Days after the tragic crash of an Air India Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday, June 19, announced that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will determine the location for decoding the aircraft’s black boxes. The move is part of an ongoing investigation into the June 12 crash, which claimed nearly 270 lives.
A multi-disciplinary team from the AAIB has already begun a detailed probe into the circumstances surrounding the accident. Officials confirmed that the investigation is examining technical data, flight recordings, and other critical evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the crash.
“A combined unit of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was recovered from the crash site on June 13, 2025. A second black box set was found on June 16,” the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement. The particular model of aircraft involved carries two black box units.
The Ministry noted that the AAIB investigation is progressing steadily, with full cooperation from local authorities and agencies. Key tasks, including evidence collection and site documentation, have been completed, and the analysis phase is now underway.
Responding to media reports suggesting the flight recorders are being sent abroad for decoding, the ministry clarified that, “The decision regarding the location for decoding the CVR and DFDR from flight AI171 will be taken by the AAIB after a thorough assessment of all technical, safety, and security factors.”
The crash of flight AI171 has sparked national concern, with calls for a transparent and thorough investigation into one of the country’s worst aviation disasters in recent years.
