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Ahmedabad Air India Crash Report Submitted to Aviation Ministry as Black Box Data Successfully Decoded in India for the First Time
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has filed its preliminary report on the Ahmedabad crash of Air India with the civil aviation ministry. The findings of the report have not been released yet, reported news agency ANI, quoting sources.
260 Killed in Crash
The crash occurred on June 12 when an Air India flight, heading for London, crashed just after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The plane crashed into a hostel complex in Meghaninagar, a populous region.
241 individuals on board were killed. Several other deaths occurred upon impact with the ground. One passenger survived the crash.
Black Boxes Retrieved, Data Retrieved
Both the black boxes, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), were salvaged at the crash site. The CVR was recovered on June 13, on top of a nearby building. The FDR was recovered from the wreckage on June 16.
The Front Black Box Crash Protection Module (CPM) was successfully recovered in its entirety. The data was accessed and downloaded on June 25 at the AAIB Lab in Delhi. The verification was done using a duplicate unit, designated as the ‘golden chassis.’
It is the first time black box data has been completely deciphered by India without exporting it overseas.
Global Experts Join the Probe
The inquiry is headed by top AAIB officials. It also has representatives from the Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The NTSB is participating since the aircraft was manufactured in the US. Boeing and General Electric (GE) teams are also present in Delhi, assisting Indian investigators.
An Air Traffic Control officer and an aviation medicine specialist are also included in the investigation team core.
India Finally Has Black Box Decoding Capacity
India previously did not have the capacity to decode flight recorders. In the majority of serious air accidents, the black boxes used to be shipped abroad for examination.
For instance:
1996 Charkhi Dadri crash data was decoded in the UK and Moscow.
The recorders in the 2010 Mangalore crash were shipped to the US.
In the 2020 Kozhikode crash, information was transferred to India but analyzed with assistance from the NTSB.
With the Delhi-headquartered AAIB lab now functional, India will be able to perform such crucial analysis independently. The report on the Ahmedabad crash will come out soon after further testing is conducted.