India Considers Overseas Analysis of Air India Crash Black Boxes

The decision on sending flight recorders overseas for analysis follows the tragic crash of a London-bound Air India flight, resulting in significant casualties.

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is deliberating whether to send the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the ill-fated Air India flight to international facilities for analysis. This comes in the wake of the tragic crash involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner while en route to London, which occurred shortly after its departure from Ahmedabad airport and led to the loss of at least 270 lives.

Contrary to reports suggesting the black boxes have already been dispatched, the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that no final verdict has been reached and that the AAIB will assess various technical, safety, and security aspects before making a decision. The black boxes have been recovered and date back to when they were located on June 13 and June 16. Flight recorders are vital, as they capture detailed flight performance metrics such as engine power levels, fuel usage, and control settings, helping to reconstruct the aircraft's final moments.

Media reports indicated that damage from the post-crash fire may hinder the extraction of data in India, leading to speculation that the government might consider sending the recorders to the United States for investigation. Ex-accident investigator Captain Kishore Chinta noted that could allow for a comparative analysis with data shared with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

In related insights, Air India's chairman N. Chandrasekaran revealed that one of the engines on the crashed plane was recently replaced, while the other was not due for maintenance until December. Following the accident, India's aviation regulator mandated thorough safety checks on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet as a precautionary measure. Consequently, the airline announced plans to cut flights on 16 international routes and suspend operations on three destinations between June 21 and July 15, aiming to conduct enhanced pre-flight inspections and accommodate increased flight durations due to Middle Eastern airspace closures. As a proactive approach, Air India will temporarily reduce its operations using wide-body aircraft by 15%.