Air India crash black boxes may head to US for analysis

The Economic Times also mentioned that Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated a new black box analysis lab at AAIB headquarters in New Delhi this April. Built with ₹9 crore and technical assistance from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, this facility was established to recover flight data and assist in detailed crash investigations like that of Flight AI 171. Despite this new facility, it appears necessary to send the black boxes to the US for analysis.

India's civil aviation ministry officials stated that recent inspections of several Air India Boeing 787 aircraft found no significant safety issues. Both aircraft and maintenance systems met current safety regulations following checks conducted after the deadly crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12, 2025. Air India operates a fleet of 34 Boeing 787s, including 27 787-8s and seven 787-9s.

Following these events, India's aviation regulator mandated safety inspections of all Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleets. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) also instructed airlines such as All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines, and their low-cost subsidiaries to inspect their Boeing 787 aircraft.

In response to these developments, Air India announced a temporary scale-back of its international flight operations according to The New York Times report. This decision followed directives from Indian aviation regulators urging improvements in operations amid rising passenger complaints about malfunctioning cabin equipment and inadequate communication before the tragic crash.

On June 12, 2025, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft registered as VT-ANB took off from Ahmedabad International Airport but failed to gain altitude before crashing into a residential area over a kilometer away from the airport. This incident marked the first-ever hull loss for a Boeing 787 model.

The ongoing investigation focuses on engine thrust levels, flap settings during takeoff procedures along with why landing gear remained unretracted post-takeoff according to Reuters' sources familiar with inquiries dated June13th . Although investigators work towards identifying causative factors behind accidents ,preliminary conclusions typically emerge months into thorough investigative processes .

Of those aboard —230 passengers alongside twelve crew members including ten attendants—only one individual survived . Seated near left-side emergency exit seat number11A ,the sole survivor was later discharged after receiving medical care .Additionally,the crash inflicted casualties upon Ahmedabad Civil Hospital complex claiming at least thirty-three lives based upon various media accounts .