Indian Aircraft Investigators to Share Critical Black Box Data with US Transportation Board Following Deadly Air India Crash

The tragic Air India flight crash claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew.

A delegation of Indian investigators is scheduled to travel to the United States next week to collaborate with the National Transportation Safety Board regarding the devastating Air India crash that occurred in June.

According to a source familiar with the arrangement, the Indian team plans to present their findings, including critical information extracted from the aircraft's cockpit voice and flight data recorders. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India has been spearheading the investigation into the catastrophic incident involving the Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner that resulted in 241 fatalities.

The upcoming discussions will take place at the NTSB headquarters in Washington, as confirmed by the source who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the information. Representatives from other involved parties, including Boeing, are expected to attend the meeting.

When contacted, an NTSB spokesperson indicated they had no information to share at present and directed inquiries to Indian authorities. Similarly, Boeing redirected all questions to the AAIB. Neither the AAIB nor India's aviation ministry provided immediate responses to weekend requests for comment.

This planned meeting between American and Indian investigators comes amid reports of tensions between the two nations regarding the investigation process. Concurrently, pilots' unions across India have strongly contested any implications that pilot error contributed to the crash.

The preliminary investigation report revealed that the aircraft's fuel-control switches were deactivated shortly after departure from Ahmedabad airport, causing engine power loss and sealing the flight's fate. Despite efforts to reverse this action approximately 10 seconds later, it proved insufficient to prevent the disaster.

While investigators continue gathering evidence with no definitive conclusions yet established, certain details have emerged. Notably, the cockpit voice recorder documented the junior co-pilot, who was handling the takeoff, questioning the senior captain about deactivating the critical switches. The captain denied taking such action.

Additional information will become available when the AAIB releases its comprehensive final report. The agency has urged the public to avoid premature conclusions before the investigation's completion.