Black Boxes Recovered and Examined Following Air India Flight AI-171 Crash: AAIB Begins Data Analysis in Coordination with U.S. Experts.
New Delhi:
In a crucial development following the tragic accident of Air India Flight AI-171, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has successfully recovered and initiated the examination of both black boxes — the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The analysis is currently underway at the AAIB Laboratory in Delhi, as per international safety protocols.
India, as a signatory to the Chicago Convention of 1944 under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is conducting the investigation in strict accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017. The AAIB, the national authority tasked with investigating aviation incidents, promptly constituted a multidisciplinary investigation team on 13 June 2025.
The team, headed by the Director General of AAIB, includes key aviation experts such as an aviation medicine specialist, an Air Traffic Control officer, and representatives from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in accordance with ICAO protocols requiring the participation of investigators from the state of manufacture and design of the aircraft.
Recovery Operation
The recovery operation yielded the front black box (CVR or FDR) from a rooftop at the crash site on 13 June, while the second device was located amidst the debris on 16 June. Both devices were handled under stringent security and procedural protocols, including round-the-clock police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad.
On 24 June, both black boxes were flown from Ahmedabad to Delhi aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, accompanied by AAIB officials. The front black box reached the AAIB Lab at 2:00 PM, followed by the second black box at 5:15 PM the same day.
Data Examination Underway
Data extraction commenced the same evening under the supervision of DG AAIB, with technical teams from both AAIB and the NTSB present. The memory module from the front black box’s Crash Protection Module (CPM) was safely retrieved, and the data download was completed on 25 June.
The analysis of both the CVR and FDR data is ongoing. Experts are working to reconstruct the final moments of Flight AI-171 to determine the cause of the crash and identify any contributing factors. The aim is to enhance aviation safety and ensure such incidents are prevented in the future.
Officials have emphasized that all recovery and investigation activities are being conducted in compliance with India’s legal framework and international aviation obligations, and are progressing in a timely and systematic manner.
The AAIB is expected to release preliminary findings once the data analysis is complete, followed by a detailed final report as per global standards.
