Gujarat plane crash: black box recovered from crash site, investigation underway
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Investigators have recovered the black box of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of nearly all on board.
The vital flight recorder was located on the rooftop of the doctors' hostel that the aircraft struck during the crash.
A combined team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and around 40 officials from the Gujarat government carried out the search operation.
The black box, formally known as the digital flight data recorder (DFDR), is expected to play a crucial role in determining what caused one of the worst aviation tragedies in India.
Despite the name, the black box is a bright orange device, designed for high visibility in wreckage. It is engineered to endure extreme conditions, including intense heat, pressure, and impact, ensuring that essential flight data is preserved.
The black box comprises two core components — the DFDR, which logs flight parameters like altitude, speed, and engine performance, and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which captures audio from the cockpit, including conversations between the pilots and communications with air traffic controllers.
The ill-fated Ahmedabad-to-London flight, operated by the Tata-owned airline, had 242 people on board. Only one passenger, a British national of Indian origin, survived the crash.
Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrashekhar confirmed that investigation teams from India, the United States, and the United Kingdom are now on site to support the ongoing probe.
“Trained investigators will help us understand why the routine flight turned into calamity,” he said.
The aircraft involved in the crash was a 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, widely regarded as one of the most reliable aircraft models in commercial aviation.
Surveillance footage from a CCTV camera at Ahmedabad airport captured the aircraft’s take-off. Initially, everything appeared normal as the plane accelerated and lifted off. However, the video shows the plane failing to gain sufficient altitude, maintaining a level flight for several seconds before losing height rapidly. The crash occurred moments later, when the aircraft collided with the doctors' hostel at a nearby medical college.
