One of 2 black boxes of crashed China Eastern jet recovered

[BEIJING] One of two flight recorders from the China Eastern Airlines aircraft that crashed on Monday afternoon has been found.

Details released about the pilots flying the plane said all three had current licences, valid health certificates and solid experience.

China's aviation authority said on Wednesday the black box retrieved from the site of the China Eastern Airlines plane crash is "highly likely" to be a cockpit voice recorder.

The data storage units in the black box are relatively complete despite some damage, Zhu Tao, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, told a media briefing.

The black box is being sent to Beijing, Zhu said.

State television reported earlier that rescue work had been halted at the crash site due to bad weather, broadcasting footage that showed debris and aircraft parts scattered in muddy terrain.

While officials have said it is too early to say what caused the crash, China Eastern has grounded its Boeing 737-800 fleet and thousands of flights have been cancelled. Regulators have ordered a safety review encompassing much of the country's aviation industry. BLOOMBERG