The investigation was hampered because the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was never found. The digital flight data recorder (DFDR) was severely damaged, but the data concerning the accident flight were recovered. The B-747-200 freighter was owned and operated by El Al Israel Airlines. The accident aircraft arrived in Amsterdam at 1540 hours local time, after flying from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, New York, U.S., the report said. The accident crew (captain, first officer and flight engineer) and a non-revenue passenger boarded the aircraft after it was fueled and loaded with cargo.