Investigators Search for Clues to the Air India Crash – The New York Times
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What Caused the Air India Plane Crash? Here’s What Investigators Are Examining.
India Plane Crash: What Investigators Might Examine Atul Loke for The New York Times.Here are some questions that investigators hope to answer in days and weeks ahead, according to aviation safety experts. Were the wing flaps and slats properly extended?Thursday’s crash occurred moments after the plane departed the airport in Ahmedabad, India. A short, blurry video showed what appeared to be the start of a routine takeoff. But soon after leaving the ground, the plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, began to descend before crashing and exploding. Was there some kind of mechanical failure that prevented the pilots from extending those parts? Even if the slats and flaps were extended, it would be difficult to know if they were appropriately deployed because they can be configured differently for different situations. Was the landing gear down? Experts said the pilots may not have retracted the gear for a number of reasons, including a mechanical problem that prevented them from lifting it. If something else had gone wrong, the pilots might have focused on addressing that first, experts said.
Investigators have begun sorting through the wreckage of Thursday’s plane crash in India, the nation’s deadliest in three decades. It could take months before a definitive explanation emerges, but videos of the accident and other evidence have begun to offer clues about what may have brought down the Air India flight, killing more than 260 people.
Here are some questions that investigators hope to answer in days and weeks ahead, according to aviation safety experts.
Were the wing flaps and slats properly extended?
Thursday’s crash occurred moments after the plane departed the airport in Ahmedabad, India. A short, blurry video showed what appeared to be the start of a routine takeoff, aviation safety experts said. But soon after leaving the ground, the plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, began to descend before crashing and exploding.
Boeing 787 Flaps Slats Flaps and slats extended for takeoff No flaps or slats deployed Boeing 787 Flaps Slats Flaps and slats extended for takeoff No flaps or slats deployed The New York Times
At its most basic, the crash reflected a failure to meet the fundamental requirements of flight. To fly, a plane needs to generate enough lift to overcome gravity and enough thrust to overcome the air’s resistance, known as drag. The flight on Thursday seemed to fail on both accounts.
“There appeared to be an issue with the thrust and there appeared to be an issue with the lift,” said Anthony Brickhouse, an aviation safety consultant. “And we unfortunately saw what the result was.”
When an airplane takes off, flaps at the rear of the wing and slats at the front are typically extended to provide more surface area to create more lift as the plane gains speed.
“Just given the fact that this was a takeoff accident, begs the question regarding the settings of the wing slats and flaps, which is critical for taking off in a big jet that’s fully loaded with fuel,” said Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.
It was not clear whether those flaps and slats were properly extended. If they weren’t, experts said, investigators will want to know why. Did the pilots choose not to extend them or fail to do so? Was there some kind of mechanical failure that prevented the pilots from extending those parts? Even if the slats and flaps were extended, it would be difficult to know if they were appropriately deployed because they can be configured differently for different situations. It’s also possible that they were extended but retracted too soon.
“The video is just too grainy, but that is something that’s clearly recorded in the flight data recorder,” said Mr. Guzzetti. “So hopefully, the recorders will tell the tale.”
Why was the landing gear down?
Deployed landing gear on a Boeing 787 Deployed landing gear on a Boeing 787 The New York Times
The video shows that the landing gear remained extended throughout the plane’s ascent and descent, which experts described as unusual. Landing gear creates drag, so retracting it is typically one of the first actions a plane’s pilots take after the plane is off the ground.
Source: Newsflare, via Associated Press The New York Times
But experts said the pilots may not have retracted the gear for a number of reasons. A mechanical problem may have prevented the pilots from lifting the landing gear, for example. Or the pilots may have been preoccupied with another, more pressing problem.
“The airplane will climb fine leaving the gear down,” said Shawn Pruchnicki, a former accident investigator at the Air Line Pilots Association and an assistant professor of aviation safety at Ohio State University. If something else had gone wrong in the plane, the pilots may have focused on addressing that first, he said: “You have bells and alarms going off — there’s all kinds of stuff happening.”
Were there engine problems?
Engines provide thrust and investigators will want to know if they failed for any reason. An engine breakdown sometimes comes with telltale signs — smoke, fire, a flash — but experts said none of those are clearly apparent in the blurry videos of the crash.
One video shows what appears to be a dust cloud shortly after the plane leaves the ground. That could have been caused by an engine or it could have been caused by the wingtips disturbing the air, experts said.
Source: Reuters The New York Times
Planes are designed to fly with just one engine, a situation that commercial airline pilots train for “excessively,” Mr. Pruchnicki said, adding that he believed the 787 Dreamliner probably didn’t experience a single engine failure, but both engines could have malfunctioned.
If that were the case, it would have happened at the “absolute worst time,” said Mr. Pruchnicki. A double engine failure occurring shortly after takeoff, when the plane was only several hundred feet off the ground, would have left the pilots without sufficient time to respond to the emergency.
“You can’t manage a double engine failure that close to the ground,” he said, recalling the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson,” when a US Airways jetliner landed in the Hudson River after the aircraft lost power in both engines after striking a flock of birds. “These guys were in a residential area, a business area. They had no place to go either. There was no field to set it down gently. So, unfortunately, they ended up in buildings.”
A failure of both engines could have many causes: a bird or drone strike, inadvertent fuel shut-off, issues with automated thrust management. There is no evidence that these problems played a role in Thursday’s crash.
“There’s easily a hundred different explanations of possibilities,” Mr. Pruchnicki said. Analyzing the flight data recorder and inspecting the engine itself would provide an “unbelievably forensic” look at what happened, he added.
What was happening in the flight deck?
Investigators will also probably be sharply focused on what unfolded in the flight deck, or cockpit, before the crash.
There were two pilots on the Air India flight, which is typical in commercial aviation, with one pilot in charge of flying and the other providing support, monitoring the plane’s various systems. Were those duties split appropriately? What were the pilots saying to one another? And did they perform their jobs adequately?
Planes are also equipped with various warning systems to alert pilots of problems. Investigators will want to know if those warning systems worked as intended.
“Did they get the warning that they were supposed to receive or were they misconfigured? If they didn’t get a warning, then why? If they did, what did the crew do when they heard it?” said Mr. Guzzetti.
What other sources of evidence are there?
Investigators will also be on the hunt for more evidence.
Typically, they scour and analyze wreckage for clues and collect testimony from witnesses, such as airport personnel who may have seen the crash. They will also look for additional videos.
But their most important task will be recovering the wealth of technical information and audio recordings contained in the plane’s black boxes: a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, both of which have been recovered.
“Once they have that information, it will help focus the investigation into specific areas,” said John Cox, a former airline pilot and chief executive of Safety Operating Systems, a consulting firm. “So right now, it’s about gathering of documentation and evidence and keeping an open mind.”
Air India Boeing 787 crash updates: Search continues as investigators get to work
All but one of the 242 people on board the flight to London were killed. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board sent a team of investigators to India to assist the country. Throughout Friday, we’ll provide updates on the Air India crash, the investigation and what the crash could mean for Boeing.
Investigators continued working Friday to learn more about the cause of the Thursday crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, India.
All but one of the 242 people on board the flight to London were killed.
Campbell Wilson, Air India’s CEO, said in a video posted on the airline’s social media pages that he had visited the site. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board sent a team of investigators to India to assist the country.
Throughout Friday, on this page, we’ll provide updates on the Air India crash, the investigation into the cause and what the crash could mean for Boeing.
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Ahmedabad Plane Crash, Flight Crash in Ahmedabad Live: Police recover black box from crash site
Plane was going from Ahmedabad to Gatwick London. Pilot told Ahmedabad ATC that it was a May Day, i.e., full emergency. According to ATC, when it tried to contact the plane, it did not receive any response. Before this accident, the plane had completed Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad sector without any accident.
Samir Kumar Sinha, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, says, “On 12th June around 2PM, we received the information that the plane going from Ahmedabad to Gatwick London had crashed. We immediately got detailed information about this through ATC Ahmedabad. This was an AIC 171 and there were a total of 242 people on board, including 230 passengers, 2 pilots and 10 crew members. This plane took off at 1.39 pm and within a few seconds, after reaching a height of about 650 feet, it started sinking, i.e., it started losing height.”
“At 1.39 pm, the pilot informed Ahmedabad ATC that it was a May Day, i.e., full emergency. According to ATC, when it tried to contact the plane, it did not receive any response. Exactly after 1 minute, this plane crashed in Medhaninagar, which is located at a distance of about 2 km from the airport. The captain of the plane was Sumit Sabharwal and the first officer was Clive Sundar,” Samir Kumar Sinha said.
He further added: “As far as the entire history of the plane is concerned, before this accident, the plane had completed Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad sector without any accident. Due to the accident, the runway was closed at 2:30 pm and after completing all the protocols, the runway of Ahmedabad was opened for limited flights from 5pm.”
Ahmedabad plane crash: Black Box recovered for Air India Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner; What it can tell us about the tragedy
Authorities have recovered one of two Black Boxes from the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on June 12. The flight data recorder was found on the rooftop of a medical college hostel that the aircraft struck during the tragedy. The second Black Box, located in the aircraft’s front section, remains missing and search operations continue. The recovered FDR contains thousands of technical parameters including altitude, speed, engine performance, control surface positions, and system warnings. The missing Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) is equally crucial as it captures the human element of the tragedy and could provide vital clues about crew responses and decision-making. For the Ahmedabad crash investigation, this data will reveal precise details about the aircraft’s final moments, including whether the disaster resulted from mechanical failure, engine malfunction, or other factors. The data will likely be analyzed at India’s state-of-the-art Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit voice Recorder Laboratory, which was inaugurated earlier this year.
Why is the second Black Box so important to the investigation
Where will be the Black Box data for Air India Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner be analyzed
How long will the Air India crash investigation take
Authorities have successfully recovered one of two Black Boxes from the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, killing 241 of 242 people aboard. The flight data recorder was found on the rooftop of a medical college hostel that the aircraft struck during the tragedy.The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed the recovery within 28 hours of the crash, marking a crucial breakthrough in determining what caused Flight AI-171 to issue a Mayday call and crash just 11 seconds after becoming airborne. The London-bound flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew when it went down in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area.Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced the recovery on social media, calling it “an important step forward in the investigation” that will “significantly aid the enquiry into the incident.” The second Black Box, located in the aircraft’s front section, remains missing and search operations continue.Despite their name, aircraft Black Boxes are actually bright orange crash-resistant devices designed to survive extreme impact, fire, and water pressure. Every commercial aircraft carries two such recorders: the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).The recovered FDR contains thousands of technical parameters including altitude, speed, engine performance, control surface positions, and system warnings. For the Ahmedabad crash investigation, this data will reveal precise details about the aircraft’s final moments, including whether the disaster resulted from mechanical failure, engine malfunction, or other factors.Modern Boeing 787 aircraft can record thousands of data points per second, providing investigators with a second-by-second reconstruction of events. The FDR will show exactly what the aircraft’s systems were doing when Captain Sumeet Sabharwal issued the desperate Mayday call reporting “no thrust, losing power, unable to lift.”While the recovered FDR reveals what the aircraft did, the missing Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) is equally crucial as it captures the human element of the tragedy. The CVR records all cockpit audio including pilot conversations, radio transmissions, warning alarms, and mechanical sounds that could provide vital clues about crew responses and decision-making.Aviation experts emphasize that finding both Black Boxes is essential for a complete investigation. The FDR shows the aircraft’s technical behavior, but only the CVR can reveal whether pilots correctly identified problems, followed emergency procedures, or faced communication breakdowns during the crisis.The CVR would capture any emergency checklists being executed, crew coordination efforts, or discussions about mechanical problems that preceded the crash. This human context is vital for understanding whether the tragedy resulted from system failures, pilot error, or a combination of factors.The recovered Black Box will likely be analyzed at India’s state-of-the-art Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (DFDR & CVR) Laboratory, which was inaugurated in Delhi earlier this year. This specialized facility represents a significant advancement in India’s aviation investigation capabilities.The Delhi laboratory enables the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to repair damaged Black Boxes, retrieve data, and conduct thorough analyses of accidents and incidents domestically. Previously, such critical data extraction often required sending Black Boxes to international facilities, causing delays in investigations.This new facility is equipped with cutting-edge technology to handle even severely damaged recording devices, ensuring that crucial flight data can be recovered and analyzed quickly. The laboratory’s capabilities will be particularly valuable for the Ahmedabad crash investigation, as it allows Indian investigators to maintain full control over the sensitive data extraction process.Initial data extraction from the recovered Black Box typically requires 2-4 weeks for intact devices, according to international aviation protocols. With the new Delhi facility, this process can now be conducted entirely within India, potentially reducing the timeline for preliminary findings.However, comprehensive analysis takes significantly longer. The International Civil Aviation Organization mandates preliminary findings within 30 days, but final investigation reports typically require 12-24 months to complete. This timeline allows investigators to cross-reference Black Box data with maintenance records, weather conditions, radar logs, and witness statements.For the Ahmedabad crash, the investigation timeline may be extended as this marks the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011. US investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will assist Indian authorities, potentially expediting the technical analysis process.The complexity of analyzing thousands of data parameters per second, combined with the need to understand how the advanced 787’s systems behaved during the emergency, means investigators will need considerable time to provide definitive answers about what caused this devastating aviation tragedy.Aviation investigation expert Greg Feith notes that while extracting data is relatively quick, “understanding the story it tells takes considerable time” – a process that could provide crucial insights for preventing future disasters.
Investigators recover black box from Air India crash site as search for clues continues
The plane’s black box was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane crashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the lone surviving passenger a day after the crash. DNA testing was being conducted to identify bodies that were mostly charred beyond recognition. The lone survivor was seen in television footage meeting Modi at the government hospital where he was being treated for burns and other injuries.“We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words,” Modi said on social media after visiting the site. “We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come,’ Modi said. ‘When I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive.’ ‘The ‘miracle’ of the sole passenger who survived the Air India flight]Investigation includes U.S. experts from the National Transportation Safety Administration.
AHMEDABAD, India — Indian investigators on Friday recovered the digital flight data recorder, or the black box, of the Air India flight that fell from the sky and killed 241 people on board and several people on the ground, authorities said.
The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane crashed into a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday.
The plane’s black box was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said that it had begun its work with “full force.”
The black box recovery marks an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post.
Professor Paul Fromme at the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement that the flight data recorder has the information on engine and control settings, apart from the voice record of any cockpit conversations.
“This should show quickly if there was a loss of engine power or lift after takeoff and allow a preliminary determination of the likely cause for the crash,” said Fromme, who heads the professional association’s Aerospace Division.
Separately, the country’s civil aviation regulator issued an order directing Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with General Electric’s GEnx engines. The key inspections include the fuel parameters, cabin air compressor, engine control system, hydraulic system and a review of takeoff parameters, according to the order.
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Investigators on Friday continued searching the site of one of India’s worst aviation disasters and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the lone surviving passenger a day after the crash.
Aircraft landing gear at the crash site of Air India Ltd. flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, on Thursday, June 12, 2025. MUST CREDIT: Siddharaj Solanki/Bloomberg
DNA testing was being conducted to identify bodies that were mostly charred beyond recognition. More victims are expected to be found in the search of the crash site.
The plane hit a building hosting a medical college hostel and burst into flames, killing several students, in the city that is the capital of Gujarat, Modi’s home state.
“We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words,” Modi said on social media after visiting the site. “We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come.”
Modi meets lone survivor
The survivor was seen in television footage meeting Modi at the government hospital where he was being treated for burns and other injuries.
Viswashkumar Ramesh told India’s national broadcaster that he still can’t believe he’s alive. He said the aircraft seemed to become stuck immediately after takeoff. He said the lights then came on, and right after that it accelerated but seemed unable to gain height before it crashed.
India Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah meets plane crash survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, at a hospital in Ahmedabad. (Ministry of Home Affairs India via AP)
He said the side of the plane where he was seated fell onto the ground floor of a building and there was space for him to escape after the door broke open. He unfastened his seat belt and forced himself out of the plane.
“When I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive,” he said.
[The ‘miracle’ of the sole passenger who survived the Air India flight]
Investigation includes U.S. experts
U.S. participants in the investigation were expected to include people from the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and General Electric.
Professor Graham Braithwaite, director of Aerospace and Aviation at Cranfield University, said that the primary goal of the investigation would be “to find opportunities to prevent future accidents.”
“The multinational, multidisciplinary team will work together and can also involve specialists from the manufacturer or operator,” he said, “but under very strict controls to ensure the independence of the investigation.”
A relative of a victim of the Air India plane crash is comforted as she breaks down at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Medics are conducting DNA tests to identify those killed, the president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, Akshay Dongardiv, said. Meanwhile, grieving families gathered outside the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Two doctors at the hospital said that the bodies of four medical students killed on the ground after the plane crash were handed to their families. They said at least 30 other injured students were still hospitalized, and at least four of them were in critical condition.
Modi held a meeting with senior officials Friday and met with some of those injured on the ground during the hospital visit.
Thursday’s Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft.
According to experts, there are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation.
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Indian conglomerate Tata Sons took over Air India in 2022, returning the debt-saddled national carrier to private ownership after decades of government control. Since the takeover, Air India has ordered hundreds of new planes, redesigned its branding and livery and absorbed smaller airlines that Tata held stakes in.
Witness accounts describe damage
Residents living in the vicinity, who were among the first to rush to the crash site and help with rescue, described the scale of damage like they had never seen.
“In the beginning, I couldn’t understand anything, it was only smoke everywhere. We could see some small parts (of the plane) burning,” Indrajeet Singh Solanki said.
Solanki said that he and many others helped the injured people and rushed them to hospitals. “We had only one aim: to save lives no matter what happens,” he said.
The tragedy has left him shaken.
“It will be hard to sleep for the next few days at least,” Solanki said.
Thailand flight delayed by threat
A bomb threat message on Air India flight AI 379, which was bound for New Delhi from Phuket International Airport in southern Thailand, was found in a lavatory shortly after the plane took off Friday, officials said.
The plane requested an emergency landing back at Phuket and all 156 passengers were evacuated before authorities began an inspection of the plane, the airport said. Thai authorities said that the plane, passengers and luggage were thoroughly inspected and nothing suspicious was found.
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The airport and airline said that the pilot wished to resume the flight and the plane took off again in the afternoon without one passenger who didn’t want to continue.
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Rajesh Roy reported from New Delhi, and Aijaz Hussain from Srinagar. Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok, and Piyush Nagpal in Ahmedabad, India, contributed to this report.