AAIB to assess site for crashed Air India black boxes

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will determine the location for decoding the black boxes recovered from the crashed Air India flight AI 171 after thoroughly assessing all technical, safety, and security considerations, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on Thursday. This clarification comes amid growing speculation that the flight recorders might be sent to the United States due to the extent of damage and the complexity of analysis required.In a statement, the ministry said, “It has been reported in certain media outlets that the CVR/DFDR from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis. 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 MoCA also urged stakeholders to refrain from speculation and allow the investigation to proceed as it calls for serious attention. It confirmed that the AAIB’s investigation is progressing steadily, with support from local authorities and agencies. Critical recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed and further analysis is underway.Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner headed to London, crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad last week, resulting in the death of over 200 people onboard and several others on the ground. Boeing 787 aircraft are equipped with two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs), each performing the combined roles of a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and a digital flight data recorder (DFDR). The first unit was recovered from the crash site on June 13 and the second on June 16.
While the extent of damage to the units has not been officially disclosed, industry sources indicate that AAIB investigators are evaluating whether the new black box laboratory in Delhi commissioned in April with the support of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)—is equipped to handle the task. If not, the recorders may be sent to the U.S.-based National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, which is already assisting with the probe due to Boeing’s involvement.

“The new AAIB lab is world-class, but if the damage is extensive or the level of analysis required exceeds current capabilities, the black boxes may be sent to an advanced overseas facility,” a source familiar with the matter said. If the units are sent abroad, an AAIB team will accompany them to ensure their security and data integrity.The data from the black boxes—CVR and DFDR—is critical for investigators as it captures not only flight parameters but also conversations between the pilots, sounds in the cockpit, communications with air traffic control, and other vital indicators leading up to the crash. The analysis of this data will be pivotal in understanding what caused the fatal accident.

(State Correspondent)