Black box from Air India crash damaged, may need foreign technical aid

CVR and FDR potentially flight to Washington for expert analysis

Officials confirm that the black box—comprising both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR)—from the Air India Boeing 787-8 (Flight AI171) crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 has been damaged. Authorities are considering sending it to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C., for detailed extraction of its data. A team of Indian investigators would accompany it to ensure proper protocols.

Crash context and black box recovery

• Flight AI171 departed from Ahmedabad, bound for London Gatwick, but crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12 at 1:39 PM, striking a hostel at BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar.
• Of the 242 people onboard, only one survivor—a British-Indian passenger—was rescued. Thirty-three people on the ground also died.

The crash debris was searched intensively, and the orange-colored FDR and CVR were recovered approximately 28 hours after the incident.

Data caps of the recorders

• CVR: In aircraft delivered before the 2021 mandate, this three-channel unit records only about two hours of cockpit audio, including crew conversations, alerts, and ATC communication.
• FDR: Capable of capturing thousands of flight parameters—such as altitude, airspeed, control inputs, and engine data—over approximately 25 hours.

Initial timeline of events

• 1:39 PM – AI171 takes off.
• Less than 600 feet altitude – Climb stalls.
• 36 seconds later – Cockpit issues a distress call received by Ahmedabad ATC, then cuts to silence.
• Seconds after, an aircraft crashes into residential buildings.

Next steps in the investigation

Government officials will evaluate whether US-based experts are needed for analysis due to damage severity and technical complexity.

The final decision on exporting recorders will be made after consulting aviation safety and investigative authorities.

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