Civil Aviation Ministry Cautions Against 'Speculation' On Air India Flight 171 Probe

The Ministry of Civil Aviation denied media claims that Air India Flight 171's black box would be sent abroad for analysis, urging caution.

Image: IANS

The Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a cautionary statement on Thursday regarding reports suggesting that the flight data recorder from the crashed Air India Flight 171 would be sent abroad for analysis.

"It has been reported in certain media outlets that the CVR/DFDR from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis," MoCA said. 

"The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations," the Ministry added.

#AirIndiaPlaneCrash | Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) says, "It has been reported in certain media outlets that the CVR/DFDR from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis. The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders…

—  June 19, 2025

The Ministry urged stakeholders to refrain from speculation on this matter and asked them to allow the probe process to unfold with the professionalism it warrants.

"The Ministry of Civil Aviation urges all stakeholders to refrain from speculation on such sensitive matters and to allow the investigative process to proceed with the seriousness and professionalism it warrants," Ministry added.

Following the crash, the Air India confirmed that the 12-year-old aircraft, commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 hours of flight) and First Officer Clive Kundar (1,100 hours of flight), took off at 13:39 IST, made a Mayday call, and afterwards became out of contact with Air Traffic Control. 

The aircraft crashed outside the perimeter of the Ahemdabad airport, resulting in heavy black smoke. The Tata Group-run airline declared Rs 1 crore compensation to each of the victims' families.