The BEA’s investigation into the accident that occurred last August 9 off the coast of Moorea (French Polynesia) is continuing at a sustained pace. The airplane, a DHC-6 Twin Otter operated by Air Moorea, crashed into the sea a short time after take-off bound for Papeete. The pilot and the nineteen passengers on board were killed. This is an update on the progress of the investigation.

Undersea searches made it possible to recover the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and various parts of the airplane, including the engines, a part of the tail and parts of the cockpit. The CVR was read out and analysed, though this did not provide the investigators with an explanation for the accident. The recovered airplane parts were flown to Paris to be examined in a laboratory. This work is still ongoing. On the basis of the initial findings, the BEA has recommended the inspection of the stabilizer control cables installed on some airplanes in the Twin Otter fleet worldwide. This recommendation can be accessed on the BEA website.

The investigators have also collected documentation relating to the operator, the pilot and the airplane. These documents have been studied, as have other sources of information and the testimony gathered. A new phase of work has been launched that is intended to complete the documentation and other information on the airplane.

The BEA is planning to publish an interim report within a few weeks.