Ahmedabad plane crash: Data from black box of AI-171 downloaded, DG AIIB to lead investigation

Data from the black box of the crashed Air India plane has been downloaded.

The data from the black box of the ill-fated Air India flight AI-171 has been successfully downloaded at the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Lab, and the memory module has been accessed, Ministry of Civil Aviation informed on June 25, adding that a multidisciplinary team led by DG AAIB will be conducting the investigations as per international norms.

"The Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box was safely retrieved on June 24, and on 25 June, the memory module was successfully accessed and its data downloaded at the AAIB Lab. 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," the Aviation Ministry said in an official statement.

"Following the unfortunate accident involving Air India Flight AI-171, the AAIB promptly initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team on 13 June 2025, in line with prescribed norms. The team, constituted as per international protocol, is led by DG AAIB, and includes an aviation medicine specialist, an ATC officer, and representatives from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which is government investigative agency from the state of manufacture and design, (USA), as required for such investigations," the ministry further added.

The black boxes - a flight data recorder, or FDR, and a cockpit voice recorder, or CVR - were reportedly damaged in the crash and there were questions over the recovery of usable data.

However, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has now succeeded in safely extracting the Crash Protection Module, or CPM, and the memory module, and downloaded its data.

The London-bound Air India flight crashed into a hostel complex in Ahmedabad moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12 afternoon, killing 270 people, including 241 on board. Only one passenger survived the deadly crash.

One of the two black boxes of Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was recovered from a rooftop of the building at the crash site on June 13 and the other from the debris on June 16.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were issued for their secure handling, storage, and transportation. The devices were kept under 24x7 police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad. The black boxes were brought from Ahmedabad to Delhi by IAF aircraft on June 24.