Air India plane crash: What is a black box and what it can reveal
A London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people onboard crashed shortly after taking off from
Ahmedabad airport
on Thursday, prompting large-scale rescue efforts and underscoring the vital role of flight data recorders in uncovering the cause of aviation accidents.
The aircraft, flight AI-171, took off from Runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST and issued a
MAYDAY
call shortly after, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The plane crashed in the Meghani Nagar area outside the airport perimeter after reaching just 625 feet altitude, exploding in a massive fireball. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar were commanding the flight carrying 232 passengers and 10 crew members en route to London Gatwick.
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Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Air India passenger plane with over 200 onboard crashes near Meghaninagar
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As rescue teams continue searching for survivors, investigators are prioritizing the recovery of the aircraft's
black box
, the key to understanding what caused the aviation tragedy.
What Air India's Boeing 787-8 black box can reveal Ahmedabad plane crash
In the Ahmedabad crash investigation, the black box will be key to determining whether the tragedy was caused by a mechanical issue, engine failure, bird strike, onboard fire, or human error. It will provide detailed insights into the crew's MAYDAY call, any automated alerts received, and their actions to recover control in the moments after takeoff.
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Ahmedabad Plane Crash:
Google Earth imagery shows exact location of aircraft's take off & crash site in Meghaninagar. Watch video
With the aircraft crashing at just 625 feet, the Flight Data Recorder will capture exact data on engine performance, control surface movements, and system alerts. The Cockpit Voice Recorder may reveal if the crew followed emergency checklists, how they coordinated their response, and whether any technical issues were discussed.
Once recovered, the devices will be sent to forensic laboratories under the DGCA or Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, where experts will extract and decode memory modules, synchronize voice and flight data, and correlate findings with radar logs and air traffic control records.
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Safety Engineering expert weighs in on deadly crash, explains exactly when the problem occurred
The analysis process typically takes days to weeks depending on device damage and incident complexity. However, initial assessments are usually provided within 24 hours to guide the investigation's direction.
What is a black box?
Contrary to popular belief, aircraft "black boxes" are actually bright orange crash-resistant devices designed to survive extreme impact and fire. Every commercial aircraft carries two such recorders housed in reinforced casings built to withstand explosions, fire, water pressure, and high-speed crashes.
The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) logs critical technical parameters including altitude, speed, engine thrust, and flight path data. Modern aircraft like the crashed Boeing 787 can record thousands of parameters covering everything from cockpit command inputs to air conditioning systems. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captures all cockpit audio - pilot conversations, radio transmissions, warning alarms, and ambient mechanical sounds that could provide crucial clues about the final moments before impact.
These recorders continuously store 25 hours of information, including data from previous flights within that timespan, which can sometimes reveal hints about mechanical failures that developed over time.
Black boxes: crucial evidence in airplane accidents
Flight recorders provide investigators with a second-by-second reconstruction of events leading up to a crash, offering the most objective account of what transpired in the cockpit and across aircraft systems. They serve as the aviation equivalent of DNA evidence in criminal cases - providing definitive, unbiased testimony when human witnesses may be unavailable.
Black box data has proved decisive in solving major aviation disasters globally, from the 2015 Germanwings crash to Malaysia Airlines incidents. In India, the 2020 Kozhikode crash investigation relied heavily on these recordings to establish pilot decisions and runway conditions during the failed landing attempt.
The devices often provide the only reliable account when there are no survivors or when physical evidence is destroyed or inconclusive. Beyond determining immediate causes, flight recorder analysis has led to industry-wide safety improvements, new training protocols, and aircraft design modifications that have prevented countless future accidents.
As search teams work to locate the black boxes amid the wreckage, these orange recorders hold the answers to understanding what caused 242 lives to be put at risk and how similar tragedies can be prevented in the future.
(With TOI inputs)
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