By Prime Minister's Office GODL-India-Wikipedia
India’s civil aviation minister confirmed on Friday that a black box has been recovered from the site of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, marking a critical step forward in the ongoing investigation into the fatal accident.
Within 28 hours of the tragedy, the flight data recorder was located by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), according to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu. The discovery comes as authorities work to determine the cause of the crash that claimed the lives of all but one of the 242 passengers and crew aboard the London-bound aircraft.
An official told the BBC that in addition to the deaths on board, at least eight individuals on the ground were also killed when the aircraft plunged into a residential area just seconds after take-off.
Mr. Kinjarapu said the recovery of the black box is “an important step forward in the investigation” and will “significantly aid the inquiry” into what led to the disaster. Commercial aircraft typically carry two black boxes: one that records flight data such as altitude and airspeed, and another that captures audio from the cockpit. These devices are essential in helping investigators understand the sequence of events before a crash.
The AAIB is spearheading the probe with assistance from international experts, including teams from the United States and the United Kingdom. Boeing’s CEO, Kelly Ortberg, has stated that the company is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Air India reported that 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian were aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner when it crashed shortly after departing Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 13:39 local time (08:09 GMT) on Thursday. The aircraft, operating as Flight AI171, was due to land at London’s Gatwick Airport at 18:25 BST.
As of Friday, the crash site remained strewn with wreckage, including charred aircraft components embedded in nearby buildings. Among the most visible debris was the blackened wing of the plane, while investigators continued their work and police worked to keep crowds at a distance from the wreckage.
DNA samples from victims’ relatives are now being used to identify the deceased, a doctor told the BBC. A police official said that only six bodies have so far been returned to families, as these were identified through facial recognition.
The lone survivor, British citizen Vishwashkumar Ramesh, remains hospitalized. Seated in 11A, the 40-year-old recounted to India’s state broadcaster DD News that he was overwhelmed by the disaster but managed to escape. “I still cannot believe how I made it out alive,” he said, describing how he unfastened his seatbelt and exited the aircraft amid chaos and flames.
“I thought I was going to die. I saw the crew and passengers die before my eyes,” said Ramesh, who sustained burns to his left hand.
Meanwhile, anguished families continue to wait for confirmation about the fate of their loved ones. Imtiaz Ali, whose brother Javed and his family were on the doomed flight, said he refuses to believe his brother is dead until he sees the body. “If I get sad and start crying, then I’ll be uncontrollable,” he told the BBC. “No one will be able to stop me… my heart might burst.”
The aircraft crashed into a densely populated neighborhood known as Meghani Nagar. Despite being in the air for less than a minute, the force of the impact was devastating. Emergency responders said the debris was scattered across an area approximately 200 meters (656 feet) wide.
Authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of casualties on the ground, but reports indicate at least eight local residents were killed. Dr. Minakshi Parikh, dean of the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital, said the victims included four students from the college and four relatives of doctors who were on campus at the time of the crash.
“These people were on campus when the plane crashed into nearby buildings,” Dr. Parikh explained. “We are relying only on DNA matching to identify them and it is something where we simply cannot rush or afford mistakes.”
She added, “We are working with sincerity. We want relatives to understand and be a bit patient. We want to hand over the bodies as soon as possible.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday, spending around 20 minutes inspecting the wreckage. Though he did not speak to the media, a video posted on his official YouTube channel showed him surveying the area and observing debris, including the tail of the aircraft wedged into a building—a scene captured in an image that has since gone viral.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also visited the site earlier on Friday and described the experience as “deeply moving.”
According to Flightradar24, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had logged over 700 flights in the past year alone. The 11-year-old aircraft frequently serviced routes between major Indian cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi and international destinations including Milan, Paris, Amsterdam, and Dubai.
Specifically, the aircraft had completed 25 previous flights from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick in the last two years.
In light of the crash, India’s aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a directive for additional safety inspections on all Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft in Air India’s fleet. The DGCA described the move as a “preventive measure” aimed at ensuring continued airworthiness across similar models.
As the investigation continues and families wait for answers, the recovery of the black box offers a glimmer of hope that the cause of this devastating crash will soon be understood.
