Indian investigators download black box data from fatal Air India crash
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Indian investigators download black box data from fatal Air India crash
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed moments after takeoff from India’s Ahmedabad city on June 12, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and the rest on the ground. The black boxes of the plane — the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) — were recovered in the days that followed. Two of the GE recorders, one in the jet’s front and another at the rear, are installed on Boeing’s 787 jets and record the same set of flight data. The data retrieved from them could provide critical clues into the aircraft’s performance.
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed moments after takeoff from India’s Ahmedabad city on June 12, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and the rest on the ground.
The black boxes of the plane — the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) — were recovered in the days that followed, one from the rooftop of a building at the crash site on June 13, and the other from the debris on June 16.
The ministry said data from the front recorder was accessed on Wednesday by a team led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
“These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences,” the ministry said in a statement.
The probe into the crash of the Air India plane, which started losing height after reaching an altitude of 650 feet, includes a focus on engine thrust, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that investigators believe the Dreamliner had its emergency-power generator operating when it crashed.
Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, with a preliminary report expected about 30 days after the accident.
Two of the GE recorders, one in the jet’s front and another at the rear, are installed on Boeing’s 787 jets and record the same set of flight data. GE, which sent experts to India, manufactured the engines on the Air India 787 and also produced the combined flight data and cockpit voice recorder, called an “enhanced airborne flight recorder”.
The forward recorder is equipped with an independent power supply that provides backup power to the device for about 10 minutes if the plane’s power source is lost, the NTSB said in a 2014 report.
The decision to begin downloading recorder data around two weeks after the crash was unusually late, three experts told Reuters, and followed speculation that the so-called black boxes could be sent to the US for analysis.
US aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said accident investigators would typically have already given some update on the recorders’ status, and have begun downloading data in such a high profile crash.
“Normally countries know that the world is watching,” he said.
India said last week that it was yet to decide where the black boxes would be analysed. The data retrieved from them could provide critical clues into the aircraft’s performance and any conversations between the pilots preceding the crash.
India has said its actions have been taken in full compliance with domestic laws and international obligations in a time bound manner.
Indian investigators download black box data from fatal Air India crash
Investigators have downloaded flight recorder data from an Air India crash that killed 260 people. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed moments after takeoff from India’s Ahmedabad city on June 12, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The data retrieved from them could provide critical clues into the aircraft’s performance and any conversations between the pilots preceding the crash. The decision to begin downloading recorder data around two weeks after the crash was unusually late, three experts told Reuters, and followed speculation that the so-called black boxes could be sent to the United States for analysis. The probe into the crash of the Air India plane, which started losing height after reaching an altitude of 650 feet, includes a focus on engine thrust, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
Summary
Companies Black boxes recovered, data downloaded in Delhi crash
Protection Module safely retrieved and data accessed
CVR and FDR analysis may reveal critical details
NEW DELHI, June 26 (Reuters) – Investigators have downloaded flight recorder data from an Air India crash this month that killed 260 people, India’s civil aviation ministry said on Thursday, a long-awaited step towards understanding the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.
The London-bound Boeing (BA.N) , opens new tab 787 Dreamliner crashed moments after takeoff from India’s Ahmedabad city on June 12, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and the rest on the ground.
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The black boxes of the plane – the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) – were recovered in the days that followed, one from the rooftop of a building at the crash site on June 13, and the other from the debris on June 16.
The ministry said data from the front recorder was accessed on Wednesday by a team led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
“These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences,” the ministry said in a statement.
The probe into the crash of the Air India plane, which started losing height after reaching an altitude of 650 feet, includes a focus on engine thrust , according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that investigators believe the Dreamliner had its emergency-power generator operating when it crashed.
Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, with a preliminary report expected about 30 days after the accident.
Two of the GE (GE.N) , opens new tab recorders, one in the jet’s front and another at the rear, are installed on Boeing’s 787 jets and record the same set of flight data. GE, which sent experts to India, manufactured the engines on the Air India 787 and also produced the combined flight data and cockpit voice recorder, called an “enhanced airborne flight recorder”.
The forward recorder is equipped with an independent power supply that provides backup power to the device for about 10 minutes if the plane’s power source is lost, the NTSB said in a 2014 report.
The decision to begin downloading recorder data around two weeks after the crash was unusually late, three experts told Reuters, and followed speculation that the so-called black boxes could be sent to the United States for analysis.
U.S. aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said accident investigators would typically have already given some update on the recorders’ status, and have begun downloading data in such a high profile crash.
“Normally countries know that the world is watching,” he said.
India said last week that it was yet to decide where the black boxes would be analysed. The data retrieved from them could provide critical clues into the aircraft’s performance and any conversations between the pilots preceding the crash.
India has said its actions have been taken in full compliance with domestic laws and international obligations in a time bound manner.
Reporting by Sakshi Dayal in New Delhi and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by YP Rajesh and Philippa Fletcher
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
India recovers data from black boxes after deadly crash
All but one of the 242 people on board the Air India flight were killed on June 12. The jet crashed in the western city of Ahmedabad, where at least 19 others were left dead. The two black boxes were found within days of the crash, but were only flown to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in New Delhi on Tuesday. Investigators have recovered more than 100 mobile phones with the aim of retrieving any recordings that “may provide clues about the final moments of the flight”, Ahmedabad police commissioner GS Malik said last week. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was “well-maintained” and that the pilots were accomplished flyers, Air India said.
All but one of the 242 people on board the Air India flight were killed on June 12 when the jet crashed in the western city of Ahmedabad, where at least 19 others were left dead.
Two weeks after the disaster, the civil aviation ministry said investigators have started “the data extraction process” from the plane’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders.
“The analysis… is underway. These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences,” a ministry statement said.
The two black boxes were found within days of the crash, but were only flown to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in New Delhi on Tuesday.
One of the victims’ relatives said they were waiting for answers.
“For now, all we know is the plane took off and then fell. How? Why? Nobody knows. And we want to know. We deserve to know,” said Imtiyaz Ali, whose brother was on the plane with his wife and two children.
“I refuse to believe that our aviation sector is this bad that we still don’t have even a slight indication about what went wrong,” he told AFP on Wednesday.
Air India said last week that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was “well-maintained” and that the pilots were accomplished flyers.
Investigators have recovered more than 100 mobile phones with the aim of retrieving any recordings that “may provide clues about the final moments of the flight”, Ahmedabad police commissioner GS Malik said last week.
The plane was being reconstructed at an undisclosed location “to detect any signs of mechanical failure, structural faults, or explosions”, he told journalists.
– ‘We are moving forward’ –
Forensic scientists have meanwhile been analysing hundreds of DNA samples in order to identify the victims.
Despite the jet bursting into a fireball when it smashed down moments after takeoff, a forensic dentist told AFP the team has been able to find matches through teeth.
“A protected molar tooth can withstand a temperature of over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit,” or 980 degrees Celsius, Jayasankar P Pillai said.
The painstaking forensic process has enabled the majority of victims to be identified.
“So far 260 deaths have been confirmed through DNA and police identification,” Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel said.
One victim remains unidentified, a member of the forensic team told AFP on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
A police source told AFP two days after the disaster that 279 bodies had been recovered from the crash site.
The plane slammed into accommodation for medics, killing four doctors and injuring at least 24 as it hit the canteen.
Smit Patel, a medical intern, joined a gathering this week to open a makeshift kitchen.
“For us, reopening the mess is symbolic… despite everything, we are moving forward,” he said. – AFP
Decoding the Ahmedabad Plane Tragedy: Insights from Black Box Analysis
The government has announced progress in the investigation of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which resulted in the loss of 270 lives. Data extracted from the black boxes, including the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder, is currently under analysis to determine the crash’s sequence
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) established a multi-disciplinary team, including representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), to conduct a thorough investigation. Initial findings revealed that both black boxes were recovered shortly after the accident and transported to Delhi for inspection under stringent security measures.
Criticism has arisen from the Opposition Congress regarding the delayed appointment of a lead investigator for the probe. However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation emphasizes adherence to international and domestic protocols, aiming to prevent future tragedies through this detailed investigation.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Labourer in India fights off leopard attack in Gladiator style with bare hands
Mihilal Gautam, 35, used his entire weight to press down on the neck, head and limbs of a large wild leopard at a brick kiln. The big cat was hiding inside the kiln’s chimney and pounced as he approached. Forest rangers searched for the leopard, but the wounded animal, when cornered, attacked again, leaving five people in the search party injured.Wildlife officials eventually found and subdued the animal with a tranquiliser. The local forest management office is now assessing the animal’s condition and plans to relocate it to a rescue centre, reports said.
In a video that has been viewed over 350,000 times after it was posted at one X account on June 24, Mihilal Gautam can be seen using his entire weight to press down on the neck, head and limbs of a large wild leopard at a brick kiln.
The big cat was hiding inside the kiln’s chimney and pounced as Gautam, who was gathering ash, approached, according to a report in The Indian Express.
With his life on the line, Gautam – who was unarmed – managed to wrestle the leopard to the ground and pin it there.
In the video, the leopard is seen clawing at Gautam with its hind legs and trying to take a bite of his hands and head.
The other workers hear Gautam screaming and gather around him and the leopard from an elevated ledge.
From there, they pelt the leopard with heavy bricks, mostly hitting its exposed posterior.
The big cat eventually fled towards a nearby banana field, reported The Indian Express.
Gautam was treated for severe injuries, but he lived.
“This man fought a leopard empty-handed and survived. That is not something we see every day,” Nripendra Chaturvedi, a forest ranger, told The Free Press Journal.
While many others who have seen the viral video praised Gautam for his grit and tenacity, there were some who wondered why the gaggle of men who saw him wrestling with the leopard did not do more than just throwing bricks.
“Is this crowd so effete that all they could do is pelt stones and bricks from above and watch as a single man risks his life to fight a leopard?” one commenter asked on X.
There were those who were on the leopard’s side.
“What can animals do when their habitats are destroyed? Of course they will encroach into human habitation,” said one user on YouTube.
Another said that it seemed to him Gautam was actually trying to protect the leopard from being stoned to death by covering the wild animal with his body.
Forest rangers searched for the leopard, but the wounded animal, when cornered, attacked again, leaving five people in the search party injured.
Police later joined in the search.
Wildlife officials eventually found and subdued the leopard with a tranquiliser.
The local forest management office is now assessing the animal’s condition and plans to relocate it to a rescue centre, The Free Press Journal reported. – The Straits Times/ANN