The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday said the black box of Air India`s crashed Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has been recovered from the rooftop of the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, PTI reported.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane from Ahmedabad to Londono Gatwick crashed soon after taking off into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College.
However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR, reported ANI.
“Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop,” said the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s statement.
The investigation into the traffic crash is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster.
The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the Ahmedabad Plane Crash, with more than 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground.
The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic Ahmedabad Plane Crash that claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. There is only one passenger who survived the mishap.
On Thursday, the AI171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, bound for London’s Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain (LTC) with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours, were flying the plane.
According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1.39 pm from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to further calls.
Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed into a medical hostel outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site.
There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane, airline authorities said.
The only passenger who miraculously survived the Ahmedabad Plane Crash has been identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh.
Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, was seated in row 11, at the left window seat in the flight’s economy class section, right behind an emergency exit.
(With ANI inputs)