Ahmedabad plane tragedy: Black box, DVR recovered from crash site

Ahmedabad: The missing black box of the London-bound Air India flight, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, has been recovered, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said on Friday. 

The black box was recovered from the roof of the hostel mess building of BJ Medical College, where the plane had crashed, according to national media. 

On Thursday, authorities recovered the first black box from the wreckage of the Air India B787 aircraft (VT-ANB), located near the rear of the plane. A day later, on Friday, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) recovered a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) from the crash site, according to ANI.

The black box -- the flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) -- are critical for investigators. The FDR logs key technical information such as altitude, speed, engine performance and navigation data, while the CVR captures audio from the cockpit, including conversations between pilots and radio transmissions. Together, they are essential to understanding the final moments leading up to the crash and determining the probable cause.

Meanwhile, Air India and the Indian government are looking at several aspects of the Boeing 787-8 crash in Ahmedabad, including issues with the jet's engine thrust, its flaps, and why its landing gear remained open, Reuters reported citing a source with the direct knowledge of the matter. 

The twin-engine, wide-bodied Boeing 787 aircraft took off from Ahmedabad’s Runway 23 at 1.39 pm IST (0809 UTC) on June 12. Moments later, the pilot issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call, indicating a full emergency, according to Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control. However, the aircraft gave no further response to subsequent ATC calls.

Eyewitnesses said the plane struggled to gain altitude, climbing only about 600–800 feet before it rapidly descended and exploded into a fireball. The crash site was engulfed in thick black smoke, visible from several kilometres away.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the aircraft lost communication shortly after the distress call. It described the aircraft, which had been in service for 11 years, as having combusted mid-air before hitting a structure near the airport boundary.

Flight AI-171 was carrying 242 people - 230 passengers and 12 crew, including two pilots. Among the passengers were 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian.

Investigators are continuing to comb through debris for the missing recorder and further evidence, which could shed light on the circumstances that led to one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history.