Cockpit Voice Recorder Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the wreckage of the Air India Dreamliner that crashed last Thursday, marking a significant development in the probe into the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in years.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 crashed less than a minute after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, slamming into a residential building used to house doctors at BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital.
The crash resulted in at least 270 fatalities, including nearly all 242 passengers and crew, as well as several people on the ground. Only one survivor — a 40-year-old British man — is reported.
The CVR captures vital audio data from the cockpit, including pilot conversations, alarms, and environmental sounds.
It complements the flight data recorder (FDR) — which was recovered a day earlier — and logs essential technical information such as altitude, airspeed, and engine activity.
Together, the CVR and FDR, commonly known as the “black boxes” despite being bright orange, are instrumental in reconstructing the aircraft’s final moments and identifying what caused the catastrophic crash.
These devices are built to withstand extreme impacts and are coated with reflective material for easy identification at crash sites.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the inquiry, in collaboration with experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the UK, given the aircraft’s American manufacture.
On Sunday, U.S. officials, including representatives from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), visited the crash site to assist in the ongoing investigation.
A high-level Indian government committee tasked with examining the causes of the disaster is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Monday.
According to All India Radio, the panel is expected to deliver a preliminary report within three months, including recommendations for new standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, families of the victims are enduring an agonizing wait for information. Doctors have so far recovered 270 bodies, and more than 90 victims have been positively identified through DNA testing.
Of these, 47 bodies have been returned to families, according to Dr. Rajnish Patel from Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital.
Among the deceased is Vijay Rupani, a former Chief Minister of Gujarat, whose state funeral is scheduled for Monday in Rajkot.
However, for many, closure remains elusive. The severely burned condition of many victims has slowed down the identification process, which is being carried out in small batches.
Some families have expressed frustration over delays, as uncertainty about whether their loved ones have been located only adds to their grief.
One man, Mistry Jignesh, told the BBC he was still waiting outside the hospital for word on his niece.
“We were told we’d get the body after 72 hours, but now they say the search is still ongoing,” he said. “What if her remains haven’t even been found yet? The wait is killing us.”
The black box analysis is expected to shed light on the flight’s critical final moments and determine whether mechanical failure, human error, or other factors played a role in the crash.
Cockpit Voice Recorder Recovered from Air India Crash Site