Ahmedabad Air Crash: Black Box Data Recovered; Minister Dismisses Rumours Of Sending It Abroad

The government confirmed that investigators have successfully downloaded all the data from the flight's front black box, a breakthrough in investigation into the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. The vital memory module was accessed at a new, state-of-the-art laboratory in Delhi, a critical step towards understanding what caused the tragedy.

The London-bound Air India flight, AI171, crashed on June 12 moments after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down into a nearby medical hostel, killing a total of 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members. In a miracle, a single passenger survived the disaster.

The Investigation Unfolds

Rammohan Naidu confirmed the work is being done in India, ending speculation that the black boxes would need to be sent overseas. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the analysis is being led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in the new laboratory in Delhi.

The multi-disciplinary investigation team includes experts from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as the American company Boeing designed and manufactured the aircraft. Investigators are reportedly looking into the possibility of a power failure as a potential cause.

he data extraction process began on June 24. A day later, on June 25, the team successfully accessed the memory module and downloaded the information. The analysis of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), which captures sounds and conversations in the cockpit, and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), which tracks hundreds of flight parameters like speed and altitude, is now underway. This data will allow investigators to create a detailed reconstruction of the flight's final moments.

"They (FDR and CVR) can provide information that may be difficult or impossible to obtain by other means. When used in conjunction with other information gained in the investigation, the recorders are playing an ever-increasing role in determining the Probable Cause of an aircraft accident," the NTSB says on its website.

Two Black Boxes

Modern aircraft like the Boeing 787 are equipped with two combined black boxes for redundancy. The first device was recovered from a building rooftop at the crash site on June 13, while the second was found in the aircraft debris on June 16.

The devices were kept under 24/7 police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad. On June 24, they were securely transported to the AAIB lab in Delhi aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft.

Tata Group and Air India Responds

Air India's parent company, the Tata Group, has pledged full support to those affected by the tragedy. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran and Air India CEO Campbell Wilson are personally leading the response efforts. Mr. Chandrasekaran has referred to the victims and their families as the "Tata family," promising support that goes "beyond any required compensation." He has also directed management to meet with employee unions to discuss safety and maintenance. A meeting with a team from Boeing was also scheduled.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson stated that the crashed aircraft was "well-maintained," having completed a major check in June 2023 with its next one scheduled for December 2024. Following the crash, India's aviation regulator, the DGCA, ordered increased surveillance of Air India's entire Boeing 787 fleet. Mr. Wilson said this has forced the airline to reduce its wide-body flight operations by 15%, which may impact some travel plans.

Expressing his deep sorrow, the CEO said the loss of 241 passengers and crew, along with others on the ground, has "left us all in deep sorrow." He added, "We are fully committed to doing all we can to support the families impacted and are also working closely with authorities to understand the cause of this tragedy.