Cockpit voice recorder yet to be found

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the ill-fated A320 (PK-8303) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which is one of the vital parts in air crash investigation, is yet to be found. This development is said to have necessitated extension in stay of the visiting French team for at least the next two days.
Talking to Business Recorder, PIA spokesman Abdullah confirmed that the investigation team had so far not found cockpit voice recorder of the crashed PIA Airbus. Meanwhile, flight data recorder (FDR) has been found and delivered to an eleven-member investigation team of Airbus Industrie.
Replying to a question, he said that cockpit voice recorder was installed at the tail of the aircraft, which was the first part of the plane to be broken during the crash hence. This might have landed into any house, he said and added that investigators were working hard to obtain it because it was one of the vital parts that would help investigators in aircraft crash investigation.
He also urged the neighbourhood residents not to keep any part of the wreckage with them and hand it over to the relevant authorities. On Wednesday morning, an Airbus investigation team visited the site again and provided technical assistance to their Pakistani counterparts in air crash investigation. Later, they also inspected the runway of the Jinnah International Airport, air traffic control tower and radar control station. Meanwhile, sources said that black box containing flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder and any other evidence that would help with the investigation would be given to the Airbus team for forensic examination.
Sources said that FDR and CVR were crucial components used in an aircraft accident investigation and added that the information from these devices would help investigators obtain a complete picture of the crash.
Furthermore, they said that investigation team had later given go-ahead to shift the parts of crashed Airbus to the airport and added that all wreckage were being shifted in first phase and later major parts of the aircraft including engine and cockpit would be transported to the designated hangar of the airport where it would be reassembled for further investigation.
To a question, they said that it was premature to fix the responsibility of the crash on the basis of limited information on anyone and added that the ATC official during interview confirmed that the pilot did not inform him about landing-gears issue during plane's first approach to the runway, which has created a mystery for the investigators.
Therefore, the recovery of cockpit voice recorder is vital in this investigation; they said and added that investigators were also working to find the answer of another question: why did the pilot instead of turning off the engines to kill its thrust took off the aircraft when it touched the runway on its first approach? Moreover, sources said that if the answers of these questions were found then the cause of the air crash could be ascertained.
PIA in a statement stated that 47 bodies had so far been identified out of which 43 were handed over to the families of deceased.
It said that CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik was in personal contact with the family members of the deceased and had contacted them.
CEO PIA also inquired about the assistance being provided by PIA officials and based on the feedback has formed a one-window operation for swift coordination between various authorities for speedy identification and handing over of bodies, including issuance of Death Certificates.
PIA said that 01 body of deceased identified as Khalid Sherdil was handed over for burial on Wednesday and added that the airline was making travel arrangements for the family members of the deceased and providing them domestic and international tickets and was arranging transportation of the bodies to their homes.
Moreover, it said that the process of DNA testing and verification was a lengthy process and requires time. However, PIA and concerned Authorities are making all-out efforts to hand over the bodies of the deceased to their family members.