Cause of deadly Air India crash investigated after black boxes are recovered
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Air India plane crash latest: Hundreds mourn ‘hero’ pilot after ‘extremely rare’ dual engine failure suspected
Captain Sabharwal issued a mayday call to air traffic controllers moments after takeoff. Residents on the ground have credited him with avoiding a large residential building that was directly on the flight path. Investigators have recovered flight AI171’s cockpit voice recorder and will analyse the pilots’ final words to help determine the cause of the crash.
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Hundreds gathered in Mumbai today to honour Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the Air India pilot who has been hailed as a hero for limiting casualties on the ground during last week’s crash.
Captain Sabharwal issued a mayday call to air traffic controllers moments after takeoff and residents on the ground have credited him with avoiding a large residential building that was directly on the flight path.
Investigators have recovered flight AI171’s cockpit voice recorder and will analyse the pilots’ final words to help determine the cause of the crash that killed more than 270, 241 of whom were passengers and crew.
An “extremely rare” loss of power from both engines is increasingly being seen as the most probable cause of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s sudden descent.
Meanwhile, at least three Air India flights have been grounded or cancelled in the past 48 hours as India’s civil aviation authority ordered urgent pre-flight checks across Boeing 787 aircraft in the country.
Families in India with concerns can call Air India on 1800 5691 444. Those outside India can call the British Foreign Office on 020 7008 5000.
Black boxes analyzed for cause of Air India crash that killed 270
Investigators in India are studying the black boxes of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner after recovering them from the aircraft wreckage. The black boxes will provide cockpit conversations and data related to the plane’s engine and control settings to investigators. At least 270 people were killed in last week’s plane crash that left 241 people on board and 29 on the ground dead. Experts from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are probing the crash with assistance from the U.K., U.S. and officials from Boeing. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts. The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash said that he climbed out of a broken emergency exit after the aircraft hit a medical college hostel in the city of Ahmedabad.
The black boxes will provide cockpit conversations and data related to the plane’s engine and control settings to investigators and help them in determining the cause of the crash.
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The London-bound Air India aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed on a medical college hostel soon after taking off from the western city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, while 241 people on board and 29 on the ground were killed in one of India’s worst aviation disaster in decades.
Experts from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are probing the crash with assistance from the U.K., the U.S. and officials from Boeing.
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Black box data is crucial
Amit Singh, a former pilot and an aviation expert, said the recovery of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, or black boxes, are crucial to piece together the sequence of events.
The cockpit voice recorder records pilots’ conversation, emergency alarms and any distress signal made before a crash. The plane’s digital flight data recorder stores information related to engine and control settings. Both devices are designed to survive a crash.
“The data will reveal everything,” Singh said, adding that the technical details could be corroborated by the cockpit voice recorder that would help investigators know of any communication between air traffic control and the pilots.
India’s aviation regulatory body has said the aircraft made a mayday call before the crash.
Singh said the investigating authorities will scan CCTV footage of the nearby area and speak with witnesses to get to the root cause of the crash.
Additionally, Singh said, the investigators will also study the pilot training records, total load of the aircraft, thrust issues related to the plane’s engine, as well as its worthiness in terms of past performances and any previously reported issues.
Investigation into the crash could take time
Aurobindo Handa, former director general of India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, said the investigators across the world follow a standard UN-prescribed Manual of Accident Investigation, also called “DOC 9756,” which outlines detailed procedures to arrive at the most probable cause of a crash.
Handa said the investigation into last week’s crash would likely be a long process as the aircraft was badly charred. He added that ascertaining the condition of the black boxes recovered from the crash site was vital as the heat generated from the crash could be possibly higher than the bearable threshold of the device.
The Indian government has set up a separate, high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash and formulate procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future. The committee is expected to file a preliminary report within three months.
Authorities have also begun inspecting and carrying out additional maintenance and checks of Air India’s entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners to prevent any future incident. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.
The plane that crashed was 12 years old. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts.
The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash said that he climbed out of a broken emergency exit after the aircraft hit a medical college hostel in the city of Ahmedabad, killing more than 240 people.
Cockpit Voice Recorder found from Air India plane crash site
Officials investigating the Air India plane crash on Sunday confirmed that the Cockpit Voice Recorder black box has been found. Officials told news agency PTI that this is a crucial discovery which will help identify the possible cause behind the deadly crash that killed 270 people, including 241 people on board. Earlier, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had confirmed that only the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) of the ill-fated plane was found. US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a parallel probe under international protocols, as the aircraft is American-made. All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8(AI 171) were killed when the London-bound aircraft crashed into the nearby campus of the medical college in Meghaninagar area.
Earlier, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had confirmed that only the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) of the ill-fated plane was found.
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The officials confirmed the recovery of black boxes to PK Mishra, the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Sunday inspected the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad and also visited the civil hospital where injured persons are undergoing treatment.
Mishra chaired a high-level review meeting at Circuit House here and discussed ongoing relief, rescue, and investigation efforts with senior officials from the Central and state governments, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and Airports Authority of India, an official release said.
“Chairing a high-level review meeting at Circuit House, here Dr Mishra discussed ongoing relief, rescue, and investigation efforts with senior officials from the Central and State Governments, AAIB, and Airports Authority of India,” a PIB release said.
The AAIB has launched a detailed investigation, and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a parallel probe under international protocols, as the aircraft is American-made, the release stated.
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“Officials confirmed to Dr Mishra that the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) have been located and secured,” it said.
With the finding of both black boxes of the plane, it would be easy to find the cause of the crash for investigators.
All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8(AI 171) and another 29 people, including five MBBS students, on the ground were killed when the London-bound aircraft crashed into the nearby campus of the medical college in Meghaninagar area and burst into flames, moments after it took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Mishra reviewed the accident site near BJ Medical College, Meghani Nagar, where senior officials from the state government, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and Airports Authority of India briefed him on the sequence of events and immediate response measures, the release said.
During his visit to Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, he met bereaved families, observed DNA sample matching, and directed authorities to provide full assistance, ensuring a seamless and compassionate process, it said.
He also interacted with injured victims, instructing hospital officials to prioritise their medical treatment and recovery, it said.
“I am very pained by the enormity of the tragedy. Everybody is sad. It is our duty to share grief and express our feelings for the victims,” Mishra told reporters.
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At the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar, he reviewed DNA sampling efforts and stressed the need to complete identification swiftly while maintaining scientific accuracy, it further said.
Mishra reiterated the PM’s commitment to providing all possible support to victims’ families and ensuring a coordinated response across all agencies involved, it said.
The Principal Secretary was accompanied by PMO official Advisor to the PM Tarun Kapoor and Deputy Secretary, PMO Mangesh Ghildiyal, the release said.
Published By: Akshat Trivedi Published On: Jun 16, 2025
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Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash: DGCA summons Air India, Air India Express for urgent meeting
Health officials on Sunday confirmed that the DNA identification of more victims of the AI 171 plane crash has been completed. The total number of identified victims now stands at 47. The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash, which killed 241 passengers and several others on the ground, has prompted a high-level investigation.
Gujarat Home Minister said that forensic teams from the State Forensic Science Laboratory and the National Forensic Sciences University are continuing to work round-the-clock to identify the remaining victims.
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash, which killed 241 passengers and several others on the ground, has prompted a high-level investigation. A panel headed by the Union Home Secretary is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is expected to submit its report within three months, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said. The panel will focus on determining the cause of the crash and drafting standard operating procedures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Meanwhile, Air India’s parent company, the Tata Group, has announced compensation of Rs 1 crore each to the families of those who died in the crash, including civilians on the ground. An additional interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh will also be provided to families of the deceased and to the lone survivor of the crash.
Aircraft black box recovered: Both the black boxes of the aircraft has been recovered. Investigators are examining possibilities including engine failure, flap malfunction and incorrect thrust calculations. A mayday call was reportedly issued shortly after takeoff before ATC lost contact.
Air India Plane Crash in Ahmedabad
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Air India: Investigators find cockpit voice recorder from crashed plane
Investigators find cockpit voice recorder from crashed Air India flight. At least 270 people have been killed, most of them passengers. Officials have also been trying to establish how many people were killed on the ground and continuing the slow process of matching DNA samples to confirm the victims’ identities. A high-level committee set up by the Indian government to examine the reasons behind the crash is expected to hold its first meeting on Monday. All India Radio said the committee will submit a preliminary report within three months, and will propose new standard operating procedures (SOPs) to help prevent similar incidents in future. For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 or click here.
Investigators are trying to piece together why the Air India plane crashed seconds after take-off
The flight data recorder (FDR), which logs crucial flight parameters like altitude, speed and engine performance, had been recovered from the debris on Friday.
The London-bound Air India aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed soon after taking off on Thursday from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. At least 270 people have been killed , most of them passengers.
Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the crashed Air India flight, a key step in uncovering what caused last week’s deadly accident.
The black box, unlike the name suggests, is actually two bright orange devices – one for the CVR and the other for the FDR – painted with reflective strips for easier recovery after a crash. Both these devices are designed to survive a crash.
Both the CVR and FDR collectively form what is commonly known as the “black box” of a plane. It is a vital tool in air crash investigations, helping experts reconstruct the flight’s final moments and determine the cause of the incident.
Dozens of families are waiting to collect the remains of their loved ones after DNA tests confirm a match
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the inquiry into the cause of the crash, helped by teams from the US and the UK.
On Sunday, officials from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) surveyed the site of the plane crash.
“The AAIB has launched a detailed investigation, and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a parallel probe under international protocols, since the aircraft is American-made,” a statement released on Sunday said.
Indian media outlets have reported, citing sources, that officials from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – the US aviation safety agency – also visited the site.
Separately, a high-level committee set up by the Indian government to examine the reasons behind the crash is expected to hold its first meeting on Monday.
The committee will submit a preliminary report within three months, the All India Radio said, and will propose new standard operating procedures (SOPs) to help prevent similar incidents in future.
As the investigation continues, families on the ground are still grappling with disbelief and trauma.
Less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, the AI171 flight crashed into a doctors’ accommodation building at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital.
All but one of the 242 passengers and crew members were killed. Officials have also been trying to establish how many people were killed on the ground and continuing the slow process of matching DNA samples to confirm the victims’ identities.
Over the weekend, doctors said 270 bodies had been recovered from the site of the crash.
More than 90 victims have been identified through DNA matching, Dr Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital said on Monday. He added that 47 of the identified bodies have been sent to their families.
Among the identified victims is Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, whose funeral will be held on Monday. Rupani, whose political career spanned more than 50 years, will be laid to rest with full state honours in Rajkot city.
For many other families, the agonising wait continues.
Officials told the BBC that the identification process has been slow and painstaking, as many of the bodies were badly burned in the crash and are being processed in small batches.
Mistry Jignesh, waiting outside the hospital for updates on his niece, told the BBC on Saturday that officials told him that it might take longer for them to hand over his niece’s remains as the search for bodies is still ongoing. He had earlier been told that the body would be handed over by Sunday, after the 72 hours it normally takes to complete DNA matching.
“When people are still missing, how can they complete the DNA process by tomorrow? What if my niece’s remains haven’t even been found? The wait is killing us,” he said.
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