Black Boxes Under Strict Security Since Recovery

The Indian Ministry of Aviation announced that both the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder recovered from the crash site of Air India Flight 171 were flown to Delhi by the Indian Air Force, where they will be analyzed by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, or AAIB.

The recorders have been under very tight security since their recovery from the crash on June 12, 2025. One of the recorders was recovered on June 13 and the other on June 16. They were flown separately to Delhi on the afternoon of June 24, again under the strictest security.

On that same evening, GVG Yugandhar, Director General of the AAIB, began the process of extracting data from both devices. The Crash Protection Module of the cockpit voice recorder was safely retrieved, and the following day, technicians were able to access the memory module and its data was successfully downloaded.

The AAIB confirmed that analysis of the data from the CVR and FDR is currently underway.

A spokesperson for the AAIB said, “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.”

Prior to being flown to Delhi, the recorders were kept under 24/7 police protection and CCTV video surveillance in Ahmedabad, where the crash occurred.

Indian authorities have confirmed that 260 people perished in the tragedy including 241 of the 242 people aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner as well as 19 on the ground. Flight 171 was departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international Airport (AMD) enroute to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) when it went down on takeoff. It impacted the campus of Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital less than a minute after taking off.

FMI:  aaib.gov.in/