WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators will try to recover the wreckage of a cargo plane that ditched into the ocean near Honolulu after developing engine trouble.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it was sending a team of investigators to the site where the Boeing 737 went into the ocean in July while pilots were trying to return to the airport shortly after takeoff.
The NTSB said a ship with remotely operated vehicles and a barge with a crane will be used in the recovery effort, which is expected to start around Oct. 9.
The safety board said the wreckage contains important information including the black boxes that contain flight data and cockpit sounds.
Both pilots were plucked from the water by Coast Guard rescuers after the nighttime ditching. The TransAir flight was operated by Rhoades Aviation. Federal regulators have since grounded the company.
The fuselage broke into two pieces and came to rest about 350 to 450 feet (107 to 137 meters) below the surface and 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from shore.
