BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA — Investigators examining the catastrophic military plane crash that killed more than 100 people have begun analyzing data recovered from the aircraft’s black box — and what they’ve uncovered is shedding light on the final moments before impact.

According to officials, the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have provided a clearer picture of what went wrong — including a critical 28-second window that now appears to define the passengers’ final struggle for survival.

Black Box Data Points to Sudden Failure

Preliminary findings suggest the aircraft experienced a rapid and unexpected failure shortly before the crash. Flight data indicates a sharp deviation from its intended path, followed by a loss of altitude that the crew attempted to correct.

“There was a clear moment where something changed,” one aviation investigator said. “And from that point, the situation escalated quickly.”

Authorities are examining whether the issue stemmed from a mechanical malfunction, environmental conditions, or a combination of factors.

The Final 28 Seconds

What has drawn the most attention is a 28-second segment captured in the final phase of the flight.

During that period, data shows:

A sudden drop in altitude
Rapid adjustments by the flight crew
Increasing instability in the aircraft’s control systems

Cockpit audio reportedly captures urgent communication between pilots as they attempted to regain control.

“It’s a very compressed timeline,” an expert explained. “They were reacting in real time to something that gave them very little margin.”

While details remain limited, investigators believe this brief window reflects the crew’s final efforts to stabilize the aircraft.

A Fight Against Time

Aviation specialists note that in high-speed flight scenarios, even seconds can determine the outcome.

“If the system failure is severe enough, 20 to 30 seconds may be all the crew has,” one analyst said. “That’s not a lot of time to diagnose, respond, and recover.”

The data suggests the crew took immediate action, but the aircraft’s condition deteriorated too quickly.

Ongoing Investigation

Authorities caution that the investigation is still in its early stages. Additional analysis of wreckage, maintenance records, and environmental data will be required before a definitive cause is determined.

“We are working methodically,” an official said. “The black box gives us a foundation, but not the full picture.”

A Tragedy in Seconds

For the families of those on board, the findings confirm the suddenness of the disaster — and the limited time available to respond.

More than 100 lives were lost in what investigators now describe as a rapidly unfolding event, measured not in minutes, but in seconds.

And within those final 28 seconds lies the clearest — and most haunting — insight into what happened aboard the aircraft.