NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough, authorities recovered the black box of Air India’s Ahmedabad-London flight on Friday, over a day after the aircraft crashed within minutes of take-off, killing 241 out of 242 people who were on board.Also Read: What caused Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad? 5 big questions, 2 short videos, zero clear answers
The device was found on a “rooftop”, likely that of the hostel building of the BJ Medical College in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad. The ill-fated flight had crashed into the hostel mess shortly after take-off.“The black box was found on the rooftop,” the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said.“The Flight data recorder (Black Box) has been recovered within 28 hours from the accident site in Ahmedabad by AAIB. This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident,” Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu posted on X.The black box, a critical piece of evidence, would be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash, the victims of which included Gujarat’s former chief minister, Vijay Rupani.The AAIB has launched a full-scale probe into the mishap, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat government joining efforts to support the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) teams on the ground.Also Read: After Ahmedabad plane crash, DGCA orders enhanced safety inspection for Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleetThe flight had 230 passengers, two pilots, and 10 cabin crew. The passengers included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and a Canadian. There was only one survivor – a British-Indian man who was on seat 11A of the aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
