Air India Plane Crash: Black Box Sent to U.S. for Analysis as Indian Labs Fail to Extract Data
In a significant development related to the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the aircraft’s black box has been sent to the United States for advanced forensic analysis. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. will lead the investigation into the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), collectively known as the black box.
This decision comes after Indian labs failed to retrieve usable data due to the severe damage sustained by the black box in the crash. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was manufactured by U.S.-based Boeing, and the investigation is expected to shed light on one of India’s deadliest aviation tragedies.
🇮🇳 Why India Couldn’t Decode the Black Box
According to a report in The Economic Times, the black box recovered from the Air India crash site had suffered extensive physical and thermal damage. While India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has a dedicated laboratory in Delhi for decoding such data, it lacks the high-end technology required to retrieve information from badly damaged devices.
A source familiar with the matter said that handling and decoding severely compromised flight recorders require ultra-sensitive and specialized equipment, currently unavailable in India. As a result, the black box is being flown to the U.S. under strict security and in the presence of Indian officials.
🔍 NTSB, UK Agency to Supervise the Analysis
The investigation at the NTSB’s Washington lab will be monitored by Indian aviation authorities, ensuring full transparency. The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB UK) will also be part of the review process, given that 53 British nationals were among the 274 people who died in the crash.
This international collaboration underlines the scale of the tragedy and the importance of uncovering the true cause behind the incident.
🕒 How Long Will the Analysis Take?
A senior official from India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that the time required to recover the data depends on the degree of internal damage. While in best-case scenarios, black box data can be retrieved within 48 hours, severely damaged devices like this one could take up to a month or more.
In this case, the black box suffered significant impact and heat exposure, which is likely to delay the analysis process.
🧾 What Information Can Be Extracted from the Black Box?
The black box, recovered 28 hours after the crash, holds key technical data and voice recordings that are critical to understanding what went wrong. Once decoded, it may reveal:
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Technical condition of the aircraft (engines, fuel systems, hydraulics)
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Pilots’ final conversation before the crash (via the cockpit voice recorder)
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Weather conditions during take-off (pressure, wind speed, temperature)
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Any mechanical or software malfunctions that may have triggered the crash
These insights will help investigators recreate the final moments of the ill-fated flight.
📦 How a Black Box Works
The black box comprises two main components:
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Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Tracks flight speed, altitude, direction, and system performance.
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Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): Records conversations between pilots and with air traffic control.
Typically placed in the tail section of the aircraft, the black box is designed to withstand up to 3,400 G-force impacts and temperatures of 1,100°C. Despite this, the violent impact and fire in this crash significantly compromised its integrity.
🕊️ The Crash: A Brief Recap
On June 12, 2025, an Air India Boeing 787 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport at around 1:40 PM. Within just two minutes of flight, the plane collided with a medical college hostel building, killing 274 people, including 241 passengers. Only one passenger, identified as Vishwas Kumar, survived the disaster.
The scale and nature of the crash have prompted calls for upgrades in Indian aviation safety infrastructure, including better-equipped forensic labs and faster international coordination.
✅ Conclusion
The decision to send the Air India crash’s black box to the U.S. underscores the complexity of modern aviation investigations and the technological gap India currently faces in decoding critical flight data. With both Indian and UK agencies closely monitoring the analysis, the hope is that the findings will bring clarity, accountability, and closure to one of the most devastating air disasters in Indian history.
Authorities are expected to release preliminary findings once the NTSB completes its initial review. Meanwhile, families of victims await answers—and justice.
