On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. Tragically, 270 people lost their lives in this accident. Investigating agencies are working hard to find out what caused the plane to break apart. A significant update has emerged regarding the black box of the aircraft. The black box has suffered severe damage, making it difficult to retrieve the recorded data. Therefore, it has been decided to send the black box to America for further examination.
The black box will now be sent to the US for investigation. Due to the heavy damage, extracting data in India has proven challenging. The digital flight data recorder (DFDR) will be examined in a US laboratory. The data retrieved will then be shared with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). This investigation aims to determine how and why the accident occurred.
The black box will be taken to the US for analysis. Indian agencies have failed to extract data from the AI-171 flight’s black box due to extensive damage. Now, the data will be extracted at the Washington laboratory of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). After retrieval, the data will be handed over to the AAIB, which operates independently of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
According to international regulations, the country where the accident occurs is responsible for the investigation. However, an official mentioned that while the AAIB has set up a laboratory in Delhi, it is not yet advanced enough to retrieve data from a severely damaged black box. The NTSB team will take the black box to their lab under the supervision of Indian officials, ensuring that all protocols are followed. The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch will also be involved, as 53 British citizens lost their lives in the crash.
Why are foreign agencies involved in the plane crash investigation? Due to difficulties in extracting data from the crashed aircraft’s black box, preparations are underway to send it to the US. However, US and UK agencies arrived in Ahmedabad on June 15, three days after the crash. This includes officers from the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It raises the question of why these foreign agencies need to assist in an investigation taking place in India.
The answer lies in a 78-year-old agreement known as the Chicago Convention, established in 1944 at the end of World War II. The regulations of this convention are supervised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN agency based in Montreal.
India, America, the UK, and 193 other countries have agreed to adhere to its regulations. One important rule in Appendix 13 outlines how aircraft accident investigations should be conducted. Chapter 5 of Appendix 13 describes the investigation methods, with the goal of improving aviation safety and preventing future accidents.
Who can participate in an aircraft accident investigation? According to the rules, the responsibility for investigating an accident lies with the country where it occurred. Additionally, countries related to the aircraft can also take part in the investigation. This includes the country where the aircraft is registered, the country operating the crashed aircraft, the country where the aircraft was designed, and the country that manufactured it.
The Air India AI-171 accident took place in India, so the investigation is being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). As the aircraft belongs to Indian Airlines, India is responsible for the investigation. The aircraft’s registration, marked with VT, indicates it is registered in India. However, its design and manufacture are American, as it is a Boeing aircraft. Furthermore, the engine installed in AI-171 was also made by General Electric (GE), another American company. Therefore, American investigative agencies are involved in the inquiry. Additionally, as 53 British citizens died in the crash, UK agencies are also providing assistance in the investigation.
Why is examining the black box crucial in a plane crash investigation? The black box contains two important devices: the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). The FDR records information such as the plane’s altitude, speed, and time. The CVR captures conversations and sounds in the cockpit. The black box is orange in colour to ensure it remains secure even during an accident. It is located at the back of the aircraft to minimize damage. Typically, when a plane catches fire, the black box suffers less damage than other parts.
When will data from the AI-171 black box be retrieved? An official stated that extracting data from the black box could take anywhere from two days to several months, depending on the extent of the damage. They mentioned that due to damage to the recorder, the memory board chip must be removed to secure the data. The electronic circuits will also need to be inspected.
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