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NDTV
15 hours ago
- General
- NDTV
Exclusive: How Air India Flight's Black Box Was Damaged And What Comes Next
New Delhi: The black box units from the wreckage of Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed 36 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 274 people, including 33 on the ground, have sustained damage. According to aviation sources speaking to NDTV, one of the black boxes is visibly more damaged than the other, likely due to a fall during or after the crash. Both the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), collectively referred to as the "black boxes", are currently in secure custody under the supervision of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Sources involved in the crash investigation told NDTV that a preliminary inspection shows external structural compromise, which, if not handled delicately, could risk internal data integrity. What We Know 1. Two black box units have been recovered - one unit is more damaged than the other. 2. A decision on what to do with the black boxes will be taken soon. 3. Options under consideration: The black boxes may be sent to a HAL facility near Lucknow, the NTSB in the United States, the Civil Aviation Authority in the United Kingdom, or to Singapore. 4. One of the black boxes has sustained damage to its outer surface. This damage occurred as a result of a fall. 5. The data on both the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) is stored in binary format. This data must be converted into an engineering format, after which information will become accessible. The interpretation of this data will form the basis of the crash report. 6. It remains unclear whether a preliminary report or a final report will be issued. 7. Investigators are concerned about opening the damaged black box due to the condition of its outer casing. 8. It is possible that data from the second, undamaged unit can be retrieved within India. 9. India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has stepped up randomised surveillance of relevant flights during the interim period. 10. The investigation will include analysis of debris samples and material samples from the surface of the runway. 11. Sabotage also needs to be ruled out. 12. Sources on the crash of AI-171 stated: "This is a mystery." What Is A Black Box The black box from the doomed Air India flight was recovered Monday, 28 hours after the crash. The 'black boxes' are actually bright orange in colour to help locate them from debris and wreckage. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captures up to 25 hours of cockpit conversations, noise, radio calls with air traffic control, and audible alerts in newer aircraft models. However, AI-171 was operating a Boeing 787 delivered in 2014, prior to the 2021 mandate for 25-hour CVR storage. Therefore, the recorder likely had a two-hour recording capacity. The Flight Data Recorder (FDR), on the other hand, collects parameters such as altitude, airspeed, heading, vertical acceleration, and control surface movements, among others. In modern jets like the 787-8, FDRs can record thousands of parameters simultaneously and loop for over 25 hours. The Crash And Its Aftermath The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered VT-ANB, lifted off at 1:39 PM on June 12 from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, en route to London Gatwick. Less than a minute into the flight, the pilots transmitted a distress call citing loss of thrust. Radio contact was subsequently lost. Seconds later, the aircraft, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a residential area near Meghani Nagar, adjacent to the airport's northeast perimeter. It ignited a blaze on impact, damaging a medical college hostel and killing 33 people on the ground. The sole survivor, seated in 11A, is a British-Indian man who was thrown clear of the wreckage.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Week on, key recoveries done, debris to be shifted to AAI site
: Exactly one week after India's deadliest air crash in three decades, investigators have completed key recovery work at the Ahmedabad crash site and are now focusing on accessing the black boxes to determine what caused the Boeing Dreamliner to plunge into a medical hostel moments after take-off, killing 241 of 242 people aboard and several more on the ground. The aviation ministry said on Thursday that 'key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway' at the site by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). 'The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations,' the ministry stated, addressing speculation about whether the black boxes would be sent overseas for analysis. Both sets of flight recorders from the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner have been recovered - the first combined Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) unit was found on June 13, with the second set was located on June 16. The B787 aircraft model carries two black box sets – one under the cockpit and the other in the tail section -- as standard. According to a police official aware of the probe, the debris will soon be moved to a site near the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL) office near the airport, on land owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). 'Experts will attempt to reconstruct sections of the aircraft at that site to assist in the inquiry. All electronic components recovered from the wreckage will be handed over to the Forensic Science Laboratory for detailed examination,' the official said. Ahmedabad police commissioner GS Malik said 'reconstructed parts of the aircraft will be examined to determine what led to the crash. The black box will be analysed as part of this process'. The debris removal and transportation process typically involves careful cataloguing and preservation of aircraft components that could provide crucial evidence about the crash sequence. Investigators must maintain a strict chain of custody for all materials, with larger structural components often moved to specialised facilities where they can be reconstructed to understand the aircraft's final moments. Critical components like engines and control surfaces undergo detailed metallurgical and mechanical analysis to identify any failures or anomalies that may have contributed to the accident. The statement of the lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar, has also been recorded, according to Malik. Viswash recounted to HT that shortly after takeoff, he heard a loud sound and felt the aircraft lose balance, moments before the crash. According to an official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), CISF personnel stationed near the emergency exit close to the Instrument Landing System (ILS) area on the runway heard a loud sound as the aircraft took off. The investigation involves multiple agencies, with teams from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Boeing assisting the AAIB under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) protocols. A separate committee headed by the home secretary and involving civil aviation ministry officials was also announced to look into larger questions about regulations and safety standards in the aftermath of the crash. On Thursday, 215 victims have been identified through DNA matching, with 198 bodies handed over to their families so far, the Ahmedabad civil hospital said. The victims included 149 Indians, 32 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. The crash has had significant operational impact on Air India, which announced a 15% reduction in international widebody services. Enhanced surveillance checks ordered by the DGCA on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet found no issues in 26 out of 33 aircraft inspected. As an added precaution, Air India will also undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet. The airline said flights will therefore be reduced on 16 international routes and suspended on 3 overseas destinations between June 21 and July 15. Services will be suspended on Delhi-Nairobi, Amritsar-London (Gatwick) and Goa (Mopa)-London (Gatwick) till July 15. The curtailments include 16 international routes connecting cities in North America, Europe, Australia and the far East.
Economic Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
New lab, old problem: India's new Rs 9 crore black box lab fails first big test, as govt plans to send Air India crashed plane black box to US
PTI Remains of the crashed Air India plane lie on a building, in Ahmedabad. Just two months after inaugurating a state-of-the-art laboratory for analysing aircraft black boxes, the Indian government has decided to send the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the recent Air India crash to the United States for decoding. The move highlights limitations in India's newly launched facility, which was expected to handle such critical investigations. The black box, retrieved from the crashed Air India Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, has been sent to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (DFDR & CVR) Laboratory in New Delhi. In April, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated the DFDR & CVR Laboratory at the AAIB headquarters in New Delhi. Built with an investment of Rs 9 crore and technical support from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the facility was designed to recover flight data and conduct detailed crash aimed to meet international standards and enable India to independently analyse black boxes without sending them abroad. The lab is expected to reduce dependency on foreign agencies and improve the speed of investigations. The new lab is in the process of decoding the data from black boxes.. Officials said, 'AAIB experts attempted to retrieve the data but found that the extent of damage to the recorders necessitates more sophisticated equipment.' The recorders may be sent to the US-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for data recovery. A team from the NTSB will handle the transport under Indian supervision to ensure proper chain of custody, if a decision is taken to send them to US. The United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch will also be involved in the investigation, as 53 British citizens were among the passengers killed. Experts handling the recovery process will attempt to extract the memory board chip and inspect the damaged circuitry. This is a delicate operation, and any mistake could result in permanent data loss. Black boxes, which include the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), are essential tools for accident investigation. The FDR logs flight details such as altitude, speed, and engine data, while the CVR captures cockpit audio and commercial aircraft like the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, these devices are located in the tail section to increase chances of survival during crashes. They are built to withstand high-impact crashes and extreme fast-growing aviation sector relies heavily on timely and thorough investigations to improve safety standards. The inability of the newly opened AAIB lab to handle this case has raised questions about its readiness to deal with complex crash scenarios.
India Gazette
a day ago
- India Gazette
AAIB commences formal inquiry into the Air India flight crash incident
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has commenced a formal inquiry into the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad and the multi-disciplinary team from AAIB has commenced investigation from June 12, said an official statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday. The investigation has been ordered by DG, AAIB. NTSB and OEM teams have arrived to assist AAIB as per ICAO protocols. A combined unit of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) has been recovered from the crash site on 13 June 2025 and another set was found on 16 June. This model of aircraft has two Blackbox sets, added the statement. The AAIB investigation is progressing steadily with all necessary support from local authorities and agencies. Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway. The Ministry remains committed to full transparency relating to the ongoing investigation and will follow all mandated protocols and norms, in the larger interest of the highest standards of Passenger Safety and convenience. The Minister emphasised the importance of working together as a cohesive and responsive team to uphold passenger trust and bring operational stability, which has been the cornerstone of Indian aviation. Certain media outlets have reported that the CVR/DFDR from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis. The AAIB will decide the location for decoding the flight recorders after assessing all technical, safety, and security considerations, mentioned the official statement. The Ministry of Civil Aviation urged all stakeholders to refrain from speculation on such sensitive matters and to allow the investigative process to proceed with the seriousness and professionalism it warrants. The crash occurred on June 12, when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The tragedy claimed 241 lives out of 242 onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. (ANI)
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
AAIB yet to decide where black box data will be decoded
The government body investigating the Air India Boeing 787-8 crash in Ahmedabad last week will take a decision on where the black box data will be decoded 'after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Thursday (June 19, 2025). The statement said two different sets of black boxes were recovered from the crash site, one on June 13 and another on June 16. Each black box unit comprises the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). 'This model of aircraft has two black box sets,' the press statement said about the Boeing 787-8 aircraft involved in the crash. Veteran pilots explained that these are called Extended Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR), of which one unit is in the nose and one in the tail section for redundancy (or fall back). When last time the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigated an airline crash, involving the Air India Express accident in August 2020 in Calicut that killed 21 out of the total 190 onboard, the black box was sent to the lab of the American apex body for probing air crashes, National Transportation Safety Board. According to a former AAIB official, the entire downloading of the data was under the watchful presence of the then Indian Ambassador to the U.S., Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who was in the facility for two days. At that time, India did not have its own dedicated lab for reading out DFDR and CVR data, and the black box was also damaged, the above quoted official said. The AAIB in April inaugurated a new Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (DFDR & CVR) laboratory at its headquarters set up with an investment of ₹9 crore. But it is not clear whether the data will be decoded here. A government official closely involved with the probe said there would be a preliminary report. Interestingly, during the only other airline crash investigated by the AAIB (which was formed in 2012), after the Mangalore crash of May 2010 — i.e. Calicut accident — only the final report was published within a year. Officials, past and present, explained that the rules under which the AAIB carries out an investigation do not specify a timeline for a preliminary report, even though the UN aviation safety watchdog, the International Civil Aviation Organisation's Annex 13 requires one within 30 days. A similar rule is not part of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017 formed under the principal law, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024. The Rules define a preliminary report as a 'communication used for the prompt dissemination of data obtained during the early stages of the investigation.' But Clause 9 of the Rules dealing with preliminary investigation states that its scope is to 'assess the classification of the occurrence and the expertise needed for detailed investigation'. There are three kinds of air mishaps — incident, serious incident or accident. One of the above mentioned officials said the Calicut probe team didn't release a preliminary report because the Rules don't lay down a timeline for it and require such a report to only categorise the nature of the mishap. He added that the team involved in the drafting of the Rules held the opinion that such a report could be vastly different from the final investigation report, which may result in public criticism and media backlash. The AAIB has the responsibility to fulfil the obligations of the Indian government under ICAO's Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation signed at Chicago (Chicago Convention) on December 7, 1944 and amended from time to time. India is among the 193 countries that are signatories to the Convention.
