Both black boxes recovered from deadly Air India crash

The second black box from the Air India jet that crashed last week, killing all but one person on board and multiple people on the ground, has been found. Investigators in India are analyzing the black boxes recovered from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed just minutes after takeoff.

The London-bound Flight 171 crashed into a medical hostel near Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12.

Search for answers

Investigators have recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — key pieces of evidence that could help determine what caused the crash. 

The cockpit voice recorder captured pilot conversations, alarms and any final distress calls and could reveal what happened in those final moments. The plane’s digital flight data recorder stores information related to engine and control settings and hundreds of other parameters that help reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments.

Mounting pressure on Air India

The crash is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in India in decades. Air India is facing growing scrutiny following the disaster, with calls for a full inspection of its Dreamliner fleet. Many people have questioned whether mechanical issues with the airplane or the crew’s response may have contributed to the crash.

U.S. and U.K. officials are assisting India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau with its investigation. Experts say the investigation is likely to be a long process because the aircraft was badly charred.

The Indian government has set up a separate, high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. They’ll also come up with procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future.

The committee is expected to file a preliminary report within three months.

Authorities have also begun inspecting Air India’s entire 33-plane fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. They’re carrying out additional maintenance and checks to prevent any future incidents.

Preliminary findings

Speculation is growing that a loss of engine power is the most probable cause of the crash.

The Times, a U.K. news outlet, reported on Monday, June 16, that video footage and preliminary findings suggest the aircraft failed to gain altitude, climbing only about 450 feet before crashing, possibly due to reduced thrust from both General Electric GEnx engines.

Aviation experts say the loss of power to both engines is “extremely rare.”

Not Boeing’s first issue

In the past, Boeing has had critical issues with other types of aircraft.

In 2019, authorities grounded the Boeing 737 MAX airliner after two separate but similar plane crashes killed 346 people in less than five months. It was again grounded in 2024 after an emergency door was blown out during an Alaska Airlines flight.

There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliners worldwide. Experts say this was the first deadly crash involving the aircraft in 16 years of operation.

Air India flight grounded

On Tuesday, June 17, an Air India flight traveling from Ahmedabad to London was canceled, according to Sky News.

Sky News reported the airline confirmed the cancellation of Flight 159, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was due to “unavailability of the aircraft.”

An Air India spokesperson told Sky News the unavailability of the aircraft resulted “from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks, leading to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft.”