Ahmedabad plane crash: Data downloaded from black box of AI171 flight, memory module accessed

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has shared an update on the data extraction process of the black box retrieved from the AI71 Ahmedabad-London flight that crashed on June 12.

“Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box was safely retrieved, and on 25 June, 2025, the memory module was successfully accessed and its data downloaded at the AAIB Lab,” said the ministry.

As per the official release, the data extraction process began on Tuesday  evening, led by DG Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) with technical members from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The Ministry of Aviation said that the analysis of CVR and FDR data is underway. These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences.

Recovery and handling of black boxes

After the deadly Ahmedabad AI 171 plane crash that killed over 270 people on June 12, both the Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) were recovered—one from a rooftop of the building at the crash site on June 13 and the other from the debris on June 16. 

Standard Operating Procedures were issued for their secure handling, storage, and transportation. The devices were kept under 24x7 police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad.

Subsequently, the black boxes were brought from Ahmedabad to Delhi by IAF aircraft with full security on Wednesday. 

The front black box arrived at AAIB Lab, Delhi with the DG, AAIB at 2 pm on Tuesday. The rear black box was brought by a second AAIB team and reached AAIB Lab, Delhi at 5.15 pm on the same day.