Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Investigators Recover Black Box And Cockpit Voice Recorder

Investigators recover black box and cockpit voice recorder from Air India crash in Ahmedabad, offering vital clues into the tragedy that claimed 274 lives. Probe now intensifies.

Investigators recover black box and cockpit voice recorder from Air India crash

Source : Special Arrangements

Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the wreckage of the Air India flight that tragically crashed just seconds after takeoff last week, killing 274 people, including 33 residents on the ground.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London Gatwick as flight AI-171, lost engine thrust just 36 seconds after lifting off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM on Thursday. The aircraft slammed into a residential area bordering the airport, including a medical college complex, leaving devastation in its wake.

Only one person, seated in 11A, miraculously survived the crash. The rest of the 242 people on board perished, along with nearly 30 civilians on the ground.

The flight data recorder (FDR), commonly referred to alongside the CVR as the aircraft’s “black boxes” — though they are painted bright orange for visibility — had been located earlier. Now, with both critical devices recovered, authorities hope to piece together the final moments inside the cockpit and pinpoint the exact sequence of events that led to one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent memory.

International Collaboration Underway

A full-scale investigation is now underway. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe, while the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a parallel inquiry, as per international norms. The aircraft was manufactured in the United States.

Experts from Boeing arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday to join the ongoing analysis. Their presence is expected to fast-track technical assessments and shed light on any potential mechanical or systems failures.

Aircraft Had Passed Recent Maintenance

According to airline officials cited by PTI, the ill-fated Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANB, had undergone comprehensive “C checks” in June 2023. These maintenance checks, part of routine safety and airworthiness procedures, are among the most thorough in commercial aviation. The aircraft’s next scheduled inspection was due in December 2025.

In response to the crash, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered enhanced safety checks across Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet. The airline currently operates 26 Boeing 787-8s and seven 787-9s.

Top Officials Briefed as Recovery Efforts Continue

The discovery of the CVR was reported to PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the crash site near BJ Medical College on Sunday. Recovery teams had found the FDR earlier on the rooftop of a doctors’ hostel hit during the crash.

With both black boxes secured, investigators now face the painstaking task of analyzing hours of audio and flight data. The recordings could hold the key to understanding whether the crash was caused by mechanical failure, human error, or a combination of factors.