Parts of an Air India plane that crashed on Thursday are seen on top of a building in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
AHMEDABAD, India – Indian investigators on Friday recovered the digital flight data recorder, or the black box, of the Air India flight that fell from the sky and killed 241 people on board and several people on the ground, authorities said.
The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane crashed into a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday.
The plane’s black box was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said that it had begun its work with “full force.”
The black box recovery marks an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post.
Professor Paul Fromme at the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement that the flight data recorder has the information on engine and control settings, apart from the voice record of any cockpit conversations.
“This should show quickly if there was a loss of engine power or lift after takeoff and allow a preliminary determination of the likely cause for the crash,” said Fromme, who heads the professional association’s Aerospace Division.
Separately, the country’s civil aviation regulator issued an order directing Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with General Electric’s GEnx engines. The key inspections include the fuel parameters, cabin air compressor, engine control system, hydraulic system and a review of takeoff parameters, according to the order.
Investigators on Friday continued searching the site of one of India’s worst aviation disasters and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the lone surviving passenger a day after the crash.
DNA testing was being conducted to identify bodies that were mostly charred beyond recognition. More victims are expected to be found in the search of the crash site.
The plane hit a building hosting a medical college hostel and burst into flames, killing several students, in the city that is the capital of Gujarat, Modi’s home state.
“We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words,” Modi said on social media after visiting the site. “We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come.”
U.S. participants in the investigation were expected to include people from the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and General Electric.
