The black box from the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad has been recovered, marking a crucial step in the investigation into one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent years. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed that the flight data recorder was retrieved within 28 hours by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The crash, which claimed the lives of 241 out of 242 people on board and at least eight more on the ground, occurred less than a minute after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off for London on Thursday. Among the deceased were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
The sole survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national seated in 11A, recounted his miraculous escape. “I thought I was going to die,” he said from his hospital bed, adding that he unfastened his seatbelt and crawled out of the burning wreckage after regaining consciousness.
Investigators are now analyzing the black box, which stores critical data like altitude, speed, and cockpit voice recordings. The AAIB is leading the inquiry, assisted by teams from the US, UK, and Boeing.
The plane crashed into Meghani Nagar, a densely populated residential area, sending wreckage flying across a 200-meter radius. Chilling images show parts of the aircraft embedded in buildings. On Friday, police moved onlookers back while teams continued the recovery operation.
Forensic teams are relying heavily on DNA identification due to the condition of the remains. Only six bodies have been identified so far, some based on facial features, while the rest await confirmation. Hospital officials, including Dr. Minakshi Parikh of BJ Medical College, have urged families for patience, citing the sensitive and precise nature of the process.
Among the dead were four medical students and four relatives of hospital staff. “We’re working with sincerity. We want to return the bodies, but we cannot rush this,” said Dr. Parikh.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site Friday, spending around 20 minutes inspecting the devastation. A video posted on his YouTube channel showed him walking solemnly through the debris. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also visited and later described the scene as “deeply moving.”
As the nation mourns, questions are mounting over what went wrong. Flight tracking data shows the aircraft, which was 11 years old, had completed over 700 flights in the past year. It had regularly operated routes between Mumbai, Dubai, New Delhi, and major European cities, including 25 trips from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick in the past two years.
In response to the tragedy, India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA, has ordered extra safety checks on Air India’s entire fleet of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft as a preventive measure.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company is cooperating fully with investigators.
Meanwhile, families of the victims wait for confirmation and closure. Imtiaz Ali, whose brother and relatives were on board, told the BBC, “Until I see the body, I won’t believe he’s dead. If I start crying, no one will be able to stop me. My heart might burst.”
As the investigation moves forward, the focus turns to piecing together the final moments of Flight AI171 and whether any technical or human error led to the catastrophic loss. For now, a nation grieves, and the world watches.
