The New York Times and other news media are reporting that the second black box containing the voice data recorder from Air France Flight 447 has been found. The article reported that a spokeswoman for the French investigation bureau BEA (Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la Sécurité de l’Aviation Civile) said that the voice data recorder's "... memory unit had been found still attached to its protective chassis and connected to its audio beacon."
The flight data recorder was found last week but it was initially missing its memory unit. The memory unit was found a few days later, although there are concerns that it may not be readable.
It will take another 8 to 10 days before the units will arrive at BEA for analysis.
Robert N. Charette is a Contributing Editor to IEEE Spectrum and an acknowledged international authority on information technology and systems risk management. A self-described “risk ecologist,” he is interested in the intersections of business, political, technological, and societal risks. Charette is an award-winning author of multiple books and numerous articles on the subjects of risk management, project and program management, innovation, and entrepreneurship. A Life Senior Member of the IEEE, Charette was a recipient of the IEEE Computer Society’s Golden Core Award in 2008.