Air India crash: Data extraction from black boxes underway

Nearly two weeks after the deadly crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, the Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box has been retrieved on June 24, and on June 25, the memory module was accessed and its data was downloaded at the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) lab, the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Thursday (June 26).

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Data downloaded

“On the evening of 24 June 2025, the team led by DG AAIB with technical members from AAIB and NTSB began the data extraction process. The Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box was safely retrieved, and on 25 June, 2025, the memory module was successfully accessed and its data downloaded at the AAIB Lab,” the ministry said in a statement.

It also said that while the Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) were recovered from a rooftop of the building at the crash site on June 13, the Flight Data Recorders (FDR) were recovered from the debris on June 16.

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Analysis underway

“The analysis of CVR and FDR data is underway. These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences,” it added.

The Civil Aviation Ministry further stated that the black boxes were brought from Ahmedabad to Delhi by IAF aircraft with full security on 24 June.

“The front black box arrived AAIB Lab, Delhi with the DG, AAIB at 1400 hrs on 24 June, 2025. The rear black box was brought by a second AAIB team and reached AAIB Lab, Delhi at 1715 hrs on 24 June, 2025,” it added.

Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick crashed into a medical hostel complex soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing over 270 people, including 241 people who were on board the plane.

With agency inputs