Black box data extracted from crashed Air India AI-171 flight, decoding underway at Delhi lab

The analysis of data from cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder recovered from the crashed Air India aircraft is currently underway, the ministry of civil aviation said on Thursday.

Flight AI-171, a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed into a hostel complex shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 people on board and 29 on the ground.

"Following the unfortunate accident involving Air India Flight AI-171, the AAIB promptly initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team on 13 June 2025, in line with prescribed norms," the ministry said in a statement.

"The team, constituted as per international protocol, is led by DG AAIB, and includes an aviation medicine specialist, an ATC officer, and representatives from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which is government investigative agency from the state of manufacture and design, (USA), as required for such investigations," it added.

The CVR was located on a building rooftop on June 13, and the flight data recorder FDR was found in the debris three days later.

The front black box arrived at 2 pm on Tuesday, while the rear box reached the lab same day at 5:15 pm.

The data extraction began on the evening of June 24 at the AAIB laboratory in New Delhi, following the secure transfer of the black boxes from Ahmedabad.

The ministry said that the memory module from the front recorder was successfully accessed and downloaded on June 25.

"The analysis of CVR and FDR data is underway. These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences," the statement read.

On Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu dismissed reports that the black boxes would be sent abroad for examination, asserting that the investigation is being conducted entirely in India.

Asked about some media reports suggesting the black box would be sent abroad for a probe into the incident, Naidu said, "...it is all speculation. The black box is very much in India and it it currently being investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).