Indian investigators have begun analyzing data retrieved from the black boxes of the Air India plane crash that killed at least 241 people.
The country’s Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) were recovered from the wreckage and transported from Ahmedabad to Delhi for examination. The analysis is being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in collaboration with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
“The CVR and FDR data analysis is underway,” the ministry stated, adding that the goal is to reconstruct the events leading up to the crash and identify contributing factors to improve aviation safety.
According to the ministry, the crash-protected memory module from the front black box was safely retrieved, and its data was successfully downloaded at the AAIB laboratory.
The tragic incident occurred on June 12 when Air India Flight AI-171, en route to London, crashed into a residential area shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. The NTSB explained that the CVR captures cockpit sounds and pilot communications, while the FDR records critical flight parameters such as altitude, airspeed, and heading. These tools are expected to play a crucial role in the investigation.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy expressed hope that Indian authorities would release findings promptly to enhance public safety. “We hope they will share their conclusions quickly,” she told Reuters.
What Happened During the Flight
Data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft took off at around 1:38 p.m. local time and was last tracked at just 625 feet (about 190 meters) before disappearing from radar.
Aviation safety expert Ron Bartsch told that early indications suggest the aircraft’s configuration during takeoff was unusual. “It appears the plane still had its landing gear down and flaps retracted at 600 feet — that’s not standard takeoff procedure,” he said.
The aircraft involved was first introduced in 2013 and delivered to Air India in January 2014.
