Kuala Lumpur: The two black boxes taken by pro-Russian separatists from the crash site of MH17 will be flown to the United Kingdom for forensic analysis, Malaysia has announced.
Aviation experts said the devices, which are actually orange, will provide crucial evidence for an international investigation team looking into the shooting down of the Boeing 777 with 298 people on board.
Malaysia’s Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the Netherlands, which leads the team, decided to send the boxes to the UK Accident Investigations Branch in Farnborough.
“It is normal procedure for black boxes to be sent for analysis to the nearest laboratory authorised by the International Civil Aviation,” Mr Liow said.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak said the cockpit recording and flight data devices that were handed to Malaysian officials on Tuesday “appear to be in good condition”.
Mr Najib held a series of secret talks with the separatists to reach an agreement for the return of the bodies, handover of the boxes and to the allow investigators and recovery teams to go to the crash site in eastern Ukraine.
The agreement is seen as a diplomatic coup by Malaysia that other more powerful countries had been unable negotiate, including Russia.
While negotiating the deal Mr Najib refrained from accusing the separatists of shooting down the plane last Thursday.
“So far the agreement has been honoured," Mr Najib said. “Malaysia request that this co-operation continue and that investigators are granted the full access to the site which was agreed,” he said.
“I am relieved that we have been able to secure the breakthrough that has allowed us to move forward.”
