Investigators are preparing to study the pilots’ last words for clues as to the cause of last week’s Air India plane crash, after recovering the cockpit voice recorder from the wreckage.
The voice recorder was in the Boeing 787 aircraft’s second black box, which Indian authorities said that they had found yesterday.
The first, containing the flight data recorder, was located within 28 hours of Thursday’s disaster in Ahmedabad, in which at least 279 people died.
These small but tough electronic flight data recorders are made with robust materials such as titanium or steel and insulated with fire-resistant materials to withstand extreme conditions during a crash.
One records flight data, such as altitude and speed and the other contains the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), capturing all audio from the cockpit, including pilot conversations, radio transmissions, warning alarms and ambient mechanical sounds.
The devices should allow investigators to piece together a second-by-second reconstruction of the events that led to the fatal fireball.
Most of the victims were onboard flight AI171 bound for London Gatwick, all but one of whom died after the plane crashed into a building moments after failing to properly take off from Ahmedabad airport.
A mayday call was sent by the flight captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, seconds after the plane left the runway.
The pilot had logged more than 8,200 hours in the cockpit according to the Indian aviation regulator DGCA.
Colleagues paid tribute to Captain Sabharwal, describing him as “a good, quiet person.”
Indian media reported that neighbours recalled that he had been a pilot since 1994 and was planning to retire soon to look after his sick father.
No evidence or explanation has yet been shared from the investigation, led by Indian officials with assistance from the UK and US.
They were reported to be initially focusing on engine failure and issues with the wing flaps and landing gear to trace the causes for one of the world’s worst ever plane crashes.
About 80 Of The Deceased Identified
Most relatives of the 279 known victims, 38 of whom were killed on the ground, were still waiting on Monday for results of DNA testing before health officials could return the bodies of their ones.
About 80 of the deceased had been identified by late on Sunday, according to a doctor at Ahmedabad’s civil hospital, Rajnish Patel. “This is a meticulous and slow process, so it has to be done meticulously only,” Patel said.
While some mourners have held funerals, most are facing an anguished wait.
Rinal Christian, 23, the younger brother of a passenger, told a news agency, “They said it would take 48 hours. But it’s been four days and we haven’t received any response. My brother was the sole breadwinner of the family. So what happens next?”
One of the latest victims identified was a former Chief Minister of Gujarat state and senior member of India’s ruling party, whose flag-draped coffin was carried in Ahmedabad by soldiers.
It was the first ever crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane.
Air India was ordered to carry out additional maintenance and checks on the 33 remaining planes fleet but big airlines around the world continue to operate the model as normal, and more than 1,000 of the type are in regular service.
The manufacturer of the plane, Boeing, has further scaled back its presence at the Paris airshow, one of the global aerospace industry’s leading commercial events, cancelling a media reception.
Its Chief Executive, Kelly Ortberg, had already pulled out and a Boeing team has been sent to Ahmedabad to offer assistance to the investigation.
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