New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated an in-depth investigation into the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171, in strict adherence to international aviation safety protocols under the ICAO Chicago Convention (1944) and India’s Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017.
Following the accident, which occurred earlier this month, the AAIB constituted a multidisciplinary investigation team on June 13, 2025. The team is led by the Director General of AAIB and includes an aviation medicine expert, an Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer, and representatives from the U.S.-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in line with global norms, as the aircraft was manufactured and designed in the United States.
Black Box Recovery and Transfer
Critical flight recorders—namely the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR)—were recovered from the crash site in Ahmedabad. The CVR was retrieved from a rooftop on June 13, while the FDR was located amid the wreckage on June 16.
Both devices were handled with utmost security and care, in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures. Stored under round-the-clock police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad, the black boxes were airlifted to Delhi on June 24 via Indian Air Force aircraft. The CVR reached the AAIB Laboratory in Delhi at 2:00 PM, followed by the FDR at 5:15 PM the same day.
Data Extraction and Investigation Progress
On the evening of June 24, a joint technical team comprising AAIB and NTSB experts began the process of data retrieval. The Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the CVR was successfully extracted, and on June 25, the memory module was accessed and its data downloaded.
The data from both the CVR and FDR is now under detailed analysis. Investigators are working to reconstruct the final moments of the ill-fated flight and identify any contributing technical or operational factors that led to the crash.
