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Air India Crash:  A London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 aboard crashed barely minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, prompting an extensive rescue and investigation operation. The crash has once again focused global attention on the use of aircraft black boxes in determining the underlying causes of aerial crashes. Flight AI-171 took off from Runway 23 at 1:39 PM and issued a MAYDAY call moments later. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft lost altitude rapidly and crashed in the Meghani Nagar area just outside the airport perimeter, bursting into a massive fireball upon impact. Among those on board were 232 passengers and 10 crew members, including Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar.

While rescue workers keep searching the wreckage for survivors and bodies, Indian and foreign aviation authorities have initiated a complete investigation into the crash. The retrieval of the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders, popularly referred to as black boxes, is presently the highest priority. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) are jointly working with India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB India) under international civil aviation norms. With British citizens on board, the UK will officially be supporting the investigation under ICAO Annex 13, maintaining transparency as well as technical assistance.

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A view shows the wreckage of an Air India aircraft | Credit: Reuters

What Can The Black Box Reveal?

The black box has two very important elements:
• Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Records technical data such as altitude, speed, engine thrust, and control inputs.
• Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): Records pilot voices, radio communications, warning alarms, and cockpit noises.

Since the Dreamliner only went a couple of feet past 625 before the accident occurred, flight parameters will be studied to determine potential mechanical failure, engine failure, bird strikes, or pilot error. The CVR can provide important information regarding the actions taken by the crew in the emergency and any in-flight technical issues that were being debated. Black boxes are engineered to survive severe impact, fire, and underwater submersion. As much as they are referred to as "black," they are bright orange for better visibility. It can withstand temperatures of 1100°C and shocks up to 3400 G. It can keep data safe even after being submerged in water for 30 days. It also contains an underwater locator beacon that sends signals if it falls into the water. Therefore, it is almost impossible for the black box to be destroyed after a plane crash. These units can store 25 hours of recent flight history and cockpit voice, offering an indubitable digital chronology of what took place in the cockpit and on the aircraft systems.

Historically, flight recorders have played a key role in explaining serious air accidents, most notably the 2015 Germanwings crash and the 2020 Kozhikode runway excursion. They provide an objective reconstruction of events when there are no eyewitness accounts or physical evidence has been heavily damaged.

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 A police officer inspects the crash site after an Air India aircraft | Credit: Reuters

Crash Investigation Procedure: How It Functions in India

After they are found, the black boxes are transported to forensic laboratories under AAIB India or DGCA, where memory modules are recovered and data deciphered. Process involves:
• Synching voice with flight data
• Correlating results with radar and ATC recordings
• Evaluating mechanical system response and pilot reaction

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Although initial findings are possible within 24–48 hours, a complete investigation report takes weeks or even months, subject to device condition and event complexity. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is the authority for investigating air accidents, as per Section 7 of the Aircraft Act, 1934, and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017. After an accident occurs, AAIB sends investigators to:
• Secure the site of the crash and photograph it
• Take wreckage patterns and impact marks
• Interview Witness
• Download black boxes and all recoverable data from GPS, ATC systems, and surveillance
• Gather meteorological information and ATC transmissions

Aviation medicine specialists and type-rated pilots engage in examining intricate factors. AAIB also collaborates with organizations such as HAL, National Aerospace Laboratories, and DGCA to undertake sophisticated forensic analysis. Based on all data examination, AAIB drafts a Draft Report summarising Factual information, initial investigation, and safety recommendations. Then the report is submitted to relevant international authorities, like the aircraft registry, states of operation, manufacture, and design, for feedback. The Final Report, after being approved by AAIB's Director General, is released publicly and transmitted to ICAO as well as concerned authorities for remedial actions.

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While the country grieves the loss of life in the horrific crash of AI-171, the orange flight recorders might contain the sole hints of what happened in the last terror-filled seconds. The rapid recovery and decoding of the black boxes might not only reveal why the plane crashed but also could prevent future accidents through safety system overhauls.