Crash pilot: No problems with plane

The plane cut a path through trees as it ploughed along the mountain peak

BUSAN, South Korea (CNN) -- The pilot of the Air China plane that crashed in South Korea says he did not notice anything unusual about the aircraft before the accident.

The Chinese pilot, Wu Xing Lu, was one of 38 people who survived the crash of Air China flight 129 which slammed into a mountain near the southern port city of Busan Monday morning.

Rescue workers recovered more bodies Tuesday from the mangled wreckage of the plane, a Boeing 767-200 on its way from Beijing to Kimhae airport, bringing to 124 the number of dead.

Four people are still listed as missing.

Investigators on Monday also located the plane's flight data recorders which are expected to be analyzed by South Korean, Chinese and U.S. officials on Wednesday.

The investigators hope the recorders and information from the pilot and other surviving members of the crew will provide important details into the cause of the crash.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO Investigators are shifting their efforts from rescue to recovery a day after the crash. Play video Rescuers' attempts to find survivors become a frantic search for bodies Play video   GALLERY Scenes of the crash aftermath    RESOURCES Chronology: Major air disasters in Asia    MORE STORIES • Survivors speak of final moments  • Crash effect on World Cup worries Kim  • Crash unlikely to stop privatization    EXTRA INFORMATION • Profile: Air China

The pilot, in hospital in a serious condition, told officials that he "felt no plane malfunction before the crash," according to a statement from the transportation ministry.

Pilot error?

The plane was carrying 135 Korean passengers, 19 Chinese and one Uzbek. All of its 11-member crew were Chinese.

The plane hit the 304 meter (1,000 foot) mountain as it was preparing to land in heavy fog, rain and strong winds. Witnesses said the plane ploughed toward the peak, cutting a trail through trees for 30 meters (100 feet).

Some local South Korean media have been focusing on the possibility that pilot error was behind the crash -- without any basis at the moment.

South Korean investigators are being more cautious, employing an international cooperative effort to ensure transparency and to rule out any future questions regarding the investigation process.

At the crash site, weather conditions improved late Tuesday, allowing helicopters to be used in the search of the crash site.

Earlier in the day rescue workers labored through heavy rain and fog, uncovering more remains of victims.

World Cup

The plane crashed near apartment buildings, but there were no reports of casualties on the ground. Survivors reported no explosion before the crash.

"When I looked back there was fire," said one man who escaped from the plane. "There was some kind of hole in the ceiling so I just came out of that hole."

Wu Xing Lu, 32, the pilot of the crashed Air China Boeing 767 talks to a reporter at a hospital in Kimhae near Busan

It was the first fatal crash involving China's national flag carrier in its 47 year history.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji sent messages of condolences to South Korean leader Kim Dae-jung.

The Korean president has told officials to make sure that the accident does not affect preparations for the World Cup soccer finals which begin in May.

South Korea is co-hosting the tournament with Japan and Busan is one of the host cities.

Kim said that a safe and secure World Cup was his government's number one priority and with the number of international visitors to Korea set to surge, he called on his government to ensure that there would be absolutely no questions about airport security or safety.