Air India crash: Government denies sending black boxes abroad, says AAIB will decide based on assessment

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Thursday denied media reports suggesting that the black boxes from the Air India AI171 crash would be sent abroad. The ministry clarified that a decision on where to decode the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) will be taken by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) after a full technical assessment.

The MoCA statement read, “It has been reported in certain media outlets that the CVR/DFDR from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis. The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment.”

Investigation ongoing with global assistance

The crash of Air India Flight AI171 near Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025 resulted in the deaths of 241 people on board and several on the ground. The AAIB launched an investigation on the same day, supported by experts from the US National Transportation Safety Board and aircraft manufacturers, as per global protocols under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Two black box sets—one retrieved on 13 June and the other on 16 June—have been recovered from the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner involved in the crash. These boxes include both the CVR and DFDR, which are key to understanding the moments leading to the disaster.

Domestic lab may handle data, says MoCA

India’s recently launched black box decoding facility at Udaan Bhawan in New Delhi is equipped to handle such tasks. Opened in April 2025, the lab was developed in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and is intended to make India self-reliant in aviation accident analysis.

However, officials noted that if the recovered recorders are found to be heavily damaged or need advanced tools beyond what’s currently available in the Delhi lab, the data may be processed at specialised international labs. The United States remains a likely option, considering the aircraft is a Boeing model.

The crash of Air India Flight AI171 near Ahmedabad | Credit: X

Black boxes hold critical clues to crash cause

The flight data recorder logs key technical parameters such as altitude, speed, and engine performance, while the cockpit voice recorder captures pilot communication and cockpit sounds. This information is expected to provide insights into the crash, which happened just seconds after takeoff.

The AAIB is leading the probe with coordination from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, with the final report to follow within a year, as per ICAO guidelines.

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