AI-171 black boxes in Delhi, data accessed, analysis underway: Aviation Ministry updates on Air India crash probe

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday confirmed that the analysis of black box data from Air India Flight AI-171 is currently underway. In a detailed status report, the ministry said both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) have been recovered, transported to Delhi, and data extraction has begun at the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) laboratory.

In its official statement, the Ministry said: "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."

India, as a signatory to the ICAO Chicago Convention (1944), is conducting the investigation in line with ICAO Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017. The AAIB is the designated authority for such probes and constituted a multidisciplinary team on June 13, 2025 — a day after the crash.

The team is led by the Director General of AAIB and includes representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an aviation medicine specialist, and an Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer, the ministry said. 

Black box recovery and transfer

According to the ministry, the CVR and FDR were recovered from the crash site in Ahmedabad — one from a building rooftop on June 13 and the other from the debris on June 16. Both devices were handled under strict protocols, including 24x7 police protection and CCTV surveillance.

On June 24, the black boxes were airlifted from Ahmedabad to Delhi by Indian Air Force aircraft. The front black box reached the AAIB lab with the DG, AAIB at 2:00 PM, while the rear black box was delivered by a second AAIB team at 5:15 PM.

Data extraction status

That evening, a team comprising AAIB and NTSB technical members began data extraction. The Crash Protection Module (CPM) of the front black box was retrieved successfully. On June 25, the memory module was accessed and data downloaded at the AAIB laboratory.

The Ministry noted that all investigative steps so far have been carried out in compliance with domestic laws and international obligations, and within a defined timeline.