Air India Crash: 'Severely Damaged' Black Box May Be Sent To US For Data Recovery, Say Reports

Ahmedabad: A “severely damaged” black box retrieved from the wrecked Air India Flight AI171 may soon be flown abroad, most likely to the United States, for advanced forensic recovery, as per reports. Initial attempts to decode the flight data locally have did not yield enough information, given the charred condition of the device.

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR), collectively known as the black box, were recovered from the crash site in Ahmedabad following the deadly tragedy that claimed over 270 lives. Officials say the extent of the thermal and physical damage may be beyond the capabilities of Indian labs.

According to a report by NDTV, a top aviation official said, “We may need to send the black box overseas, possibly to the US or France, depending on the required expertise.” While local teams are making initial efforts, success appears unlikely.

As per a Firstpost report, India’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are already working closely with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer, to assess the feasibility of recovering data.

Meanwhile, The Economic Times quoted a senior government source stating, “If our own systems fail to extract any meaningful data, we’ll proceed to send it to a US facility experienced in black box recovery.”

Why Does the Black Box Matter So Much?

The CVR records every sound in the cockpit, from pilot conversations to warning alarms, while the FDR logs crucial technical parameters such as altitude, speed, engine performance, and flight control inputs.

Aviation experts suggest that this data could prove vital in understanding what led to the crash. With ground evidence and eyewitness accounts offering limited clarity, the black box could hold the only conclusive timeline of the aircraft’s final moments.