The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) successfully extracted critical data from the black box of the Air India Boeing 787-8 that crashed last month, thanks to a "Golden Chassis" sourced from the United States. The accident, which occurred on June 12 and claimed the lives of 260 people, led to a complex investigation involving multiple agencies and international cooperation.

Following the crash, the AAIB recovered the two black boxes, officially known as Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs), and transported them to Delhi on June 24. These devices are crucial for understanding the circumstances leading to an air accident, as they record flight data and cockpit audio.

The AAIB's preliminary probe report stated that a Golden Chassis, essentially an identical EAFR unit with the necessary download cables, was obtained from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). This equipment is often required when flight recorders are damaged, as was the case in this instance. The NTSB also has technical members working with the AAIB in Delhi.

On June 24, the AAIB attempted to download data from the forward EAFR at its lab in Delhi. The Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the forward EAFR was found to be in good condition. The CPM was then mounted on the Golden Chassis, which allowed investigators to download the raw data from the EAFR. The downloaded flight data encompassed approximately 49 hours of flight information, including six flights, with two hours of audio that captured the event. Initial analysis of the audio and flight data has already been conducted.

However, the aft EAFR was substantially damaged, preventing data retrieval through conventional methods. Upon inspecting the memory card within the CPM, the damage was found to be extensive.

The investigation team includes officials from the AAIB, technical experts from the Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Director General of AAIB is heading the probe, which also includes an aviation medicine expert and an Air Traffic Control officer.

A "golden chassis" was used to confirm whether data could be accurately recovered from the black boxes. The forward black box was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site on June 13, while the aft black box was found in the debris on June 16.