Authorities have recovered the flight data recorder, commonly known as the 'black box', from the roof of the hostel building (crash site) of Air India flight AI171, said the civil aviation ministry on Friday (June 13). The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had departed from Ahmedabad airport en route to London Gatwick when it tragically crashed just minutes after takeoff.
The accident resulted in the deaths of 297 people, marking one of the deadliest aviation incidents involving an Indian carrier in recent years. Remarkably, one passenger seated in 11A survived the crash and has been hospitalised with serious injuries.
A team of Ahmedabad Fire Brigade officials used specialised equipment like metal cutters to search the black box in the wreckage at the accident site in Meghaninagar near the airport, where the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed on Thursday (June 12) afternoon.
Black Box recovered within 28 hours: Civil Aviation Minister
"The Flight Data Recorder (Black Box) has been recovered within 28 hours from the accident site in Ahmedabad by AAIB. This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident," Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X.
Digital Flight Data Recorder found on the rooftop
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said, "The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop." AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) said, "DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder) itself is the black box."
What is a black box?
A black box is a crucial flight recording device installed in aircraft that captures essential data during a flight. Despite its name, the black box is typically bright orange to aid in recovery after a crash.It consists of two key components-
- Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Logs technical information such as altitude, airspeed, engine performance, and flight path.
- Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): Records conversations and sounds within the cockpit, including pilot communications and alarms.
Together, these devices play a vital role in aviation accident investigations by helping experts reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to an incident. The data retrieved from black boxes is often instrumental in identifying the cause of a crash and improving future flight safety protocols.
The recovered black box is expected to provide critical insights into the aircraft’s final moments, aiding investigators in piecing together the events that led to the fatal crash.
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