The government said on Thursday that data from the black boxes of the Air India plane crash on 12 June has been successfully retrieved and is now under analysis.
The black boxes—a flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR)—sustained damage in the crash, raising concerns about data recovery. Last week, reports indicated that the government considered sending the FDR and CVR to the United States for forensic analysis.
However, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) achieved a significant breakthrough by extracting the Crash Protection Module (CPM) and memory module, enabling successful data download.
The government confirmed that both black boxes—one recovered from the rooftop of a hostel struck by the plane and the other from the wreckage—were transported to the AAIB laboratory in Delhi on Tuesday. The first arrived at 2:00 PM, followed by the second at 5:15 PM. Data extraction began that day and concluded by Wednesday.
The CVR is expected to provide insights into cockpit conversations, crew actions, and ambient sounds, while the FDR holds critical details such as altitude, airspeed, flight control inputs, and engine performance.
“Analysis of the CVR and FDR data is ongoing to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify factors contributing to the crash, with the aim of improving aviation safety,” the government stated.
The crash involved Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flight AI 171, which plummeted 36 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, claiming 241 lives on board and 34 on the ground. The data is anticipated to clarify key questions surrounding the tragedy.
According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, a distress call was issued seconds before impact, with Captain Sabharwal reportedly declaring, “Mayday, mayday…” to Ahmedabad air traffic control. Reports also suggest he mentioned a loss of power and thrust. The CVR data should confirm whether he stated, “…no power…no thrust…,” a critical clue pointing to potential engine failure.
The government verified the plane took off at 1:39 PM and crashed 36 seconds later. The CVR will reveal the precise moment of the “mayday” call, indicating how much time Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder had to attempt to save the aircraft. Only one passenger, a British-Indian man seated in 11A, survived.
While the cause remains uncertain, the leading theory—supported by audio and video evidence showing the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—suggests either a dual engine failure or a widespread hydraulic or electronic malfunction. Air India noted that the aircraft underwent regular safety checks, with its right engine replaced less than four months prior and the left inspected in April.