One of the two ‘black boxes’ aboard the London-bound jet that crashed seconds after take-off from India has been found in the wreckage as British experts flew in to help investigators find the cause of the disaster.
Rescue workers recovered the flight data recorder from the doomed Boeing 787 from the rooftop of the building where it fell to the ground close to Ahmedabad airport, killing all but one of the 242 on board.
But there was no word on the cockpit voice recorder, which is also crucial to the inquiry.
Air India flight AI171 to London Gatwick began losing height moments after take-off and erupted in a huge fireball after hitting the accommodation block of a medical college, killing at least five more people.
Earlier on Friday, rescue workers had finished combing the crash site and were searching for missing people and bodies in the buildings as well as for aircraft parts that could help explain why the plane crashed soon after taking off.
A source told Reuters the investigation is focusing on the engines, flaps and landing gear; India’s aviation regulator ordered safety checks on the airline’s entire Boeing-787 fleet.
Only one passenger survived: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, a British national whose family lives in Leicester.
He told Indian reporters from hospital on Friday: “When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air.
“Suddenly, the [emergency] lights started flickering – green and white. The aircraft wasn’t gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.”
Air India has more than 30 Dreamliners that include the Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 versions. A source in Air India said there had been no communication so far from the government on the possible grounding.
But India’s aviation regulator has ordered Air India to conduct additional maintenance actions on its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft equipped with GEnx engines.
Indian conglomerate Tata Group took control of the formerly state-owned Air India in 2022, and merged it with Vistara – a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – last year.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and some of the injured being treated in hospital, including Mr Ramesh.
A Number 10 spokesman said a FCDO helpline set up as a result of the crash had received “almost 300” calls as of Friday morning.
Tributes have been paid to those killed in the disaster, including Dr Prateek Joshi, who was described by those who worked with him as a “wonderful man” who entertained colleagues with stories about “his newly-discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District”.
Dhir and Heer Baxi, who also died in the incident, had “aspirations to roam the world” and an “amazing aura”, their cousin said.
Ishan Baxi, who lives in Ahmedabad, said both women were in their early 20s and were returning home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday.
British couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre, were said to be among the dead.
Tributes have also been paid to Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their four-year-old daughter Sara who were reportedly among the victims.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
