Civil Aviation Minister calls flight recorder a “crucial breakthrough” as Boeing 787 safety review begins.
Ahmedabad, India — June 16, 2025 — Indian investigators have recovered the flight data recorder commonly known as the black box from the wreckage of Air India Flight 171, which crashed last Thursday in Ahmedabad, killing 319 people.
The black box, containing vital cockpit voice and flight data recordings, was found on a rooftop near the site of the crash, authorities confirmed. Of the victims, 241 were passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, while 78 more were killed when the aircraft struck a medical school dormitory shortly before landing.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Shreya Talwar, described the recovery as a “crucial breakthrough” in efforts to determine the cause of the crash.
“Our thoughts remain with the families of the victims. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is now working with full force, and the black box data will be essential in understanding what happened in the cockpit,” said Talwar in a press briefing.
The crash has raised serious concerns about the safety of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner fleet. The minister also announced a comprehensive safety review of all Dreamliners currently operating in India.
Early reports suggest that the flight encountered severe technical difficulties during its final approach, but investigators have not confirmed the root cause. The full analysis of the black box data could take several weeks.
