Air India plane crash: Black box damaged, data to be sent to US for analysis
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There has been a new twist in the investigation of the horrific Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. The black box of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which took off for London’s Gatwick Airport, has suffered heavy damage, making it impossible to extract data in India. According to sources, the black box will now be sent to the Washington Laboratory of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for analysis.
274 people died in this accident
On June 12, 2025, Air India flight AI-171 crashed just 36 seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. 274 people, including 241 passengers and 10 crew members, were killed in this accident. The plane collided with the hostel and residential buildings of a medical college in nearby Meghani Nagar. Before the accident, pilot Captain Sumit Sabharwal had issued a mayday call, which was the last message of the accident.
The black box was recovered 2 days after the incident
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR), which are important for the investigation and are collectively called the black box, were recovered from the debris two days after the accident. However, due to the fire and heavy damage after the crash, it was not possible to retrieve their data in India. Experts say that the black box can provide information about the last moments of the flight, such as altitude, speed and conversation in the cockpit, which will be important in knowing the cause of the accident.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has started an investigation, which also includes experts from the US, UK and Boeing. Indian officials will also be present in the process of retrieving data with the help of NTSB to ensure that protocols are followed.
