Air India AI 171 Crash: High-Level Investigation, Emergency Safety Measures for Boeing Fleet and Black Box Recovery

New Delhi: In one of the deadliest aviation tragedies in India’s recent history, Air India AI 171 flight, en route from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London, crashed shortly after takeoff on 12 June, claiming the lives of 241 passengers onboard and 24 people on the ground.

The incident has sent shockwaves across the country and the global aviation industry, prompting swift action from the authorities and a thorough investigation to unveil the root cause being the Air India Boeing crash.

Following the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft near Ahmedabad Airport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an emergency review meeting at the crash site with top government officials and aviation regulators. Additionally, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has constituted a high-level multi-disciplinary committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the catastrophic failure.

High-Level Committee to Examine Causes and SOPs

According to the official government order, the committee will be chaired by the Union Home Secretary and include representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the State Government of Gujarat, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), as well as other relevant authorities.

“A High-Level Multi-disciplinary Committee is constituted for examining the causes leading to the crash. The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future,” the notification stated.

The committee includes:

• Union Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (Chairman).
• Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India
• Additional Secretary/ Joint Secretary, MHA
• Representative from State Home Department, Government of Gujarat
• Representative from State Disaster Response Authority, Government of Gujarat
• Police Commissioner, Ahmedabad
• Director General, Inspection and Safety, Indian Air Force
• Director General, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security/ DG BCAS
• Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation/DG DGCA
• Special Director, IB
• Director, Directorate of Forensic Science Services, Government of India.
• Any other member as deemed fit by the committee, including Aviation experts, accident investigators and legal advisors may also be included by the committee

This probe committee is tasked with determining the root cause of the Boeing Air India plane crash by examining contributing factors such as mechanical failure, human error, weather conditions and regulatory compliance.

The committee’s objectives also include assessing the emergency response by both state and central stakeholders, reviewing existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and formulating improved protocols based on international best practices.

The committee is also expected to suggest policy and operational reforms and recommend training enhancements to manage such incidents better in the future.

Furthermore, the committee will draw on the expertise of legal advisors, accident investigators, the Indian Air Force, the Intelligence Bureau and the Directorate of Forensic Science Services. It has been given a timeline of three months to submit a complete report.

DGCA Orders Immediate Safety Checks

According to another government notification, the DGCA has issued a parallel order, directing Air India to undertake an enhanced safety inspection of its Boeing 787-8/9 fleet equipped with Genx engines (developed by GE Aerospace).

The order outlines a set of maintenance checks, including:

• Inspection of fuel parameter monitoring and associated systems.
• Cabin air compressor and associated systems inspection
• Electronic engine control system tests
• Engine fuel-driven actuator and hydraulic system checks
• Serviceability checks of hydraulic systems
• Review of take-off parameters

The DGCA also mandated that ‘Flight Control Inspections’ be introduced during transit checks until further notice.

Additionally, power assurance tests are to be conducted within two weeks and maintenance logs from the past 15 days are to be reviewed for any recurring faults.

The findings from both the committee and DGCA inspections are expected to have long-term implications for India’s aviation safety framework and global aviation standards.

International Collaboration

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent US government agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents, has confirmed its involvement in the probe into the tragic Air India AI 171 crash in Gujarat.

NTSB announced that a team of US investigators will travel to India to support the efforts of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

“The NTSB will be leading a team of US investigators travelling to India to assist the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau with its investigation into the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday,” it stated.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US issued a statement saying: “The FAA is in contact with the NTSB regarding Air India flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad (AMD) to London Gatwick (LGW), that was involved in an accident in India on Thursday, 12 June. When an international incident occurs, that government leads the investigation. In the event assistance is requested, the NTSB is the official US representative and the FAA provides technical support. We stand ready to launch a team immediately in coordination with the NTSB.”

Meanwhile, the President and CEO of the aircraft manufacturer, Kelly Ortberg, said in a statement that “a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau”.

The Black Box and One Survivor

In modern aviation, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) are commonly referred to as black boxes, though they are painted bright orange for visibility. The black box plays a critical role in post-crash investigations.

These devices, which in some aircraft are integrated, help reconstruct the final moments of a flight by capturing crew conversations and technical flight parameters.

In the case of the tragic Air India AI 171 flight crash flight data recorder has been recovered from the crash site. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed the early success in recovering the black box, stating: “The Flight Data Recorder (Black Box) has been recovered within 28 hours from the accident site in Ahmedabad by AAIB. This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident.”

The black box data will be extremely important in identifying whether the Air India AI 171 crash was caused by a mechanical failure, engine malfunction, bird strike, onboard fire or human error. It will also reveal engine and control settings, system-generated warnings, and the crew’s ‘Mayday’ calls, offering a timeline of their response in those final moments.

In addition to the black box, one other crucial source of information is the lone survivor of the flight, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British-Indian national. Ramesh, seated at 11A near the emergency exit, provided his first account of the crash to the media.

“I don’t know how I came out of it alive… A minute after take-off, it felt like the plane got stuck. Then the green and white lights came on. They (the pilots) tried to raise the plane, but it went full speed and crashed into the building… I was closer to the ground, the ground floor, where there was space. So I came out of there. The building wall was on the opposite side and I do not think anyone was able to come out that way,” he recalled.

As the high-level committee and international experts begin analysing the evidence, the black box recordings and eyewitness testimony could prove vital in piecing together the chain of events that led to the deadliest crash in recent Indian aviation history.

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