In one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the world, the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash killed over 270 people.
New Delhi: India is planning to send the severely damaged black box from the recent Air India plane crash to the United States for detailed analysis, amid difficulties extracting vital flight data locally due to extensive fire damage.
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed near Ahmedabad last week, killing 241 passengers and crew onboard, along with at least 30 people on the ground, leaving a lone survivor. It is the deadliest aviation disaster in the world in the past decade. The crash investigation, led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), is focusing on multiple possible causes, from mechanical malfunctions to fuel contamination.
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According to a report by The Economic Times, Indian investigators are preparing to send the aircraft’s black box – which comprises the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) – to the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) laboratory in Washington. Due to post-crash fire damage, the data could not be retrieved in India, the report claimed, citing unnamed sources.
However, AAIB Director General GVG Yugandhar disputed the report, calling it “factually incorrect” in an emailed response to Reuters, without providing further clarification.
The black box is a crucial tool in aviation accident investigations. The FDR stores technical data such as altitude, airspeed, and aircraft configuration, while the CVR captures cockpit conversations and warning sounds. Together, they help reconstruct the flight’s final moments.
Officials also confirmed that representatives from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) will participate in the analysis at the NTSB lab, as 53 British nationals were among the deceased.
Investigators are now evaluating several possibilities, including whether the wing flaps and landing gear were correctly deployed and whether electronic system failures or fuel issues could have contributed to the crash.
Air India has so far declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
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What is a Black Box?
Commonly called a “black box,” the recorder is painted bright orange and typically located near the aircraft’s tail, where crash damage is least likely. However, high-impact crashes and fires can still damage these devices severely, making data retrieval difficult and requiring international assistance.
The data analysis will likely provide critical insight into what caused the Boeing 787 to go down, and whether any systemic safety issues were involved.
