The black box from the Air India flight that crashed on June 12 in Ahmedabad is damaged and may need to be sent to the United States for further analysis, sources say. This decision is still under review by the Indian government, which will make the final call.
This is a major development in the Air India crash investigation, and it’s one of today’s most important Daily news highlights.
What is the Black Box?
The term “black box” actually refers to two separate devices:
- Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): Records conversations, cockpit sounds, and alerts.
- Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Stores flight details like speed, altitude, and engine data.
Even though they are called “black boxes,” they are bright orange to make them easier to find in the wreckage.
Why It Might Go to the US
The black box from the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was found about 28 hours after the plane crashed. But experts say the box was damaged and may not work properly in India’s labs. If this is the case, it will be sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. for further analysis.
If the black box is sent to the US, a group of Indian officials will go along to make sure all safety and investigation protocols are followed. This is a common international practice when dealing with major aircraft accidents.
What Happened During the Crash?
The Air India flight, AI171, took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport around 1:39 PM. It was heading to Gatwick Airport in London, but it crashed just moments after takeoff.
- The aircraft reached less than 600 feet before it stopped climbing.
- A distress call was made 36 seconds into the flight.
- After that, radio silence followed.
- The plane crashed into a medical college hostel in the Meghani Nagar area.
- A huge fire broke out due to the crash.
Devastating Loss of Lives
There were 242 people on board the aircraft. Tragically, 241 people died, including both passengers and crew. Only one person survived—a British-Indian man who was seated in seat 11A.
The crash also caused the deaths of 33 people on the ground, most of them students in the BJ Medical College hostel where the plane crashed.
How the Black Box Works
- The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) in newer aircrafts stores up to 25 hours of audio. However, the Boeing 787 in this crash was delivered in 2014, before the 2021 update requiring longer storage. So this CVR probably stored only 2 hours of cockpit conversations.
- The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) captures detailed information about how the aircraft was flying. In modern aircraft like the Dreamliner, the FDR can track thousands of data points, such as altitude, speed, engine power, and control movements. These recordings usually loop for 25 hours.
What Happens Next?
Experts in both India and the US will now work to extract as much data as possible from the damaged recorders. The goal is to understand exactly what went wrong in those first few seconds after takeoff.
Government authorities, including the Ministry of Civil Aviation, are closely monitoring the investigation. Families of the victims and the global aviation community are waiting for answers.
This tragic crash of Air India flight AI171 has shocked the world. With the black box damaged, investigators now face more challenges in finding the real cause. Sending the black box to the US could help uncover the truth and prevent similar accidents in the future.
Stay tuned for more Breaking News and updates on this ongoing investigation in our Daily news highlights.
