What the ‘black box' can tell us about plane crashes
The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday, also found that one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel in the flight's final moment. The other pilot replied he did not do so.
The Air India flight — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on June 12 and killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, which is one of India's worst aviation disasters.
The report based its finding on the data recovered from the plane's black boxes — combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders.
Here is an explanation of what black boxes are and what they can do:
What are black boxes?
The cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder are tools that help investigators reconstruct the events that lead up to a plane crash.
They're orange in color to make them easier to find in wreckage, sometimes at great ocean depths. They're usually installed a plane's tail section, which is considered the most survivable part of the aircraft, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's website.
What does the cockpit voice recorder do?
The cockpit voice recorder collects radio transmissions and sounds such as the pilot's voices and engine noises, according to the NTSB's website.
Depending on what happened, investigators may pay close attention to the engine noise, stall warnings and other clicks and pops, the NTSB said. And from those sounds, investigators can often determine engine speed and the failure of some systems.
Investigators can also listen to conversations between the pilots and crew and communications with air traffic control. Experts make a meticulous transcript of the voice recording, which can take up to a week.
What does the flight data recorder do?
The flight data recorder monitors a plane's altitude, airspeed and heading, according to the NTSB. Those factors are among at least 88 parameters that newly built planes must monitor.
Some can collect the status of more than 1,000 other characteristics, from a wing's flap position to the smoke alarms. The NTSB said it can generate a computer animated video reconstruction of the flight from the information collected.
What are the origins of the black box?
At least two people have been credited with creating devices that record what happens on an airplane.
One is French aviation engineer François Hussenot. In the 1930s, he found a way to record a plane's speed, altitude and other parameters onto photographic film, according to the website for European plane-maker Airbus.
In the 1950s, Australian scientist David Warren came up with the idea for the cockpit voice recorder, according to his 2010 AP obituary.
Warren had been investigating the crash of the world's first commercial jet airliner, the Comet, in 1953, and thought it would be helpful for airline accident investigators to have a recording of voices in the cockpit, the Australian Department of Defence said in a statement after his death.
Warren designed and constructed a prototype in 1956. But it took several years before officials understood just how valuable the device could be and began installing them in commercial airlines worldwide.
Why the name 'black box'?
Some have suggested that it stems from Hussenot's device because it used film and 'ran continuously in a light-tight box, hence the name 'black box,'' according to Airbus, which noted that orange was the box's chosen color from the beginning to make it easy to find.
Other theories include the boxes turning black when they get charred in a crash, the Smithsonian Magazine wrote in 2019.
The media continues to use the term, the magazine wrote, 'because of the sense of mystery it conveys in the aftermath of an air disaster.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Armies of Texas volunteers dig out, clean up, after fatal floods
COMFORT, Texas — It began with a stranger asking 'Do you need help?' 'Yes,' Paul Welch told the man in a pickup truck, 'I desperately need some help.' A day later, dozens of people pulled up outside the modest cabin where Welch and his partner lived overlooking the Guadalupe River until Texas' July 4 floods .
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
FAA, Boeing Say Fuel Switch Locks Safe After Fatal Air India Crash—Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have issued private notifications declaring that fuel cutoff switch locks on Boeing aircraft are safe, following intense scrutiny after last month's fatal crash of Air India Flight 171, a London-bound Boeing 787-8, Reuters reported on Sunday. The June 12 crash killed 259 of 260 people aboard and 19 on the ground in Ahmedabad. Newsweek reached out to the FAA and Boeing on Sunday via email for comment. Why It Matters This latest development comes as investigators work to determine whether the June 12 crash of Air India Flight 171 was caused by pilot error or mechanical failure. The preliminary findings revealed that both engine fuel switches flipped to "cutoff" shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, with cockpit voice recordings capturing confusion between pilots about how the switches came to be turned off. What To Know A Continued Airworthiness Notification sent by the FAA to Civil Aviation Authorities on July 11 stated that although the locking design of fuel control switches is similar across several Boeing models, the agency does not consider the issue an "unsafe condition" requiring an airworthiness directive, according to internal documents obtained by Reuters. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that fuel switches had flipped to cutoff position—a move typically done only after landing—just 50 seconds into the flight as the aircraft climbed to 625 feet. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why he cut off the fuel, with his colleague replying that he hadn't. The switches flipped a second apart, roughly the time it would take to shift one and then the other manually. Boeing reiterated the FAA's stance in a recent Multi-Operator Message to carriers, sources told Reuters. However, the preliminary report cited a 2018 FAA advisory that recommended, but did not mandate, checks of the locking mechanism—checks that Air India reportedly did not perform since they were not required. Both fuel switches were found in the run position with indications that both engines were attempting to relight before the crash. The commanding pilot, Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, had 15,638 hours of experience, while co-pilot Clive Kunder, 32, had 3,403 hours. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said there were no recommended actions in the report aimed at operators or manufacturers of Boeing 787 jet engines. Meanwhile, Air India Express faces investigation by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency after Reuters reported the carrier did not follow a directive to change engine parts of an Airbus A320 in a timely manner and falsified records to show compliance. What People Are Saying U.S. aviation expert John Nance told NBC News: "For any experienced pilot, there is no question in your mind what is going to happen if you turn these [switches] off so the question in my mind, was this some sort of mental aberration or was this purposeful?" Boeing in a statement on Saturday: "Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected on the ground in Ahmedabad. We continue to support the investigation and our customer." Air India said in a statement on Saturday: "Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 acknowledge receipt of the preliminary report released by the AAIB." The company added: "Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses. Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB." Parts of an Air India plane that crashed on Thursday are seen on top of a building in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, June 13, 2025. Parts of an Air India plane that crashed on Thursday are seen on top of a building in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, June 13, 2025. AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool What Happens Next The investigation team will continue to review additional evidence, records, and information being sought from stakeholders. A more detailed report is expected later this year that could provide clearer answers about whether the crash resulted from pilot error, mechanical failure, or other factors.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Air India pilot's medical records examined after mental health claims
Air India crash investigators are examining the medical records of the pilot whose plane crashed in Ahmedabad amid claims that he suffered from depression and mental health problems. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was 56, was months from retirement but had been considering leaving the airline to look after his elderly father following the death of his mother in 2022, The Telegraph can reveal. The pilot, who had more than 15,000 flying hours to his name, last undertook a Class I medical exam on Sept 5 last year. His records have been handed to investigators, whose initial report said their focus was on the actions of the pilots rather than a technical fault with the plane. The Airline Pilots' Association of India said it rejected the 'tone and direction' of the inquiry. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a leading aviation safety expert in India, told The Telegraph: 'I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues. He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that.' The Telegraph understands that Captain Sabharwal took bereavement leave following the death of his mother. However, Mr Ranganathan said: 'He must have been medically cleared by the company [Air India] doctors. They must have given the clearance certificate.' All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were killed when the aircraft plunged into a medical student hostel last month, less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. The preliminary report released by the Indian authorities early on Saturday indicated that switches controlling fuel flow to the jet's two engines were turned off, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust at take-off. According to the report, one of the pilots is heard in the recovered cockpit voice recording asking the other why he cut off the fuel supply. The other pilot responds that he did not. It is not known who said what. While the initial report did not draw any conclusion, it has drawn attention to the actions of Captain Sabharwal, the plane's captain, and Clive Kundar, the First Officer. As per cockpit procedures, the pilot flying and in control of the take-off was First Officer Kundar, who would have had both hands on the control column during take-off. Captain Sabharwal, the pilot monitoring, would have had his hands free, leaving him in a position to cut off the fuel supply, Mr Ranganathan claimed. He joined Air India in 1994, building a record of more than 8,000 flying hours on this type of aircraft. After his mother's death, he moved from Delhi to Mumbai to care for his father, even considering leaving the airline altogether to devote himself fully to his family. Neighbours in Powai, Mumbai, remembered him as a quiet man who was often seen escorting his father on evening walks. 'He was a doting son who never missed a chance to take his father down for fresh air,' said one. Neil Pais, a former colleague, said the pilot was a 'thorough gentleman', telling The Telegraph: 'He was actually considering early retirement in the next couple of years. His father is very old, 90, and he was going to look after him full time. That was the plan. 'We're all human beings. Yes, there have been crew who've displayed tendencies towards mental health issues, and they've been grounded straight away. It's not allowed to go unchecked. 'Often it's more about life outside the job, which of course plays a part in how you perform. But if there's a concern, it's taken up by operations, by the right departments. They don't let anyone fly if there's any doubt.' Savitri Budhania, an elderly neighbour of Captain Sabharwal in Mumbai, said: 'I told him, 'Your father is too old to be alone.' And he replied, 'Just one or two more flights… then I'm going to just be with Papa.'' 'Who could have known that would be the last time? Whenever he wasn't flying, he would walk hand in hand with his father in the evenings. They smiled at everyone, just gentle, quiet people.' Air India declined to comment, but an official working with the Tata Group, the airline's parent company, told The Telegraph that Captain Sabharwal had not taken recent medical leave. 'He did take bereavement leave in 2022 following his mother's death, and his medical records were submitted as part of the investigation, and the preliminary report did not find anything noteworthy,' he said. Both pilots had passed the Class I medical exam, which evaluates a pilot's psycho-physical capacity, within the last two years. First Officer Kunder, 28, came from a family steeped in aviation. His mother was a flight crew member, and he began his professional career with an aircraft maintenance course at Mumbai's Bombay Flying Club before moving into the cockpit. Raised in Air India's colony at Kalina before the family moved to Borivali, he had logged 1,100 flying hours early in his career. Relatives and friends of the victims called the report's findings a 'slap in the face' and questioned how 'something so trivial as a simple switch being deactivated' had caused such a catastrophe. The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association said the crew of flight 171 had acted in line with their training and responsibilities under challenging conditions. It strongly rejected insinuations of malpractice, saying it was deeply disturbed by the speculation. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
