A London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 individuals, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. The ill-fated flight, AI-171, issued a distress call mere seconds after departure from Runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST and plunged into the Meghani Nagar locality, erupting into flames.
Piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar, the aircraft reached only 625 feet before nosediving. Investigators have now turned their focus toward recovering the aircraft’s black boxes—devices critical to uncovering the exact chain of events that led to the disaster.
The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) is expected to offer precise readings on engine behavior, control inputs, altitude, and mechanical alerts. Meanwhile, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) may reveal how the pilots responded, communicated, and whether they attempted emergency protocols.
Once found, these orange, impact-resistant units will be examined at specialized DGCA or Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau labs. Experts will decode stored data and sync it with air traffic communications and radar logs.
Contrary to their nickname, black boxes are bright orange for visibility and built to survive fire, deep water, and high-impact crashes. Together, the CVR and FDR offer a minute-by-minute narrative of the aircraft’s final journey. In past incidents, such data has exposed hidden mechanical flaws and improved aviation safety protocols.
As rescue efforts continue, these devices may be the only witnesses to a tragedy that claimed 241 lives—making them vital for both answers and future prevention.
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