Crashed Air India Plane’s Black Box Being Examined In India By AAIB: Aviation Minister

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday said the black box of the Air India AI 171 aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad earlier this month is being examined by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). 

He dismissed reports claiming the device would be sent abroad for investigation.

The London-bound Air India plane AI 171 crashed into a hostel complex in Ahmedabad shortly after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on the afternoon of June 12. The crash claimed 270 lives, including 241 passengers and crew. One passenger survived.

The black box of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was recovered from the crash site on June 13. A black box is a critical flight data recorder that stores important information about an aircraft’s operations during a flight. It plays a key role in determining the cause of air accidents.

Responding to media reports that suggested the black box might be sent overseas for analysis, Naidu said, “...it is all speculation. The black box is very much in India and it is currently being investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).”

When asked about the timeline for retrieving data from the black box, the minister said the matter is technical and should be left to the experts. “Let the AAIB conduct the probe and go through the entire process,” he said.

Naidu made the remarks while attending the Helicopters & Small Aircraft Summit 2025, held in collaboration between FICCI and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

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