The crashed Ahmedabad-London Air India flight's black box has been recovered, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed on Friday. The orange-coloured device located near the tail of a plane will help investigate the crash that has claimed at least 265 lives so far.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu said, "The Flight Data Recorder (Black Box) has been recovered within 28 hours from the accident site in Ahmedabad by AAIB. This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident."
The device was recovered by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team on the rooftop of the resident doctors' hostel building that the flight hit in Ahmedabad, as per sources.
Further investigation into the crash has begun following the black box recovery. Over 40 Gujarat government staff joined efforts to augment civil aviation ministry teams on the crash site, sources said.
The black box is crucial in getting to the bottom of a plane crash. The device contains a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). While the former records all technical data related to the aircraft, the latter records the cockpit conversation between two pilots until the last minute.
The crash-proof device is located near the tail of the plane because, usually, an aircraft crashes on the side of the nose. The black box's position on the plane helps investigators locate it faster after a crash. The device is insulated to withstand intense heat, surviving temperatures as high as 1,100C for at least one hour.
Besides the black box, digital video recorders (DVRs) are also important in investigating such crashes. The devices record CCTV footage from various aircraft cameras, including those in the cockpit and cabin, providing additional visual context to investigations.
The Air India 171 flight crashed within a minute of take-off from the runway at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 people, including passengers and crew, on board, with only one survivor.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner ploughed straight into a medical college hostel, sparking a massive blaze.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inspected the crash site and visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where the injured are receiving treatment. A forensics team is also at the scene of the accident.
Following the deadly crash, one of the deadliest in India's aviation history, the Tata Group, that owns the Air India airlines, announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each victim.
The exact reason behind the crash is yet to be ascertained, and the government has formed a panel to probe the accident, and strengthen aviation safety for the future.