The black box of the ill-fated Air India Ahmedabad-London flight has been recovered from the rooftop of a building struck by the aircraft during its catastrophic crash in Ahmedabad. The discovery comes just over a day after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI-171, slammed into the residential hostel complex of BJ Medical College, resulting in the deaths of at least 265 people, including nearly everyone on board and several on the ground.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed on Friday that the orange-colored black box, typically located near the tail of the aircraft, was found atop the resident doctors’ hostel building that bore the brunt of the impact. The device, which houses both the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), is designed to withstand extreme conditions and is critical to piecing together the final moments before the crash.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu stated, “The Flight Data Recorder (Black Box) has been recovered within 28 hours from the accident site in Ahmedabad by AAIB. This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident"
The black box is essential in aviation accident investigations, as it records technical flight data—such as altitude, speed, and engine performance—as well as cockpit conversations between pilots in the moments leading up to the disaster. Analysis of this data will help authorities determine what caused the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly and crash so soon after takeoff.
Flight AI-171 departed Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, bound for London Gatwick with 242 people on board. Shortly after takeoff, the pilots issued a mayday distress call, but the aircraft failed to respond to subsequent air traffic control communications. Eyewitnesses and CCTV footage captured the plane struggling to gain altitude, reaching only about 600–800 feet before nosediving into the medical college complex and erupting into flames.
The crash left a trail of devastation, with 241 on board—including 168 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian—losing their lives. Only one passenger survived, and dozens on the ground perished as well.
With the black box now in hand, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are intensifying efforts to analyze the data and cockpit recordings. Over 40 Gujarat government staff are supporting civil aviation ministry teams at the crash site, searching for the second black box and gathering additional evidence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site in his home state, meeting with rescue workers and the sole survivor in hospital, and described the tragedy as “saddening”
