Latest news with #Chassis'
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Air India crash report: 49 hours of raw data retrieved from black box using US ‘Golden Chassis'
A 'Golden Chassis' sourced from the United States enabled the successful download of 49 hours of flight data from one of the black boxes of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, claiming 260 lives. Wreckage of Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, one month after the crash in Ahmedabad.(PTI) The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had retrieved the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs), commonly referred to as black boxes, and transported them to New Delhi on June 24. Typically, when flight recorders are damaged in an accident, investigators rely on a Golden Chassis—an identical recording unit—and compatible download cables sourced from other international agencies to extract data. In this case, the AAIB confirmed on Saturday that the 'Golden Chassis' and the necessary download cables to access data from the EAFR were provided by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The data extraction from the forward EAFR was attempted at the AAIB laboratory in New Delhi on June 24. Investigators found the Crash Protection Module (CPM) intact and in good condition. 'The CPM was mounted on the Golden Chassis, and the raw data was downloaded from the EAFR. The downloaded flight data contained approximately 49 hours of flight data and 6 flights, including the event flight,' AAIB said in its preliminary probe report on the crash. 'The recovered audio was two hours in length and captured the event. Initial Analysis of the recorded audio and flight data has been done,' the report added. The report noted that the aft EAFR had suffered significant damage and could not be accessed using standard procedures. Investigators opened the CPM to inspect the memory card but found the damage to be extensive. The investigation is being led by Sanjay Kumar Singh, who has been appointed as the investigator-in-charge. Jasbir Singh Larhga is serving as the chief investigator. The investigation team also includes Vipin Venu Varakoth, Veeraragavan K, and Vaishnav Vijayakumar. To support the technical and operational aspects of the probe, the AAIB has roped in experienced pilots, engineers, aviation medicine specialists, aviation psychologists, and flight recorder experts as subject matter specialists. With PTI inputs
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Time of India
Air India 171 crash report: Fuel switch-off blamed in probe as pilots heard saying 'I didn't do it' moments before June 12 disaster
The preliminary investigation report on the June 12 Air India Flight 171 crash has revealed that both engines lost power after the fuel cutoff switches were activated moments after takeoff. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the findings on Saturday, stating that both pilots appeared confused about how the fuel was shut off. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has urged the public not to jump to conclusions before the final report is released. Black boxes recovered and decoded in India Two enhanced airborne flight recorders (EAFRs), commonly known as black boxes, were recovered from the crash site. One was found on June 13 with significant heat and impact damage; the second was retrieved three days later. Both were sent to AAIB's Delhi lab on June 24. Using a 'Golden Chassis' and cables sourced from the US National Transportation Safety Board, investigators successfully extracted 49 hours of flight data and two hours of cockpit audio. The data helped reconstruct the final six flights of the Boeing 787, including the one that crashed. This marks the first time the entire black box decoding process was completed within India. Cockpit audio reveals critical moment According to the AAIB's report, the aircraft reached a speed of 180 knots before both fuel cutoff switches transitioned from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' within one second of each other. This led to an immediate drop in both engines' power levels. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel had been cut. The response was, "I didn't do it." This moment is being closely examined to understand whether the switches were toggled accidentally or due to a technical fault. The agency has not yet made any conclusive statements, and Civil Aviation Minister Naidu stressed that it is too early to determine the exact cause. Official response and safety checks underway Naidu praised the AAIB for handling what he described as a "challenging task" and maintaining transparency. He confirmed that the black boxes were not sent abroad for analysis, as initially speculated. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol had earlier stated that the entire investigation would be conducted domestically. The AAIB also reported that fuel samples taken from the refueling infrastructure were tested and found to be satisfactory. This rules out poor fuel quality as a contributing factor. 🚨🇮🇳#BREAKING | NEWS ⚠️ apparently the fuel cut off switches were flipped 'from run to cutoff 'just after takeoff starving the engines of fuel causing the Air India plane to crash 1 pilot can be heard asking the other' why he shut off the fuel' WSJ report The aircraft, en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College shortly after takeoff, killing 241 people, including nine students and their family members on the ground. Only one person on board survived. The final AAIB report is awaited, and authorities stress that no conclusions should be drawn until all technical and procedural assessments are complete.
