Update on Air India jet black boxes as recorders could be sent to US for analysis after being hauled from 1,000C inferno

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THE black box recovered from the doomed Air India flight could be sent to the US for analysis after being rescued from a blazing 1,000 degree inferno.
The critical recording device - which could reveal key details of the flight's final moments - sustained significant damage during the horror smash in Ahmedabad.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
7
A fire officer stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft
Credit: Reuters
7
The Air India plane crashed into a medical college campus creating a huge fireball
Credit: x/nchorAnandN
7
The plane's tail can be seen sticking out of a building following the crash
Credit: AP
The Indian government has the final say on who probes the device, but reports say the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. is being considered for the analysis.
A team of Indian investigators is expected to accompany the device to ensure all protocols are followed during the advanced data extraction.
Investigators warned on Tuesday that the recovered black boxes may have melted due to the intense heat of the raging explosion.
When jet fuel is combusted inside a plane's engine, the resulting heat can reach immense temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick crashed less than a minute after take-off into a doctors' hostel, killing 241 passengers and crew and more on the ground.
The major black box update comes as an Air India boss revealed a bombshell update on the deadly crash - as he detailed how the Boeing aircraft had "recently been serviced".
N Chandrasekaran said that the doomed jet had a "clean history" and two recently serviced engines - after experts latched onto a "gamechanging" video which could explain the disaster.
He also hit back at 'speculation' on what caused the London-bound flight to crash, and added that a probe into the exact cause of the crash could take a month.
Planes usually carry two black boxes, which are small but tough electronic flight data recorders.
One records flight data, such as altitude and speed, whilst the other monitors the cockpit sound.
Moment miracle Brit survivor of Air India disaster heads BACK to burning wreck to save brother saying 'I have to save him'
The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), were recovered 28 hours after the horror crash.
Despite the name, these devices are painted bright orange for visibility amid debris.
Investigators believe the CVR on this 2014-delivered aircraft likely stored only two hours of cockpit audio.
The jet predates a 2021 rule which enforced 25-hour recordings on all planes.
But the FDR is capable of logging thousands of flight parameters for over 25 hours, including altitude, airspeed, and control inputs.
The aircraft had climbed less than 600 feet before its ascent stalled, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
A distress signal was sent but was met with complete radio silence.
Moments later, the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex near the airport's northeastern boundary.
7
Jet fuel burns at over 1,000 degrees
Credit: EPA
7
At least 270 people died in the crash
Credit: EPA
The damaged black box is now seen as a crucial piece of evidence in understanding what led to India's worst air disaster in nearly three decades.
Investigators hope the data from the box will shed light on the aircraft's final moments.
It comes after crash investigators speculated that an emergency power system kicked in just before the plane went down - raising questions about whether the engines were working properly.
Analysts agreed that a small turbine generator deployed as the Boeing 787 flew towards the doctors' hostel.
HD footage showed a "protrusion on the belly of the aircraft" with a "little grey dot" beneath it.
Commentators allege this was a system called Ram Air Turbine (RAT) poking out from the fuselage of the plane, which failed to climb more than 600ft.
Commercial airline pilot Steve Schreiber, known as Captain Steve, explained: "Many aeroplanes have it. It is just behind the wing on the right side of the aeroplane, there is a little door that holds it in.
Leading theories on Air India Flight AI171
THESE are some of the leading theories explaining the tragic Air India disaster which killed at least 270 people.
Emergency power system: A small turbine generator was seen deploying as the Boeing 787 went down, experts said.
Footage showed a "protrusion on the belly of the aircraft" with a "little grey dot" beneath it.
Commentators say this was a system called Ram Air Turbine (RAT) poking out from the fuselage of the plane.
Bird Strikes: A bird strike could have taken out both of the jet's giant General Electric engines.
While a bird taking down something the size of a commercial airliner might sound fanciful, there are numerous examples.
Wing flap position: Aviation experts have suggested the position of the aircraft's wing flaps could have played a role in the disaster.
Video evidence suggests the flaps were either fully retracted or on a very minimal setting, which would have provided very little lift.
The flaps provide crucial extra lift at low speeds during take-offs and landings.
Pilot error: The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 is highly automated, with human pilots making only key decisions - but human error cannot be ruled out.
Co-pilot Clive Kundar had more than 3,400 hours of flying experience and made the mayday call but Captain Sumeet Sabharwa at the helm had 11,500 hours - making him one of Air India's most experienced pilots.
Heat: Planes get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, and therefore they need to go faster to get as much lift as on a cooler day.
This is particularly important when an airliner is heavy with fuel, passengers and baggage, as the Air India flight was.
Technical error: Catastrophic technical or engineering issues have not been ruled out.
The jet's complex design mean it could take months for a design or engineering fault to be pinpointed.
"It looks like a little Evinrude motor, it's a little two bladed prop.
"The purpose is to provide electrical and hydraulic pressure for the aircraft on an extreme emergency."
Steve explained there are three things which could cause the RAT to deploy on a 787: "A massive electrical failure, a massive hydraulic failure, or a dual engine failure.
"But I think the fact the aeroplane is mushing out the sky gives the idea it was a dual engine failure," he said.
The tragic smash is the first ever fatal accident involving a Boeing Dreamliner.
52 Brits died on board the flight, but London local Vishwash Kumar Ramesh managed to cheat death when he escaped the blazing inferno following the crash.
Theories have swirled over how the sole survivor managed to narrowly escape death when he was sat in seat 11A during the horror smash.
7
Vishwash Ramesh's brother's funeral
Credit: Dan Charity

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

ITV News

2 hours ago

• ITV News

Air India Flight 171: Disaster in the Skies

Air India Flight 171: Disaster in the Skies - A week of reporting from ITV News correspondents around the world on the Air India Flight 171 plane crash - one of the deadliest aviation disasters in modern history. Narrated by Sangita Lal. More info

The Independent

3 hours ago

• The Independent

Simon Calder answers your air travel safety questions – from Boeing worries to the truth about budget airlines

The crash of Air India flight AI171 has shaken confidence in air travel and triggered an outpouring of questions during a recent Independent Ask Me Anything. It was the first fatal accident involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft that had safely carried over a billion passengers since entering service in 2011. But on 12 June, just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad, the flight bound for London Gatwick crashed. Only one of the 242 people on board survived. Dozens more died on the ground. A preliminary report is expected in about three months. If there is evidence of a previously unknown problem that could jeopardise the safety of other aircraft, investigators will announce their initial conclusions as soon as possible. As always in the early stages of an investigation, aviation safety experts will consider a wide spectrum of possible contributory factors – from mechanical issues to the behaviour of the pilots, who, until and unless anything is known to the contrary, are presumed blameless. Lessons on how to improve safety in future will be shared with the aviation community. That is how aviation safety works: it is built on lessons learnt from past tragedies. A lot of attention has focused on seat 11A, where the sole survivor of the Air India tragedy was located. But there is no such thing as a guaranteed safest seat on an aircraft. As long-in-the-tooth safety experts tend to say: 'Tell me what sort of accident you're planning to have, and I'll tell you the safest place to sit.' As I told readers during the Q&A, the most useful contribution every passenger can make is to pay full attention to the safety briefing. Make it 'muscle memory' to know where your nearest exit is – and under no circumstances stop to collect your cabin baggage. Several readers asked whether flying is still safe, whether budget airlines cut corners, and if Boeing can still be trusted. Others asked about the world's riskiest airports and how to stay calm in the face of fear. These are important questions – and the answers matter more now than ever. Below are selected highlights from the Ask Me Anything, where I responded as directly and clearly as possible. For those who want to go deeper, you can sign up to my weekly AMA email, exclusively for Independent Premium subscribers. Sophieeeeeee A: Airports are extremely variable in the degree of challenge they present to pilots. Some in Europe and worldwide require special training. These include Innsbruck in Austria, Dubrovnik in Croatia and Funchal in Madeira. But that doesn't make them more dangerous: as with so much in aviation, providing extra training is part of designing out risk. Tragically, there is one part of the world where the terrain is difficult and where accidents happen far too frequently: Nepal. However, while the airports are extremely challenging, procedures and training should mitigate the risk. Q: How do you stay calm and realistic about flight safety? SimonL A: Look at the numbers. On that tragic Thursday, 12 June, more than 270 people lost their lives aboard Air India flight 171 and on the ground. Yet the same day, far more road users in India died in accidents. You are far safer on an aircraft than on the roads – in any part of the world – and in Europe, crashes are extraordinarily rare. Q: If I ever feel something's off during a flight, is there anything I can actually do? Jase A: Aviation has many cases in which passengers have alerted crew to a dangerous situation, and you should certainly speak up if you consider the safety of the aircraft is jeopardised. Q: Should we worry about flying on a Boeing? Colette Austin A: Boeing has made thousands of superb aircraft. I would not hesitate to fly on one of its planes. The world's safest airline (in terms of passengers carried without a fatal accident), Ryanair, flies only Boeing 737 aircraft. But in the past decade, its safety culture has been called into question. Shocking shortcomings at the plane manufacturer were exposed in the aftermath of two fatal crashes of the Boeing 737 Max. The fatally flawed design led to the temporary grounding of the aircraft worldwide, and in 2024 another incident, in which a door plug burst open at 16,000 feet, triggered further investigations. This is the first fatal accident involving the 787. Soon after it entered service in 2011, concerns over the fire risk from lithium batteries led to a temporary grounding. More than 1,000 Boeing 787 aircraft are in service with dozens of international airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, both of which have exemplary safety records. Q: Are budget airlines just as safe as the big names? Sophieeeeeee A: 'If you think safety is expensive, try having an accident' – that is the standard response to such questions, and I think it is fair. The second-safest airline worldwide, after Ryanair, is easyJet. Both are focused on keeping costs down. But safety is paramount. Q: Are there parts of the world where you'd personally think twice about flying, because of safety standards? SammyW Nepal figures disproportionately heavily in the accident statistics. But even there, you are safer in the sky than on the roads. In Iran and Russia, international sanctions mean that aircraft are not being maintained to the appropriate levels. And small airlines with old aircraft – such as those in parts of Africa – do not inspire confidence, particularly during stormy weather in tropical The European Union has a useful list of airlines that are banned from EU airspace. They include Air Zimbabwe, numerous Afghan, Iranian and Iraqi aircraft, plus carriers based in Armenia, Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nepal, Sudan, Suriname and Tanzania. These questions and answers were part of an 'Ask Me Anything' hosted by Simon Calder at 1pm BST on Wednesday, 18 June. Some of the questions and answers have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article.

BBC News

3 hours ago

• BBC News

Air India crash: India to decide on overseas analysis of flight recorders

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is yet to decide whether flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the Air India flight that crashed last Thursday will be sent overseas for decoding and least 270 people, most of them passengers, were killed when the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in western media outlets reported that the black boxes are being sent abroad, but the ministry of civil aviation clarified that no final decision has been ministry said the AAIB will determine the location for analysis after a "due assessment of technical, safety, and security factors". Investigators have recovered both sets of Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs) - the "black boxes" - from the Boeing 787 crash site. These combined units, which record flight data and cockpit audio, were found on 13 and 16 June. The aircraft model carries two such sets to aid in thorough recorders track with high precision the position of gear and flap levers, thrust settings, engine performance, fuel flow and even fire handle data in the plane's "black boxes" can be used to reconstruct the flight's final moments and determine the cause of the some media outlets reported that the recorders had been badly damaged in the fire that engulfed the plane after the crash, making it difficult to extract the data in India and that the government was planning to send the recorders to the Kishore Chinta, a former accident investigator with the AAIB, told the BBC one set of recorders could be also sent to the US "to compare the data downloaded in India with that provided to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)". He said although the new AAIB lab in Delhi was inaugurated in April, "it's unclear whether it is fully operational for EAFR data downloads".Meanwhile, Air India's chairman has said that one of the engines of the Air India plane that crashed last week was new, while the other was not due for servicing until an interview with Times Now news channel, N Chandrasekaran said that both engines of the aircraft had "clean" the airline said that inspections have been completed on 26 of its 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, all of which have been "cleared for service".India's aviation regulator had ordered additional safety checks on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet after the deadly crash as a "preventive measure".On Thursday, the airline announced that its flights will be reduced on 16 international routes and suspended on three overseas destinations between 21 June and 15 July."The reductions arise from the decision to voluntarily undertake enhanced pre-flight safety checks, as well as accommodate additional flight durations arising from airspace closures in the Middle East," the airline said in a announcement came a day after the carrier said it would temporarily reduce flights operated with wide-body planes by 15%.