Black box of Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed in Indonesia has been found

The black box of Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 that crashed into Mount Salak, killing all 45 people on board, has been found by Indonesian search team.

The plane vanished 50 minutes after taking off from Jakarta for a brief demonstration flight on 9 May.

Data from the black box, found about 100 m from the tail of the plane, could help explain the cause of the crash.

The voice and data recorder was badly burned and had lost its distinctive orange color.

Tatang Kurniadi, who heads the National Transportation Safety Commission, said the data from the black box would be analyzed in Indonesia with help from Russian experts.

It will take between two to three weeks for any details to be revealed.

Eight Russian pilots and technicians, Indonesian airline representatives and journalists were among those said to be on board the plane.

The plane took off from east Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 14:00 on 9 May, on its second flight of the day.

At 14:50, it was recorded as dropping from 10,000 ft (3,000 m) to 6,000 ft near Salak, a peak measuring 7,200 ft (2,200 m).

Villagers living in the area reported seeing a plane flying low into the mountain area.

The crash came with Sukhoi officials on an Asia-wide tour to show off their aircraft to airline firms.

The Superjet 100, a mid-range airliner that can carry up to 100 people, is military plane-maker Sukhoi’s first commercial aviation plane.

It was created by a joint venture, majority-owned by Sukhoi, with Italy’s Finmeccanica and a number of other foreign and Russian firms also involved.