Black box recovered, decoding underway for Air India crash: Aviation minister

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, in his first official briefing since the devastating Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, confirmed that the black box from the ill-fated aircraft has been recovered and is currently being decoded. This critical development marks a significant step forward in the extensive investigation being conducted by multiple agencies and high-level panels to determine the exact cause of the tragedy. The data from the black box is expected to provide crucial insights into the moments leading up to the crash.

Minister Naidu highlighted the government's serious approach to the incident, stating that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was immediately mobilized, with its Director General rushing to the site. He further elaborated that the AAIB team believes the decoding of the black box will offer an in-depth understanding of what transpired during the crash or in the critical seconds before it. The Ministry, along with the entire nation, is eagerly awaiting the results and report from the comprehensive AAIB investigation.

Emphasizing India's robust aviation safety framework, the minister announced that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an extended surveillance of all Boeing 787 series aircraft in the Indian fleet. Out of the 34 such planes, eight have already been inspected, with the remaining to be checked with immediate urgency. Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha added that the crashed Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner (AI 171), which tragically claimed 270 lives including 242 passengers and crew and those on the ground, had completed its Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad journey without any prior incident.