"Laplace" starts search operations for EgyptAir Airbus A320's black boxes

French survey vessel Laplace started work on Tuesday in search operations for EgyptAir MS804's two black boxes in the Mediterranean Sea, a spokesman for the French Navy said.

The Laplace is equipped with three detectors made by the ALSEAMAR company designed to detect and localize signals from the flight recorders, believed to be about 3,000 meters underwater.

ALSEAMAR’s equipment includes three of its DETECTOR-6000 systems, designed to pick up black-box pinger signals over long distances up to 5km, according to the company’s website.

It works by dipping a slender probe into the water to listen for pings and then retrieving it to download the findings.

The searches will attempt to find the Airbus A320’s two black boxes, which have enough battery power to transmit signals for one month.

EgyptAir flight MS804 was en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 passengers and crew on board when it crashed into the Mediterranean on May 19.

Source: MENA