10 hours ago
Air India crash: Black box recovered from site of mishap
NEW DELHI, India: The flight data recorder from the crashed Air India plane was found on June 13. This vital discovery may help investigators find out what caused the accident, which killed 241 people on board and several others on the ground.
The plane, a Boeing 787 going to London, crashed into a medical college hostel just seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12. It went down in a residential area of Ahmedabad, a city in northwestern India.
The black box, which is the digital flight data recorder, was found on a rooftop near the crash site. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had started its investigation "with full force." Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on social media that finding the black box was a big step forward.
Mechanical engineer Paul Fromme from the UK's Institution of Mechanical Engineers explained that the device will show details like engine settings and control positions. The cockpit voice recorder will also reveal what the pilots said. Fromme said this data could quickly show if the plane lost power or lift after takeoff, which would help identify the cause of the crash.
India's civil aviation authority also ordered Air India to inspect all of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners with General Electric GEnx engines. These checks will include things like fuel systems, cabin air compressors, engine controls, hydraulic systems, and takeoff settings.
Investigators continued searching through the wreckage of what is now considered one of the worst plane crashes in India's history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the lone surviving passenger a day after the crash. He later posted on social media: "We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words."
Aviation expert Jeff Guzzetti, who has worked for U.S. aviation safety agencies, said that if the black box is in good condition, investigators might have answers to some key questions by next week. He said they would check if the wing flaps were correctly set, if the engines lost power, if any alarms went off in the cockpit, and whether the crew entered the correct information about the weather and plane weight. Mistakes in this data could lead to flap problems.
At least five people on the ground were killed, and around 50 were injured. Many more victims may still be found as searches continue. DNA tests are being used to identify the bodies, many of which are badly burned.
The investigation will include experts from the U.S., such as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing, and General Electric. Professor Graham Braithwaite from Cranfield University said the primary goal of the investigation is to prevent such accidents in the future. He said teams from different countries and companies would work together but under strict rules to keep the investigation fair and independent.
Meanwhile, on a separate Air India flight (AI 379) from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi, a bomb threat message was found in a bathroom after takeoff.
The plane made an emergency landing at Phuket. All 156 passengers were safely evacuated while authorities searched the aircraft. Nothing dangerous was found. The flight continued later in the day, though one passenger chose not to get back on board.
