Black box found after Beirut air crash

The “black box” flight recorders of the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed off the Lebanese coast on Monday have been found by search teams.

Once it has been brought to the surface, the equipment should tell investigators what caused the passenger jet to crash just after takeoff from Beirut.

All 83 passengers and seven crew are presumed dead. Dozens of bodies and body parts have already been brought ashore. Most of those on board were Ethiopian or Lebanese nationals.

The Boeing 737-800 took off for the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in stormy conditions in the early hours of Monday morning.

Air traffic control requested that the pilot change course after the plane appeared to take the wrong direction in its ascent but the pilot failed to respond.

Eyewitnesses say the plane was on fire as it plummeted into the Mediterranean.

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