SAO PAULO (June 27, 2009)--Brazil has called off the search for more bodies and debris from Air France Flight 447, but an American officer says the search for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders deep in the Atlantic Ocean will likely continue for at least another 16 days.

Experts say the black boxes may be key to deciding what brought the airliner down and signals from the voice and data recorders begin to fade after about 30 days.

Brazilian and French searchers have recovered large chunks of debris and 51 bodies from the plane, which disappeared with 228 people on board late May 31.

Brazilian Air Force Col. Henry Munhoz told a news conference the reason for the end of the search for bodies or debris was the "impossibility" of finding any more.