Investigators Recover Cockpit Voice Recorder from Crashed Air India Flight.
By Nikita Yadav | BBC News,
Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad last Thursday, killing at least 270 people—most of them passengers. This recovery marks a major step in understanding the cause of the tragedy.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, designated AI171, plunged into the doctors’ accommodation building at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital less than a minute after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The CVR, which records cockpit conversations, alarms, and ambient sounds, complements the flight data recorder (FDR), which was recovered on Friday. Together, these devices—collectively known as the "black box"—will allow investigators to reconstruct the final moments of the flight.
Despite the name, both the CVR and FDR are bright orange and built to withstand crashes. They are critical tools in aviation accident analysis.
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the inquiry, supported by teams from the US and UK. On Sunday, officials from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), along with representatives from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), inspected the crash site. The NTSB is conducting a parallel probe, in accordance with international aviation protocols, since the aircraft was American-made.
Additionally, a high-level Indian government committee will hold its first meeting on Monday. It is expected to submit a preliminary report within three months and propose new safety procedures to help prevent future disasters.
Meanwhile, families of victims continue to endure immense grief and uncertainty. As of Monday, 270 bodies had been recovered, and over 90 identified through DNA testing. Forty-seven of those bodies have been returned to their families, according to Dr. Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital.
Among the identified victims is Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, who will be given a state funeral in Rajkot on Monday.
However, the identification process remains slow and emotionally taxing. Many of the bodies were severely burned, making DNA matching difficult. Officials are working in small batches, leaving families like Mistry Jignesh’s still waiting for closure.
“The wait is killing us,” Jignesh told the BBC, as he continues to await confirmation of his niece’s remains.
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