By The Sampadak Express
Ahmedabad: The black box of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which tragically crashed moments after take-off in Ahmedabad yesterday, has been recovered. The crucial device, responsible for recording vital flight data, was found atop the doctors’ hostel that was struck by the aircraft during the crash.
A joint team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), along with 40 personnel from the Gujarat government, successfully located the digital flight data recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box. This discovery is expected to play a key role in uncovering the cause behind one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters.
“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,” posts Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu.
Despite its name, the black box is a bright orange, highly durable device, designed for easy visibility amid wreckage. It is engineered to endure extreme heat, pressure, and impact, ensuring the preservation of critical flight information even in the most catastrophic accidents.
The black box consists of two main components:
1. The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), which logs key flight parameters such as speed, altitude, and engine performance.
2. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), which captures cockpit conversations, pilot communications with air traffic control, and ambient sounds.
The ill-fated flight, operated by the Tata-owned Air India, was en route from Ahmedabad to London, carrying 242 passengers. Only one passenger, an Indian-origin British national, miraculously survived the crash.
Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrashekhar confirmed that investigative teams from India, the United States, and the United Kingdom have arrived at the crash site to assist in the investigation. “Trained investigators will help us understand why a routine flight ended in such a tragic disaster,” he stated.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner involved in the crash was 12 years old. Notably, this model is considered one of the most reliable passenger aircraft globally.
CCTV footage from the Ahmedabad airport shows the aircraft accelerating normally along the runway and taking off without any apparent issues. However, shortly after becoming airborne, the aircraft failed to gain the expected altitude. It maintained a dangerously low level before rapidly losing altitude, ultimately crashing into the doctors’ hostel near the end of the runway.
The recovered black box is now expected to offer crucial insights into what led to the sudden loss of altitude and the catastrophic crash.
