Explainer: Cockpit Voice Recorder Recovered from Crashed Air India Flight

Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the wreckage of the ill-fated Air India flight AI171, a major breakthrough in the investigation into one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s recent history.

What happened?

On Thursday, a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operated by Air India crashed moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The plane slammed into a building housing doctors at BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital, killing at least 270 people, including nearly all of the 242 passengers and crew.

What is the CVR and why is it important?

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) captures cockpit audio. Pilot conversations, warnings, alarms, and background sounds. Together with the flight data recorder (FDR) — which logs technical details like altitude, engine thrust, and airspeed — the CVR forms the aircraft’s “black box.”

Contrary to the name, the black box consists of two bright orange devices equipped with reflective tape for easier recovery.

What’s the status of the investigation?

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the inquiry, assisted by:

• The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
• Officials from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• A special Indian government-appointed committee also began work and is expected to submit a preliminary report in three months.

These agencies are acting under international aviation protocols, since the aircraft was American-made.

Victim identification: A painful wait

Over the weekend, 270 bodies were recovered. As of Monday:

• More than 90 victims have been identified through DNA testing.
• 47 remains have been handed over to families.
• The slow process is due to severe burns and the need for batch-wise DNA analysis.

One of the confirmed victims is Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, who will be given a state funeral in Rajkot.

But for many families, the emotional trauma deepens:

“When people are still missing, how can they complete the DNA process by tomorrow?” asked Mistry Jignesh, awaiting news of his niece. “The wait is killing us.”

What’s next?

• Analysis of the CVR and FDR will help reconstruct the final moments of the flight.
• Investigators aim to determine whether the crash was due to mechanical failure, human error, or other causes.
• The Indian high-level committee is expected to propose new SOPs to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families as the investigation continues and the nation grieves this immense loss.