India Considering External Examination of Aircraft Black Boxes

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is still deciding whether to send the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the Air India flight that crashed last Thursday overseas for decoding and analysis. Over 270 individuals, mostly passengers, were killed when the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport in western India. Although some media outlets mentioned that the black boxes would be sent abroad, the ministry of civil aviation clarified that no final decision has been made. The ministry stated that the AAIB will determine the location for analysis after assessing technical, safety, and security factors. Investigators have retrieved both sets of Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs), which record flight data and cockpit audio, from the crash site on June 13 and 16. These data recorders can track aircraft positions, engine performance, fuel flow, and other critical data, which will help reconstruct the flight’s final moments. However, some reports claimed that the recorders were damaged in the fire after the crash, making data extraction difficult in India, and the government might send them to the US. Captain Kishore Chinta, a former AAIB investigator, mentioned that one set of recorders could also be sent to the US to compare data. Although the new AAIB lab in Delhi was inaugurated in April, it is unclear if it is fully operational for EAFR data downloads. Meanwhile, Air India’s chairman stated that one engine of the crashed plane was new, while the other was not due for servicing until December. Both engines had clean histories. The airline has completed inspections on 26 out of 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, clearing them for service. India’s aviation regulator ordered additional safety checks on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet as a preventive measure. The airline has announced reduced flights on 16 international routes and suspended flights to three overseas destinations between June 21 and July 15, resulting from enhanced safety checks and accommodations for additional flight durations due to airspace closures in the Middle East.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyn2227jlyo