AI-171 Crash: Black box recovered from the rooftop of a building

ANI June 13, 2025 274 views

The black box from the crashed AI-171 flight has been recovered from a rooftop in Ahmedabad. Over 40 state officials are assisting the AAIB in the investigation. The sole survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, was seated near an emergency exit. The DFDR data may reveal crucial details about the moments before the fatal crash.

"The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately." – Ministry of Civil Aviation
Ahmedabad June 13: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the site of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad.

Key Points

1

DFDR recovered from rooftop, not video recorder

2

242 fatalities, sole survivor Vishwashkumar Ramesh

3

Ex-CM Vijay Rupani among victims

4

Mayday call made before crash

The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder that had been recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR.

The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground. The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of all 242 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

"Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop," said the statement of the Ministry of Civil Aviation

The investigation is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster.

On Thursday, the Al-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport. The airlines said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash.

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.

According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC.

Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site.

Vishwashkumar Ramesh miraculously survived the Air India plane crash a day ago, in which 241 other passengers died. Kumar, a British national of Indian origin, was seated in row 11, at the left window seat in the flight's economy class section, right behind an emergency exit.

There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane, airline authorities said.

Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
This is absolutely heartbreaking 💔 The black box findings must be made public transparently. We need to know what went wrong with our aviation safety systems. My prayers for all the victims' families. The sole survivor's account will be crucial too.
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Rahul S.
With such experienced pilots, how did this happen? The Mayday call suggests they knew something was wrong. Hope DGCA conducts proper audits of all Dreamliners in Indian fleet. Safety cannot be compromised for cost-cutting.
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Ananya M.
The fact that the black box was found on a rooftop shows how violent the impact was 😢 My cousin works at Ahmedabad airport and said rescue teams worked non-stop despite the horrific scene. Salute to their dedication.
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Vikram J.
While we mourn, we must ask tough questions. Why are our aviation investigation systems slower than other countries? Remember Mangalore crash findings took years. This time, results must come faster with actionable safety measures.
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Neha P.
The survivor being near emergency exit is telling - shows importance of listening to safety briefings! 🙏 Hope airlines will reinforce this. Also, kudos to Gujarat govt for quick response with 40 staff deployed immediately.

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Tags:
AI-171 crash Ahmedabad plane crash black box recovery Vijay Rupani Air India