AI Plane Crash: CVR, FDR analysis underway, Black Box data retrieved

In a significant step toward understanding the cause of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday confirmed that data from the front black box has been successfully extracted. The crash, which occurred on June 12, is now the subject of a high-level investigation led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). In an official statement, the ministry said that the memory module from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), also referred to as the front black box, was safely retrieved and its data downloaded at a government-run state-of-the-art laboratory in Delhi. The analysis of the CVR and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) is currently underway. “These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences,” the statement said.
The AAIB-led investigation includes a multidisciplinary team formed as per international protocol. It comprises aviation safety experts, an air traffic control officer, an aviation medicine specialist, and representatives from the U.S.-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in line with international regulations that require participation from the country of the aircraft’s design and manufacture. The two black boxes—CVR and FDR—were recovered from the crash site on separate days: one was located on a building rooftop on June 13, and the second was retrieved from the wreckage on June 16. They were securely transported from Ahmedabad to Delhi on June 24 aboard an Indian Air Force aircraft. The CVR arrived at the AAIB Lab at 2 PM, followed by the FDR at 5:15 PM the same day.
“The Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box was safely extracted and, on June 25, the memory module was accessed and data successfully downloaded,” the ministry added. The extraction was conducted in collaboration with NTSB experts under strict security and international standards.
Authorities also confirmed that stringent protocols were followed during the entire process, including 24x7 police protection, CCTV surveillance, and standard operating procedures for secure handling and transport of the flight recorders.

(State Correspondent)