India is sending Air India plane’s black box to the United States for advanced forensic analysis after local experts found it too damaged for recovery efforts.
The flight, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 275 people, including 242 passengers and 33 people on the ground.
Only one person survived.
The Air India Plane’s black box contains two devices. These record key data and cockpit conversations that help investigators understand what happened during a crash.
The aircraft crashed within seconds of takeoff. The pilot managed to send one Mayday call but did not respond after that. Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said, “He didn’t respond back to the air traffic control.”
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the investigation because the crash happened in India. However, a source told The Economic Times that the lab at AAIB headquarters in Delhi is not equipped to recover data from recorders damaged by fire and impact.
India Seeks US Expertise
India is now sending the recorders to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C., whose lab is well-known for retrieving data from damaged black boxes.
Indian officials will accompany the devices to ensure protocol and security.
“While AAIB had established a laboratory at its headquarters in Delhi last year, it is yet to be properly equipped to extract data from recorders which have sustained heavy damage,” said a source.
Analysis at the NTSB may take days or months, depending on the internal damage.
Specialists will carefully open the memory unit and try to extract any data without further harm.
What’s Inside a Black Box?
A black box consists of:
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Flight Data Recorder (FDR)
It logs speed, altitude, engine performance, and other system data.
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Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
It captures pilot communication, alarms, and cockpit sounds.
Black boxes are built with heat-resistant materials like titanium or stainless steel and painted orange or yellow for easy location.
They can survive high-impact crashes, fire, and underwater pressure. They also carry an Underwater Locator Beacon (ULB) that activates if the box comes in contact with water.
What Caused the AI-171 Crash?
Flight AI-171 was flying to Gatwick Airport in the UK. It took off around noon on June 12, 2025, and crashed within seconds at just 625 feet altitude.
It hit the rooftop of a medical college building. The recovered black box was found damaged due to impact and fire.
Investigators are considering several factors:
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If the wing flaps were fully extended
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Why was the landing gear down
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If fuel contamination occurred
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If an electronic failure shuts down the engines
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is built to fly on a single engine for up to 345 minutes, making this quick crash even more concerning to experts.
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