NEW DELHI: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will decide whether to send the black boxes — cockpit voice and flight data records — of the ill-fated Boeing 787 that crashed as AI 171 last Thursday abroad for analysis. “The decision regarding location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations,” a govt statement said Thursday. “A multi-disciplinary team from AAIB has commenced investigation (into AI 171 crash) from June 12. The investigation has been ordered by DG, AAIB. US National Transportation Safety Board and original equipment manufacturer (like Boeing, GE) teams have arrived to assist AAIB as per ICAO protocols. A combined unit of the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was recovered from the crash site on June 13 and another set was found on June 16. This model of aircraft has two Blackbox sets,” The govt statement said.Meanwhile, Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Thursday held a meeting to review ground-level preparedness and passenger support mechanisms because of rescheduling of flights happening due to multiple reasons like post-accident checks, weather changes, closing of certain airspaces due to geopolitical tensions etc. While emphasising on safety, he directed airlines to address passenger issues swiftly; asked airports to have adequate food, drinking water, and adequate seating facilities. Airport directors were directed to reinforce wildlife hazard management, including the deterrence of birds and stray animals.Naidu also met top officials from SpiceJet, Indigo and Akasa on June 18 and 19. He reviewed fleet performance, safety oversight, passengers experience & convenience and airline communication strategy.
