KNKT to purchase black box reader

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA: The National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) chief Tatang Kurniadi said Monday that next year he planned to purchase devices able to read data from airplane black boxes.

A black box is a set of devices that records information and technical data during a flight.

"We have been a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for 57 years but we still could not read a black box by ourselves," Tatang told a meeting at the House of Representatives's Commission V overseeing transportation issues.

"We should feel be ashamed about that," he said.

Tatang requested the commission approve a budget of Rp 8 billion (US$872,000) to purchase the reader.

Commission member Abdullah Azar Annas said he opposed the plan because it would be more efficient to send officials abroad to study the readers.

"The KNKT should improve its work first before intending to purchase such devices," he said. -- JP/dic