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Hans India
a day ago
- Automotive
- Hans India
Dreamliner crash exposes India's aviation weak links
India's aviation ambitions are also being undermined by inadequate Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) infrastructure — especially for wide-body aircraft. The Black Box—comprising the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) — of Air India Flight 171 was recovered on June 13, a day after the crash. The device has suffered extensive damage, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) lab at Udaan Bhawan, Delhi, will work on retrieving the information. The lab, billed as a ₹9-crore 'state-of-the-art' facility, was inaugurated just two months ago. If it fails to retrieve the data, the Black Box may be sent to the United States for decoding. While major players like Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), GMR Aero Technic, and Tata Advanced Systems have a strong presence in the MRO space, most of their expertise is centered on narrow-body aircraft like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. There is a serious shortage of facilities equipped to handle wide-body aircraft and the latest generation of engines. In addition, many existing MROs need major upgrades to meet international standards. Industry insiders also point to a lack of skilled engineers and high import duties on essential spare parts. Indian carriers continue to rely heavily on foreign facilities for major repairs — delaying turnarounds and raising costs. Airframe & Wing Parts: Firms like Aequs, Dynamatic Technologies, Gardner, and Mahindra Aerospace supply parts for the Airbus A320neo, A330neo, and A350 programs. Cargo doors: Tata Advanced Systems manufactures cargo and bulk cargo doors for the A320neo. Rear Fuselage: Dynamatic Technologies has tied up with Deutsche Aircraft to produce the rear fuselage for the D328eco regional turboprop. Helicopter Fuselages: Tata (in partnership with Boeing) is making fuselages for Apache helicopters, while Mahindra Aerostructures is building those for Airbus' H130. Composite Parts: Boeing sources high-end composite parts from its Bengaluru facility to support its global supply chain. India's aircraft components market touched $16.22 billion in 2024 and is projected to nearly double by 2033, propelled by localisation drives, policy support, and growing global partnerships. Over $2 billion worth of components are exported annually to global giants like Airbus and Boeing—thanks to Indian MSMEs and aerospace start-ups. The Dreamliner crash has jolted India's aviation sector out of its comfort zone. As the country aims for the skies, it must further strengthen the ground it takes off from. India Moves Towards Defence Self-Reliance, Cuts Imports, Boosts Exports Traditionally heavily reliant on foreign suppliers for defence equipment, India has significantly reduced its dependence on defence imports over the last 14 years, marking a major shift in its defence strategy and policy.
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Wreckage of Air India flightmoved for further analysis
The Gujarat Police has started shifting the wreckage of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad on June 12 to a site near the city's airport, where investigators will attempt to piece the debris back together for analysis. A truck carrying wreckage of the Air India plane that recently crashed into a medical hostel and its canteen complex passes by, in Ahmedabad, on Sunday. (PTI) 'The pieces are being moved from the crash site. Some were relocated on Saturday, and the work continued on Sunday. Every piece of wreckage is being transported from the crash site to a new location for reconstruction,' said Ahmedabad police commissioner GS Malik. Officials aware of the matter said it would take between 48 and 72 hours to move the entire wreckage of the nearly 120-tonne aircraft, which plunged into the BJ Medical College hostel 33 seconds after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, killing all but one of its 242 passengers and crew and at least 30 people on the ground. Also Read | DGCA introduces special audits after Air India crash HT had reported on June 20 that the debris are being moved to a site near the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL) office near the airport, on land owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which has been identified for use in the ongoing investigation. 'Reconstructed parts of the aircraft will be examined to determine what led to the crash. The black box will be analysed as part of this process,' Malik said. Also Read | Ahmedabad crash victim's mortal remains reach Manipur, thousands pay tributes India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash, while the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading a parallel international investigation into the plane crash. At least 247 persons killed in the crash have so far been identified through DNA matching and 232 bodies handed over to their families, as per officials. Both sets of flight recorders from the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner have been recovered - the first combined Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) unit was found on June 13, with the second set located on June 16. The B787 aircraft model carries two black box sets – one under the cockpit and the other in the tail section -- as standard. The debris removal and transportation process typically involves careful cataloguing and preservation of aircraft components that could provide crucial evidence about the crash sequence. Investigators must maintain a strict chain of custody for all materials, with larger structural components often moved to specialised facilities where they can be reconstructed to understand the aircraft's final moments. Critical components like engines and control surfaces undergo detailed metallurgical and mechanical analysis to identify any failures or anomalies that may have contributed to the accident.
NDTV
20-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Exclusive: How Air India Flight's Black Box Was Damaged And What Comes Next
New Delhi: The black box units from the wreckage of Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed 36 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 274 people, including 33 on the ground, have sustained damage. According to aviation sources speaking to NDTV, one of the black boxes is visibly more damaged than the other, likely due to a fall during or after the crash. Both the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), collectively referred to as the "black boxes", are currently in secure custody under the supervision of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Sources involved in the crash investigation told NDTV that a preliminary inspection shows external structural compromise, which, if not handled delicately, could risk internal data integrity. What We Know 1. Two black box units have been recovered - one unit is more damaged than the other. 2. A decision on what to do with the black boxes will be taken soon. 3. Options under consideration: The black boxes may be sent to a HAL facility near Lucknow, the NTSB in the United States, the Civil Aviation Authority in the United Kingdom, or to Singapore. 4. One of the black boxes has sustained damage to its outer surface. This damage occurred as a result of a fall. 5. The data on both the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) is stored in binary format. This data must be converted into an engineering format, after which information will become accessible. The interpretation of this data will form the basis of the crash report. 6. It remains unclear whether a preliminary report or a final report will be issued. 7. Investigators are concerned about opening the damaged black box due to the condition of its outer casing. 8. It is possible that data from the second, undamaged unit can be retrieved within India. 9. India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has stepped up randomised surveillance of relevant flights during the interim period. 10. The investigation will include analysis of debris samples and material samples from the surface of the runway. 11. Sabotage also needs to be ruled out. 12. Sources on the crash of AI-171 stated: "This is a mystery." What Is A Black Box The black box from the doomed Air India flight was recovered Monday, 28 hours after the crash. The 'black boxes' are actually bright orange in colour to help locate them from debris and wreckage. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captures up to 25 hours of cockpit conversations, noise, radio calls with air traffic control, and audible alerts in newer aircraft models. However, AI-171 was operating a Boeing 787 delivered in 2014, prior to the 2021 mandate for 25-hour CVR storage. Therefore, the recorder likely had a two-hour recording capacity. The Flight Data Recorder (FDR), on the other hand, collects parameters such as altitude, airspeed, heading, vertical acceleration, and control surface movements, among others. In modern jets like the 787-8, FDRs can record thousands of parameters simultaneously and loop for over 25 hours. The Crash And Its Aftermath The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered VT-ANB, lifted off at 1:39 PM on June 12 from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, en route to London Gatwick. Less than a minute into the flight, the pilots transmitted a distress call citing loss of thrust. Radio contact was subsequently lost. Seconds later, the aircraft, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a residential area near Meghani Nagar, adjacent to the airport's northeast perimeter. It ignited a blaze on impact, damaging a medical college hostel and killing 33 people on the ground. The sole survivor, seated in 11A, is a British-Indian man who was thrown clear of the wreckage.
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Week on, key recoveries done, debris to be shifted to AAI site
: Exactly one week after India's deadliest air crash in three decades, investigators have completed key recovery work at the Ahmedabad crash site and are now focusing on accessing the black boxes to determine what caused the Boeing Dreamliner to plunge into a medical hostel moments after take-off, killing 241 of 242 people aboard and several more on the ground. The aviation ministry said on Thursday that 'key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway' at the site by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). 'The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations,' the ministry stated, addressing speculation about whether the black boxes would be sent overseas for analysis. Both sets of flight recorders from the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner have been recovered - the first combined Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) unit was found on June 13, with the second set was located on June 16. The B787 aircraft model carries two black box sets – one under the cockpit and the other in the tail section -- as standard. According to a police official aware of the probe, the debris will soon be moved to a site near the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL) office near the airport, on land owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). 'Experts will attempt to reconstruct sections of the aircraft at that site to assist in the inquiry. All electronic components recovered from the wreckage will be handed over to the Forensic Science Laboratory for detailed examination,' the official said. Ahmedabad police commissioner GS Malik said 'reconstructed parts of the aircraft will be examined to determine what led to the crash. The black box will be analysed as part of this process'. The debris removal and transportation process typically involves careful cataloguing and preservation of aircraft components that could provide crucial evidence about the crash sequence. Investigators must maintain a strict chain of custody for all materials, with larger structural components often moved to specialised facilities where they can be reconstructed to understand the aircraft's final moments. Critical components like engines and control surfaces undergo detailed metallurgical and mechanical analysis to identify any failures or anomalies that may have contributed to the accident. The statement of the lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar, has also been recorded, according to Malik. Viswash recounted to HT that shortly after takeoff, he heard a loud sound and felt the aircraft lose balance, moments before the crash. According to an official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), CISF personnel stationed near the emergency exit close to the Instrument Landing System (ILS) area on the runway heard a loud sound as the aircraft took off. The investigation involves multiple agencies, with teams from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Boeing assisting the AAIB under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) protocols. A separate committee headed by the home secretary and involving civil aviation ministry officials was also announced to look into larger questions about regulations and safety standards in the aftermath of the crash. On Thursday, 215 victims have been identified through DNA matching, with 198 bodies handed over to their families so far, the Ahmedabad civil hospital said. The victims included 149 Indians, 32 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. The crash has had significant operational impact on Air India, which announced a 15% reduction in international widebody services. Enhanced surveillance checks ordered by the DGCA on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet found no issues in 26 out of 33 aircraft inspected. As an added precaution, Air India will also undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet. The airline said flights will therefore be reduced on 16 international routes and suspended on 3 overseas destinations between June 21 and July 15. Services will be suspended on Delhi-Nairobi, Amritsar-London (Gatwick) and Goa (Mopa)-London (Gatwick) till July 15. The curtailments include 16 international routes connecting cities in North America, Europe, Australia and the far East.
India Gazette
19-06-2025
- India Gazette
AAIB commences formal inquiry into the Air India flight crash incident
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has commenced a formal inquiry into the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad and the multi-disciplinary team from AAIB has commenced investigation from June 12, said an official statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday. The investigation has been ordered by DG, AAIB. NTSB and OEM teams have arrived to assist AAIB as per ICAO protocols. A combined unit of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) has been recovered from the crash site on 13 June 2025 and another set was found on 16 June. This model of aircraft has two Blackbox sets, added the statement. The AAIB investigation is progressing steadily with all necessary support from local authorities and agencies. Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway. The Ministry remains committed to full transparency relating to the ongoing investigation and will follow all mandated protocols and norms, in the larger interest of the highest standards of Passenger Safety and convenience. The Minister emphasised the importance of working together as a cohesive and responsive team to uphold passenger trust and bring operational stability, which has been the cornerstone of Indian aviation. Certain media outlets have reported that the CVR/DFDR from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis. The AAIB will decide the location for decoding the flight recorders after assessing all technical, safety, and security considerations, mentioned the official statement. The Ministry of Civil Aviation urged all stakeholders to refrain from speculation on such sensitive matters and to allow the investigative process to proceed with the seriousness and professionalism it warrants. The crash occurred on June 12, when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The tragedy claimed 241 lives out of 242 onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. (ANI)
