In a developing story, the black boxes from the Air India Boeing 787 crash are likely to be sent to the United States for analysis, according to a report by The Economic Times.
This decision comes over a week after the tragic incident that claimed the lives of 241 individuals on board the flight bound for London.
The standard setup for commercial aircraft includes two black boxes: one responsible for recording technical flight data including altitude and airspeed, and the other capturing cockpit audio to assist investigators in analyzing pilot conversations and any irregular sounds that may have occurred during the flight.
Amid reports of severe damage, it appears that the flight data recorder was significantly affected by the post-crash fire, hindering data retrieval efforts in India, as mentioned by industry sources.
The Economic Times indicated that the data recovery is now expected to take place at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) laboratory in Washington, with the findings to be shared with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
Adding to the complexity of the investigation, the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch will also participate, given that 53 British citizens were among those who perished in the crash.
Notably, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated a new lab at the AAIB headquarters in New Delhi dedicated to black box analysis this past April.
Constructed with a budget of ₹9 crore, with technical assistance from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, this state-of-the-art facility was designed for the recovery of flight data and to aid in in-depth crash investigations like that of Flight AI 171.
Despite this investment in local analysis capabilities, it seems the black boxes from the crash will still require examination in the U.S.
In the wake of the disaster, officials from India’s civil aviation ministry have conducted inspections of several Air India Boeing 787 aircraft, which reported no significant safety issues.
The Ministry confirmed that both the aircraft and the maintenance systems met current safety regulations, following the catastrophic event of Air India Flight 171’s crash on June 12, 2025.
Air India operates a total of 34 Boeing 787s, comprising 27 787-8s and seven 787-9s, as per ch-aviation data.
In light of the accident, operational scrutiny has intensified, with India’s aviation regulator mandating safety inspections across the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.
The concern for safety extends beyond Indian borders, as Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) also issued directives for airlines, including All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines, to inspect their 787 aircraft.
Consequently, Air India has announced a temporary reduction in its international flight operations, following guidance from the Indian aviation regulator to enhance its operational standards.
This operational adjustment follows complaints the airline had received regarding malfunctioning cabin equipment and inadequate communication to passengers, prior to the incident.
The crash, which occurred on June 12, 2025, involved Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft registered as VT-ANB.
It took off from Ahmedabad International Airport (AMD) but tragically failed to gain altitude, resulting in a crash into a residential area over a kilometer away from the airport.
This incident marked the first-ever hull loss for a Boeing 787.
Investigators are currently focusing on several technical factors including engine thrust, flap configurations, and why the landing gear was not retracted post-takeoff, as reported by sources familiar with the investigation.
However, a preliminary conclusion regarding the cause of the crash typically requires several months after the investigation commences.
Out of the total 242 occupants onboard, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members, only one individual survived — a single person seated in 11A, which was positioned just in front of the left-side emergency exit.
This sole survivor was released from the hospital following recovery.
The crash also had tragic ramifications on the ground, with reports indicating that it landed in proximity to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital complex, leading to at least 33 additional casualties in the surrounding area.
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