Three days after the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, investigators have successfully recovered the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), offering a crucial breakthrough in the probe into India’s deadliest air disaster in recent memory.
The crash, which claimed nearly 270 lives, including almost all passengers onboard, has led to parallel investigations by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), given that the aircraft was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Officials confirmed the black box recoveries to Dr. P.K. Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to the crash site. Dr. Mishra, deeply moved by the tragedy, assured that government agencies would intensify relief and investigative efforts to determine the exact cause of the crash.
A high-level government panel chaired by the Home Secretary is set to convene today to formulate standard operating procedures aimed at preventing future air disasters. Meanwhile, aviation experts from Boeing and the UK have joined the probe, underscoring the global significance of the investigation.
Authorities believe that data retrieved from the CVR and FDR will shed light on the moments leading up to the crash, helping investigators determine whether technical failures, human error, or external factors contributed to the catastrophe.
As the probe intensifies, families of the victims continue to await answers, hoping that the findings will offer closure and lead to improved aviation safety measures in India and beyond.