Paint linked to Air NZ tragedy

The painting of Air New Zealand colours onto an Airbus that plunged into the sea off France is part of the focus of an investigation into the fatal crash.

French aviation officials were investigating whether the paintwork affected external instruments providing data to the A320 aircraft's systems.

The bodies of five people on board the Air New Zealand aircraft that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea late last week might still be trapped in the cockpit.

Two bodies recovered from the crash scene had still to be identified, and five men remained missing late last night.

The four-year-old Airbus A320, which had been chartered to a German carrier, was undergoing certification before being handed back to Air NZ. It took its fatal flight after a Perpignan firm had repainted the exterior.

A cockpit voice recorder had been recovered by French Search and Rescue divers. It appeared to be in good condition and could provide crucial evidence of the last moments of the flight.

The cause of the crash was expected to be known within two days of experts deciphering its black boxes, deputy Perpignan prosecutor Diminique Alzeari said.

Investigators had found a second black box and hoped to bring it to the surface late last night.

The Air New Zealand staff believed killed in the crash were Auckland pilot Brian Horrell, 52; Murray White, 37, an engineer from Auckland; and Michael Gyles, 49, and Noel Marsh, 35, both engineers from Christchurch.

Civil Aviation Authority official Jeremy Cook, 58, from Wellington, was also on board the Airbus, along with two German pilots.

A large delegation from Air New Zealand, the New Zealand Police, the New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority yesterday arrived in the small French town near the Spanish border.

Air NZ chief executive Rob Fyfe earlier arrived in Perpignan together with White's partner, Emma Gould. "The reason I'm here is on behalf of the families and Air New Zealanders, because we want to bring our boys home," Fyfe said.

Gould said it was "important to me that we are here at the location of the accident as a means of bringing us closer to Murray".

"Our desire is to bring Murray home, and I certainly hope that we will be able to do this," she said.

The aircraft crashed in cold and blustery conditions, leading investigators to also investigate whether the Airbus had an ice problem.

Two young surfers, Jerome and Brieuc, saw the aircraft crash into the sea.

Jerome said the plane looped up into the cloud and then down again, with something coming from its right engine.

Brieuc thought he was hallucinating when he saw it hit the water and a wave go up.

"I lost my breath; I could hear myself screaming."

Alzeari said French authorities would launch the equivalent of a manslaughter investigation today, a standard approach to air crashes.

Alzeari said DNA testing would be necessary before the bodies were released.

"We want to return the bodies to their families in the best of conditions, and as fast as possible, with dignity," he said.

 Local rescue chief Angelin Patrick said his team felt upset at being unable to find survivors.

"At night we could see the shining beacons on the life jackets; it was the hope ... but the lifejackets were floating with no-one inside."