Black Box Recovered After Tragic Air India Crash: Families Grieve as Investigation Begins

Tragedy struck Ahmedabad on Thursday when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area just 60 seconds after take-off, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and at least 8 more on the ground. The lone survivor, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, miraculously escaped from seat 11A and is now recovering in hospital.

Within 28 hours, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau recovered the flight’s black box, a critical step toward understanding what went wrong. One part of the black box records flight data like altitude and speed, while the other captures cockpit audio — essential for investigators from India, the U.S., and the U.K.

Families are now enduring painful waits as identification of victims relies heavily on DNA matching due to the severity of the crash. Some remains have been returned, but for many like Imtiaz Ali — who lost his brother and nieces — hope still lingers painfully.

The crash scattered debris over 200 meters across Meghani Nagar, impacting nearby buildings, including parts of a medical college where students and doctors’ families also lost their lives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Air India’s CEO both visited the site. Air India’s entire Boeing 787 fleet is now under renewed safety inspections by India’s aviation regulator.