Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday confirmed that the black box of the doomed Air India flight AI 171 is still in India and is presently being examined by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), just days after the tragic crash near Ahmedabad.
This announcement followed earlier reports that, due to the extent of the damage caused by the post-crash fire, the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, also known as the "black box," might be sent to the United States for data recovery. The high temperatures after the crash reportedly caused significant external damage to the recorders.
In an email response to Reuters, AAIB Director General GVG Yugandhar clarified that these claims were "factually incorrect" but did not elaborate. Shortly after takeoff on June 12, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, causing a devastating crash. The plane was carrying 242 passengers of different nationalities on its way to London's Gatwick Airport.
274 people were killed in the crash, including passengers, crew members, and ground crew. According to reports, only one passenger made it out alive. Since the Boeing 787 Dreamliner entered commercial service in 2011, this incident is the first time the aircraft has been involved in a fatal accident.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandated a thorough safety inspection of every Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Air India's fleet following the accident. Nine of the 33 Dreamliners have already been inspected, and the remaining aircraft are still being examined.
To comprehend the events leading up to the crash, the black box—which includes the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)—is essential. While the FDR records important flight information like altitude, airspeed, and engine performance, the CVR records audio from the cockpit, including pilot communications, alarms, and background noises.
Also Read: DGCA removes 3 Air India staff after breach
Two days after the incident, the AAIB recovered the two components. Even though the devices were designed to withstand harsh conditions, the intense heat at the crash site—estimated to have reached 1,000 degrees Celsius—may have jeopardised their physical integrity. Three months have been allotted to the AAIB to finish its thorough investigation and submit its final report on the AI 171 crash.
Preliminary expert opinions have started to surface, but the precise cause of the accident won't be confirmed until the black box is decoded. Aviation expert and former US Navy pilot Captain Steve Scheibner, in an interview with India Today, pointed to a likely case of dual engine failure. He highlighted that the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—an emergency device that activates when both engines fail—shortly after takeoff supports this theory.
The actual cause of one of India's deadliest aviation catastrophes in recent memory cannot be determined until the black box data is decoded.
Also Read: Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Surgical rods help ID charred bodies
Follow us
