Blackbox Recovered After Deadly Air India Crash as Families Await Closure

Indian aviation authorities have recovered a black box from the wreckage of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, killing nearly all on board and several on the ground.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed on Friday that the flight data recorder was located within 28 hours of the crash by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), marking a significant milestone in the ongoing investigation.

The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, plunged into a densely populated residential area just under a minute after takeoff on Thursday. Only one passenger survived. At least eight people on the ground were also killed, according to officials.

“This is a crucial step in uncovering the sequence of events that led to this catastrophe,” Kinjarapu stated, emphasizing that the black box will play a key role in determining the cause of the crash.

Commercial aircraft are typically equipped with two black boxes: one that records flight data such as speed and altitude, and another that captures cockpit audio, offering insight into pilot communications and possible mechanical sounds prior to impact.

International investigators from the United States and United Kingdom have joined the AAIB-led probe, with Boeing offering full support. The aircraft had been en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, scheduled to arrive at 18:25 BST.

Air India confirmed that the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

Debris from the crash was still being cleared on Friday, with large sections of the aircraft embedded in buildings across a 200-meter radius in the Meghani Nagar neighborhood. Emergency personnel and forensic teams remained at the scene as authorities urged the public to stay clear.

DNA testing is now underway to help identify victims, as many bodies were severely burned. Six families have so far been able to identify their loved ones through facial recognition, according to police.

The sole survivor, 40-year-old British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, is recovering in hospital after sustaining burns. Speaking to India’s DD News, Ramesh recounted the harrowing moment the plane went down. “I thought I was going to die,” he said. “Somehow I opened my eyes, unbuckled my seatbelt, and escaped.”

Grieving families continue to seek confirmation of their relatives’ fate. Imtiaz Ali, whose brother Javed and his family were on board, said he refuses to accept their deaths until he sees proof. “If I start crying, no one will be able to stop me,” he told the BBC. “My heart might burst.”

The crash also devastated the nearby BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital campus, where four students and four visiting relatives of doctors were among the dead. Dr. Minakshi Parikh, the college dean, stressed that DNA verification is being conducted carefully to avoid any mistakes. “We are doing this with sincerity and ask families to be patient.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site on Friday, walking through the charred remains of the aircraft but offering no public remarks. A video posted to his official YouTube channel showed him surveying the destruction, including the plane’s tail lodged in a residential building—a now-viral image from the disaster.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also visited the site, calling the experience “deeply moving.” The aircraft involved, an 11-year-old Boeing 787-8, had completed over 700 flights in the past year, including 25 recent journeys from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick.

In response to the crash, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has mandated extra safety inspections of Air India’s 787-8 and 787-9 fleets as a precaution.