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Aircraft's black box recovered

The black box of the plane containing the communication between the Air Traffic Control of Patna airport and the pilot, Capt Sohanpal, before the tragedy has been recovered.

"There was no emergency report from the ATC to the pilot," Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav told newsmen in Patna.

The pilot of the ill-fated plane contacted the ATC and sought its permission to take another round when the plane was flying at a height of 1500 to 2000 feet above the ground.

Suddenly the plane lost contact with the ATC and started descending, grazed into a neem tree and then crashed into a row of government flats by the side of the airport, he said.

He said 49 bodies, including those of two pilots and four crew members have already been extricated from the debris, while two others are still trapped inside.

Meanwhile, the departmental inquiry led by Director General of Civil Aviation H S Khola has already begun.

See full coverage of the Alliance Air crash

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