Ahmedabad: In the aftermath of Thursday’s tragic Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has confirmed that the aircraft’s black box has been recovered and is currently being decoded. The crucial data is expected to reveal the cause of the disaster that claimed at least 270 lives.
Addressing his first press briefing since the incident, the minister said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was immediately mobilised and a multi-agency probe is underway. “We are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness. The AAIB reached the site without delay, and the black box was recovered around 5 pm yesterday,” Naidu stated.
“The Ministry is taking the utmost seriousness to the incident. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was immediately mobilised. The DG AAIB immediately rushed to the site to take stock of the situation. One update from the technical investigation team which is happening through AAIB is the recovery of the black box from the accident site at around 5 pm yesterday,” the minister said.
Extended surveillance into the Boeing 787 Series
“We have very strict safety standards in the country. When the incident happened, we also felt that there is a need to do an extended surveillance into the Boeing 787 Series. DGCA has also given an order to do the extended surveillance for the 787 planes. There are 34 in our Indian aircraft fleet today. I believe that 8 have already been inspected and with immediate urgency, all of them are going to be done,” he added.
The ill-fated Flight AI-171 was headed to London’s Gatwick airport with 242 people onboard when it crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel and canteen complex minutes after take-off. Only one person, a British national of Indian origin, survived the crash and is currently hospitalised.
Rescue operations have continued for over 36 hours. The Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Service has recovered additional remains from the wreckage, while DNA identification of victims is ongoing. Officials have begun removing parts of the aircraft’s tail fin, still lodged in the damaged building.
The government has enhanced safety checks for Air India’s Boeing Dreamliner fleet from June 15.
‘The Flight Had Completed Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad Journey Successfully…’
Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, who also addressed the media ahead of the minister, said the crashed Air India flight had completed its Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad journey without any incident.
“As far as the entire history of the plane is concerned, before this accident, the plane had completed the Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad sector without any accident,” Sinha told reporters.
