Air India AI171 Crash: Black Box Recovered from Rooftop, AAIB Begins Full-Scale Investigation

Ahmedabad: In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday confirmed the recovery of the aircraft’s Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), popularly known as the black box. The recorder was found on the rooftop of a building near the crash site in Ahmedabad.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has clarified earlier misinformation suggesting that video footage being circulated online was from the aircraft’s black box. “The DFDR was recovered today by the investigation team and the videos circulating are not from the aircraft’s flight data systems,” a senior ministry official stated.

The discovery is expected to be pivotal in uncovering the exact cause of the disaster, which claimed 241 lives—including that of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani—and left only one survivor, 40-year-old British-Indian businessman Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.

The AAIB has launched a comprehensive investigation into the crash, with over 40 officials from the Gujarat State Government assisting the central team on the ground. A detailed analysis of the DFDR, which logs crucial information about the aircraft’s speed, altitude, engine performance, and pilot inputs, is expected to offer investigators vital clues.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as AI171, crashed just minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 13:39 local time on June 12, en route to London Gatwick. The aircraft was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced Line Training Captain with over 8,200 flight hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged approximately 1,100 flight hours.

A Mayday distress call was issued shortly after takeoff, but contact with air traffic control was lost seconds later. The aircraft crashed into a densely populated area, striking the doctors’ hostel near BJ Medical College, sparking a massive blaze and chaos in the vicinity.

Officials said that the black box is being sent to a specialized lab for decoding and analysis, and preliminary findings may be available in the coming days.