The voice and data recordings from the black box of American Airlines Flight 331, which overshot the runway at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston last Tuesday, are now being analysed in the United States.

According to director general of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Derby, local investigators will have transcripts from these recordings "sometime this week".

Derby told The Gleaner yesterday that investigators have also established how much flying the pilot, Brian Cole, has done in the last 28 days and how much rest he had before getting into the cockpit of Flight 331.

He refused to divulge what investigators know, but said this information would assist in determining whether fatigue was a factor.

Fact-finding stage

The JCAA head made it clear that the probe is still in the fact-finding stage, during which investigators will comb through the crash site, inspect the damaged plane and interview witnesses and passengers.

"We will be looking into all the contributory causes ... we will leave no stone unturned ... but what we are focusing on is the direct cause," he said.

Confirming reports that the pilot and the other five members of his crew have left the island, Derby said they were interviewed by investigators who are satisfied with the information they provided.

" ... And if we need them again, we know where to find them," he added.

In what has been called a Christmas miracle, the Boeing 737-800 airliner, heading from Miami to Kingston, careened off the runway of the Norman Manley Airport and came to a stop just metres from the sea.

Up to yesterday, Derby said much of the wreckage had been moved to the Air Jamaica hangar.

- Livern Barrett