Lion Air jet crash: You need more than flight recorder to know the cause

Investigators must systematically investigate other evidence to be sure why it happened

Indonesian divers last week retrieved a “black box” recorder from the sunken wreckage of Lion Air passenger jet JT-610 that crashed into the sea on Monday, killing all 189 people on board.

Reports say the search and rescue team retrieved the flight data recorder, one of two recorders required for every commercial airliner. The other is the cockpit voice recorder.

Flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder can reveal a wealth of information about the flight. Depending on the type, modern digital flight data recorders can capture more than 2000 parameters, giving investigators a thorough insight into what the various systems of