Ahmedabad plane crash live updates: DGCA orders safety checks on entire Boeing 787-8/9 fleet
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Ahmedabad plane crash live updates: DGCA orders safety checks on entire Boeing 787-8/9 fleet
The black box will help investigators determine the reason for the Ahmedabad plane crash, including technical faults or human error. It will reveal detailed information such as engine settings, flight altitude, control inputs, and cockpit conversations. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed in Ahmedabad 33 seconds after takeoff on Thursday, ramming into a residential complex near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The sole survivor, British-Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the Indian city of Ahmedabad. The pilot may have issued a May Day call shortly after takeoff, according to reports. The black box could be pivotal in understanding the final moments of the flight, an aviation mechanical engineer has said. The aircraft’s black box was found on a rooftop near the wreckage.
Following the Boeing 787 flight crash, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered enhanced safety inspections for Air India’s entire Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet. The step is aimed at preventing any repeat of what has become one of India’s deadliest plane crashes in recent history.
According to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has already begun decoding the data of the black box “with full force.” The black box, comprising the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), was found on a rooftop near the wreckage.
The black box will help investigators determine the reason for the Ahmedabad plane crash, including technical faults or human error. It will reveal detailed information such as engine settings, flight altitude, control inputs, and cockpit conversations.
Meanwhile, the Centre has constituted a high-level multi-disciplinary committee to probe the Air India plane incident. The civil aviation ministry, in its order, stated: “The Committee will examine the causes leading to the crash, study current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and recommend comprehensive guidelines to prevent such disasters in the future.”
The probe panel will have access to aircraft maintenance logs, ATC recordings, black box data, and eyewitness testimonies. A final report is expected within three months.
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site of the Ahmedabad airport plane crash before heading to Civil Hospital where the sole survivor, British-Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is undergoing treatment.
PM Modi also held a review meeting with senior officials at the airport to assess the situation and coordinate Ahmedabad plane crash emergency resources.
Lone survivor recalls his lucky escape
The 40-year-old, Ramesh, lone survivor of the ahammed flight crash, recounted his miraculous escape in an interview with India’s national broadcaster.
“It felt like the aircraft got stuck right after takeoff. The lights came on, and then it tried to speed up but couldn’t gain height before crashing,” he said.
He was seated near an emergency exit, which broke open after impact, allowing him to escape. “I undid my seatbelt, pushed myself out of the aircraft and ran,” he recalled, still in disbelief over surviving the crash that killed his brother and over 200 others.
What is a black box?
The term black box refers to two devices on aircraft—the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). Together, they store crucial data that help investigators understand what happened during a flight. The black box recovered in the Ahmedabad crash will help determine: Airspeed and altitude, Engine performance, Control inputs and Pilot conversations and alarms.
Paul Fromme, an aviation mechanical engineer, noted that the black box could be pivotal in understanding the final moments of the flight.
Several reports indicate that the pilot may have issued a May Day call shortly after takeoff.
A “May Day” is an internationally recognized distress signal indicating grave and imminent danger, requiring immediate assistance. It is one of the final emergency measures a flight crew can use during a crisis.
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