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The black box recovered from the ill-fated Air India flight may be sent to the United States for examination after being retrieved from a blazing fire reaching 1,000 degrees.
This vital recording instrument, which could unveil crucial information about the aircraft’s last moments, suffered extensive damage during the catastrophic crash in Ahmedabad.
The decision on who will analyze the device rests with the Indian government, although reports indicate the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. is under consideration for conducting the analysis.
A team of Indian investigators is expected to accompany the device to ensure all protocols are followed during the advanced data extraction.
Investigators warned on Tuesday that the recovered black boxes may have melted due to the intense heat of the raging explosion.
When jet fuel is combusted inside a plane’s engine, the resulting heat can reach immense temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick crashed less than a minute after take-off into a doctors’ hostel, killing 241 passengers and crew and more on the ground.
The major black box update comes as an Air India boss revealed a bombshell update on the deadly crash – as he detailed how the Boeing aircraft had “recently been serviced”.
N Chandrasekaran said that the doomed jet had a “clean history” and two recently serviced engines – after experts latched onto a “gamechanging” video which could explain the disaster.
He also hit back at “speculation” on what caused the London-bound flight to crash, and added that a probe into the exact cause of the crash could take a month.
Planes usually carry two black boxes, which are small but tough electronic flight data recorders.
One records flight data, such as altitude and speed, whilst the other monitors the cockpit sound.
The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), were recovered 28 hours after the horror crash.
Despite the name, these devices are painted bright orange for visibility amid debris.
Investigators believe the CVR on this 2014-delivered aircraft likely stored only two hours of cockpit audio.
The jet predates a 2021 rule which enforced 25-hour recordings on all planes.
But the FDR is capable of logging thousands of flight parameters for over 25 hours, including altitude, airspeed, and control inputs.
The aircraft had climbed less than 600 feet before its ascent stalled, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
A distress signal was sent but was met with complete radio silence.
Moments later, the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex near the airport’s northeastern boundary.
The damaged black box is now seen as a crucial piece of evidence in understanding what led to India’s worst air disaster in nearly three decades.
Investigators hope the data from the box will shed light on the aircraft’s final moments.
It comes after crash investigators speculated that an emergency power system kicked in just before the plane went down – raising questions about whether the engines were working properly.
Analysts agreed that a small turbine generator deployed as the Boeing 787 flew towards the doctors’ hostel.
HD footage showed a “protrusion on the belly of the aircraft” with a “little grey dot” beneath it.
Commentators allege this was a system called Ram Air Turbine (RAT) poking out from the fuselage of the plane, which failed to climb more than 600ft.
Commercial airline pilot Steve Schreiber, known as Captain Steve, explained: “Many aeroplanes have it. It is just behind the wing on the right side of the aeroplane, there is a little door that holds it in.
Leading theories on Air India Flight AI171
THESE are some of the leading theories explaining the tragic Air India disaster which killed at least 270 people.
Emergency power system: A small turbine generator was seen deploying as the Boeing 787 went down, experts said.
Footage showed a “protrusion on the belly of the aircraft” with a “little grey dot” beneath it.
Commentators say this was a system called Ram Air Turbine (RAT) poking out from the fuselage of the plane.
Bird Strikes: A bird strike could have taken out both of the jet’s giant General Electric engines.
While a bird taking down something the size of a commercial airliner might sound fanciful, there are numerous examples.
Wing flap position: Aviation experts have suggested the position of the aircraft’s wing flaps could have played a role in the disaster.
Video evidence suggests the flaps were either fully retracted or on a very minimal setting, which would have provided very little lift.
The flaps provide crucial extra lift at low speeds during take-offs and landings.
Pilot error: The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 is highly automated, with human pilots making only key decisions – but human error cannot be ruled out.
Co-pilot Clive Kundar had more than 3,400 hours of flying experience and made the mayday call but Captain Sumeet Sabharwa at the helm had 11,500 hours – making him one of Air India’s most experienced pilots.
Heat: Planes get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, and therefore they need to go faster to get as much lift as on a cooler day.
This is particularly important when an airliner is heavy with fuel, passengers and baggage, as the Air India flight was.
Technical error: Catastrophic technical or engineering issues have not been ruled out.
The jet’s complex design mean it could take months for a design or engineering fault to be pinpointed.
“It looks like a little Evinrude motor, it’s a little two bladed prop.
“The purpose is to provide electrical and hydraulic pressure for the aircraft on an extreme emergency.”
Steve explained there are three things which could cause the RAT to deploy on a 787: “A massive electrical failure, a massive hydraulic failure, or a dual engine failure.
“But I think the fact the aeroplane is mushing out the sky gives the idea it was a dual engine failure,” he said.
The tragic smash is the first ever fatal accident involving a Boeing Dreamliner.
52 Brits died on board the flight, but London local Vishwash Kumar Ramesh managed to cheat death when he escaped the blazing inferno following the crash.
Theories have swirled over how the sole survivor managed to narrowly escape death when he was sat in seat 11A during the horror smash.
