Black Box Under Scrutiny: AI 171 Crash Investigation

Jun 24, 2025 Khushi Kumari

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed seconds after takeoff, killing 241 onboard and at least 39 on the ground

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The Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder were retrieved from the wreckage; the flight recorder came from a rooftop near the crash site

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Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu confirmed both black boxes remain in India, with the AAIB leading the examination

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The AAIB is conducting a detailed analysis, aided by experts from the US, UK, Boeing, GE, and officials from NTSB/FAA to decode flight parameters and

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India’s new black box lab faces limitations—authorities will decide whether to decode locally or send the data abroad, depending on damage to the recorders

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Preliminary findings are expected in ~30 days, final report within a year. Meanwhile, the DGCA has started safety audits and inspections of Air India’s Dreamliner fleet

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