The black box of the Mi-24 helicopter that crashed on Friday, in which one pilot died, has been found, the ministry of defence has confirmed.

Due to the fact that the helicopter’s wreckage is scattered across a wide area, the search has lasted several days.

Deciphering the information recorded by the box will be crucial in the investigation and establishing the cause of the accident.

The crash took place on Friday, as the crew was preparing for a mission in Afghanistan by practicing shooting at night, both with and without an infrared receiver. The helicopter crashed between Torun and Inowroclaw in the Kujawy-Pomerania province, central Poland.

The rescue services received notice about the accident at 10.35 pm and immediately headed for the crash site. The wreck was found around an hour later.

The 32-year old second pilot who died, Robert Wagner had over 700 hours of experience in flying, mainly in Mi-24s and took part in the military mission in Iraq or two separate occasions.

Two other crew members were injured.

Currently, the Polish armed forces possess 35 Mi-24, the first of which was purchased back in the 1970s. (un/pg)