India launches full-scale probe into AI-171 crash, recovers key flight recorders

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has issued an official update on the ongoing investigation into the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171, confirming the successful recovery and preliminary examination of the aircraft’s black boxes.

The update was released by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), in accordance with India’s obligations under international aviation safety protocols, Caliber.Az reports.

As a signatory to the ICAO Chicago Convention (1944), India conducts aircraft accident investigations in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017. Following the accident, which occurred earlier this month, the AAIB swiftly launched an investigation and, on June 13, constituted a multidisciplinary team led by the Director General of AAIB.

The investigative team includes specialists in aviation medicine, air traffic control, and representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in line with international procedures since the aircraft’s state of manufacture and design is the United States.

Both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR)—commonly referred to as black boxes—have been recovered. The first device was found on a rooftop near the crash site on 13 June 2025, and the second was retrieved from the aircraft wreckage on June 16.

Adhering to strict security and handling protocols, the AAIB ensured 24/7 police protection and CCTV surveillance while the recorders were stored in Ahmedabad. On June 24, the devices were transported to Delhi on Indian Air Force aircraft under full security.

The analysis of both the CVR and FDR is currently underway. Investigators are working to reconstruct the precise timeline and conditions leading up to the crash in an effort to determine causative and contributing factors. This analysis is essential to advancing aviation safety and mitigating the risk of future accidents.

The AAIB emphasized that all actions have been carried out in strict accordance with both national legislation and international obligations. The investigation remains ongoing and is being pursued in a time-bound, methodical manner with full transparency.

By Vafa Guliyeva