The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing from all angles, including sabotage, the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people on board and on the ground last month, Minister of State (MoS) For Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said.

Mr Mohol also said the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 that has been recovered is in AAIB’s custody and will not be outside the country for a thorough assessment.

The MoS was in conversation with NDTV’s Jitendra Dixit at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave when he made the remarks.

“It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investigation into it… It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage. The CCTV footage are being reviewed and all angles are being assessed… several agencies are working on it,” he said.

On June 12, London-bound AI 171, belonging to Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 fleet – crashed seconds after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Only one of the 242 passengers and crew members onboard survived the crash.

Officials said the aircraft lost altitude soon after taking off at around 1.30pm. It crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors in Meghaninagar area before going up in flames, sending plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air. Nine students and their relatives from the institute were among those who were killed in the accident on the ground.

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The pilot had issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said.

The minister called the crash a “rare case”. “It has never happened that both engines have shut down together,” he said, referring to claims by veteran pilots and experts that a dual engine failure may have led to the crash.

“Once the (probe) report comes, we will be able to ascertain if it was an engine problem or fuel supply issue or why both the engines had stopped functioning. There is a CVR (cockpit voice recorder) in the black box which has stored the conversation between the two pilots. It is too early to say anything but whatever it is, it will come out. The report will come in three months,” he added.

A black box is a small device that records information about an aircraft during its flight. It helps in the investigation of aviation accidents. It comprises two devices – the CVR and the flight data recorder (FDR).

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Mr Mohol dismissed reports that the black box will be sent abroad for scrutiny. “It will not go anywhere. It is in AAIB’s custody and there is no need to send it outside. We will do the entire investigation,” he said.

He said it was natural for passengers to develop apprehensions over air travel immediately after the Air India plane crash. “But let me tell you… all 33 Dreamliners have been inspected on the orders of the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). Everything was found safe. That is why I said it was a rare accident. People are no longer scared and travelling comfortably,” he said.

Besides the crash, the minister spoke on issues such as 419 technical vacancies in the DGCA, the alleged exploitation of pilots by private airlines and on means to make air travel cheaper.

“The DGCA will soon begin working on the issue of technical vacancies,” he said.

Asked if private airlines can make key appointments on their own, he said: “No appointments can be made without the DGCA’s approval. Private airlines cannot take whoever they want. You need certain qualifications, etc.”

He also said a pilot working for a private airline can approach the Civil Aviation Ministry if he or she feels harassed over working long hours.

Asked how air travel and food sold across airports can be made cheaper, he said: “The people will get food at cheap rates… Four to five airports have Udaan Yatri Cafes where you get water for Rs 10, tea and samosas for Rs 20 for tea… these will gradually expand.”