Farnborough, southwest of London.
"We can confirm that the two black boxes from MH17 have been delivered by the Dutch Safety Board to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch at Farnborough for download," a Department for Transport spokeswoman said.
It is thought that the AAIB will be able to send details of their findings to the Dutch authorities within 24 hours – giving experts in the Netherlands further information of the doomed Boeing 777 jet's last moments.
Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had earlier said it was a normal procedure for black boxes to be sent for analysis to the nearest laboratory authorised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
"The black boxes will therefore be flown to Farnborough, United Kingdom, accompanied by Malaysian experts and other members of the international investigation team," he said in a statement in Ukraine today.
The international investigation team is led by The Netherlands.
Liow said this decision was reached following an agreement between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and the leader of the crash site, Alexander Borodai.
"Following the agreement the prime minister brokered with rebel leaders (in eastern Ukraine), Malaysia has taken custody of flight MH17's black boxes. As the prime minister said, they will be passed to the international investigation team for analysis," he said.
Malaysia on Monday had secured agreement for the release of the victims' bodies and black boxes on MH17, as well as for international investigators to have access to the crash site in Grabove in eastern Ukraine.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have reportedly handed over the two black boxes found at the crash site to the Malaysian investigation team on Tuesday. – AFP