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 analysis.At 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 India.Some media outlets reported that the black boxes are being sent abroad, but the ministry of civil aviation clarified that no final decision has been made.The 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 analysis.Data recorders track with high precision the position of gear and flap levers, thrust settings, engine performance, fuel flow and even fire handle activation.The data in the plane's "black boxes" can be used to reconstruct the flight's final moments and determine the cause of the incident.However, 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 US.Captain 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 December.In an interview with Times Now news channel, N Chandrasekaran said that both engines of the aircraft had "clean" histories.Separately, 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 statement.The announcement came a day after the carrier said it would temporarily reduce flights operated with wide-body planes by 15%.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Indian tigress dies after long battle with bone cancer
One of India 's most iconic wild tigers, Arrowhead of Ranthambore, has died after a long battle with illness, shortly after her daughter was relocated following fatal attacks. Arrowhead, also called Lady of the Lake for her crocodile hunting skills, was found dead near Jogi Mahal in the Ranthambore reserve in western India on Thursday. She was around 14 years old. The tigress, officially designated T-84, had reportedly suffered from a bone tumour. She had stopped eating on Monday and appeared extremely thin and weak in her final video. An autopsy confirmed multiple organ failure. Forest officials cremated her body following National Tiger Conservation Authority protocols, with a gathering of wardens, wildlife photographers, and local conservationists present. The tigress, named for the distinct arrow-shaped mark on her cheek, was known for her fierce independence and unusual hunting skills, including eating crocodiles. Just days before her death, she was reportedly seen taking down a crocodile near Padam Talab, in a powerful echo of her grandmother, Machhli, Ranthambore's most famous big cat and original 'crocodile hunter.' Arrowhead's final moments were captured by Sachin Rai, a wildlife photographer who had tracked her since she was a cub. 'It was heartbreaking to see her struggle, attempting to rise and take a few feeble steps before collapsing again,' he wrote in a post accompanying video footage. 'Eventually, she reached a tree and lay beneath it. In that quiet moment, I knew in my heart that the end was near.' Arrowhead was the daughter of tigress Krishna and had inherited a prime territory in the reserve around Padam Talab. She raised ten cubs from four litters, and six of them survive her. She had several confrontations with male tigers over the years and even her own daughter, Riddhi, who eventually displaced her. Arrowhead's death came just hours after another of her daughters, Kankati, was tranquilised and relocated to the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve. Kankati had recently been involved in fatal attacks on a forest ranger and a 7-year-old child. 'It is a disheartening coincidence that she passed away on the same day when her daughter was being shifted,' field director Anoop K R said, according to the Hindustan Times. Arrowhead's death sparked an outpouring of tributes. Ranthambore's Instagram account posted: 'She was a symbol of grace, strength and motherly spirit.' Mr Rai echoed the sentiment, calling her 'a true tigress in every sense'. 'Arrowhead was a symbol of wild grace, of power tempered by patience, of survival against all odds,' he said. For many in India's wildlife conservation community, Arrowhead's death marks the end of an era – another link to Machhli lost. Her legacy, though, is being carried forward by the next generation of big cats.
Evening Standard
3 hours ago
- Evening Standard
I'm A Celeb star Scarlette Douglas reveals she narrowly avoided doomed flight that killed close friend
The Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, crashed in a huge fireball in the Indian city of Ahmedabad just seconds after it went into the air.
The National
7 hours ago
- The National
Loganair flight diverted from Glasgow to Aberdeen after engine fire
The flight had 30 passengers on board at the time and the plane's crew was able to shut down the engine and successfully extinguish the fire. The twin-engine aircraft diverted to Aberdeen and landed without further incident. READ MORE: SNP MSP Fergus Ewing to stand as independent at next Scottish Parliament election An investigation into the incident found that the fire took place inside the aircraft's cowlings due to a leak from the fuel return line. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the fuel return line had become loose following the engine failure. A report by AAIB stated that just 30 minutes into the journey the pilot described hearing a 'big thump' or 'muffled bang'. The plane then 'immediately yawned to the left' before the autopilot corrected its route. It was at this point that the mayday call was issued, and the diversion was initiated, with it landing safely at Aberdeen a short time later.
