Indian Investigators Retrieve Black Box Data from Fatal Air India Express Crash
In a crucial development following the tragic Air India Express crash, Indian investigators have successfully downloaded data from the aircraft’s black boxes — a major step forward in understanding what led to the deadly accident. The crash, which occurred in Kozhikode, Kerala, involved a Boeing 737-800 that overshot the runway during heavy rain on August 7, 2020. It claimed the lives of 21 people, including both pilots, and injured over 100 others. The recovery and analysis of black box data — which includes the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) — is a standard but vital part of aviation accident investigations. These devices provide critical insights into what was happening in the cockpit and how the aircraft was performing in the moments leading up to the crash. According to officials from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the black boxes were retrieved in intact condition ...