First Visuals Show Black Box of Air India Plane That Crashed In Ahmedabad With 242 Passengers Onboard

Air India Plane Crash: The black box of the ill-fated Air India flight AI171 has been recovered from the crash site in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, hours after the plane crashed into a residential area shortly after takeoff. 

The first visuals of the device, which, despite its name, is painted bright orange for visibility, were released today. The data it holds could be crucial in piecing together what led to one of India’s worst aviation disasters in recent memory.

242 Onboard, 241 Dead, One Miracle Amid the Carnage

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, went down minutes after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Of those onboard, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian.

In a miracle amid the horror, one passenger survived. Seated in 11A, the British national reportedly jumped out of the emergency window at the moment of impact. 

A chilling video has emerged showing him walking away from the wreckage, dazed but alive. 

Initial reports suggested that the aircraft was unable to dispose of excess fuel, crashing with around 58,000 litres onboard. 

However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the media hours after the tragedy, confirmed a much graver concern, the plane had approximately 1.25 lakh litres of fuel at the time of the crash.

Aircraft Had Been Grounded Last Year

Documents accessed by Republic show that the aircraft had been grounded in 2024 and flagged for multiple technical lapses. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued show cause notices to Air India on June 3 and June 5, questioning the airline’s decision to continue operating the aircraft despite known issues.

The notices, addressed to Chief Technical Officer SK Das, cited expired emergency equipment, non-serviceable seat belts, and escape slides overdue for inspection, raising grave concerns about the airline's maintenance standards.