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Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the crashed Air India flight, marking a significant step toward determining the cause of last week’s deadly accident.
The CVR was part of the Boeing 787 aircraft’s second black box, which Indian authorities confirmed they had located on Sunday. The flight data recorder, the first of the two black boxes, was retrieved within 28 hours of the crash, which occurred on Thursday in Ahmedabad and claimed at least 279 lives.
Most of the victims were passengers aboard flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick. All but one died after the aircraft failed to properly take off from Ahmedabad airport and crashed into nearby buildings. Among the casualties were 38 people on the ground.
A mayday call was issued by the flight’s captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, just seconds after the aircraft lifted off the runway. Authorities have not yet released specific findings from the investigation, which is being led by Indian officials with support from counterparts in the UK and US. Early focus areas reportedly include possible engine failure and malfunctions involving the wing flaps and landing gear—potential contributors to what is now considered one of the deadliest aviation disasters in history.
As of Monday, most of the families of the 279 confirmed victims were still awaiting DNA test results required for the release of their loved ones’ remains.
Dr. Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital reported that around 80 of the deceased had been identified by late Sunday. “This is a painstaking and slow process, and it must be done with the utmost care,” Patel stated.
