New Delhi, June 14 -- A formal investigation has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the deadly crash of Air India flight 171 that killed at least 260 people, Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed. Separately, of the two black boxes, the one in the rear of the aircraft has been located and safely guarded. The directorate general of civil aviation will collect the equipment to analyse the recordings. The second black box, in the aircraft's front portion, is yet to be found, a person aware of the matter told HT. The AAIB is a division of the ministry of civil aviation tasked with probing aircraft accidents in India. "Following the tragic incident in Ahmedabad, a formal investigation has been initiated by the AAIB, in line with international protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)," Naidu posted on X. Air India and the Centre are looking at several aspects of the crash, including issues with the jet's engine thrust, its flaps, and why its landing gear remained open, a person with direct knowledge told Reuters on Friday. The government is also looking at whether Air India was at fault, including over maintenance issues, the person said. The black box actually consists of two main components but each are referred to as separate black boxes because of their locations - one in the front and one in the rear of the aircraft. The two components are called the (Digital Flight Data Recorder) DFDR and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). The machines record information about an aircraft during its flight. The DFDR records technical data like speed, altitude, and engine performance, while the CVR stores audio from the cockpit, including pilot conversations. Both are housed in a protective, armored casing and are essential for understanding the cause of plane crashes. The bright orange or yellow rectangular boxes are crafted to withstand explosions, fire, water pressure, and high-speed crashes. It contains flight and cockpit recordings, and flight data, which help in zeroing in on the real cause of the plane crash. Soon after an accident, authorities first try to locate the equipment to discover what led to the crash. AAIB has confirmed the recovery of the DFDR, commonly referred to as the black box (in the rear portion), from the rooftop of a building at the site in Ahmedabad. The ministry of civil aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder that had been recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR. AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat government joining efforts to support the ministry of civil aviation teams on the ground. The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash. "Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop," said the statement of the Ministry of Civil Aviation . Ahmedabad fire brigade officials informed that a team with specialised equipment like metal cutters has been deployed to search the black box in the wreckage at the accident site in Meghaninagar near the airport, where the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed on Thursday afternoon. "Work is ongoing to find the black box," deputy commissioner of police (Zone 4) Kanan Desai told PTI. She clarified that no such thing as a digital video recorder of the flight has been found. People aware of the matter said a DVR (digital video recorder) of CCTV cameras of BJ Medical College hostel, where the plane crashed, has been taken into custody by police. A DVR is an electronic device designed to record and store video footage from CCTV cameras. Fire department officials said they have been asked to assist in locating the black box of the plane. Aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation has also ordered enhanced safety inspection of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Naidu said that government was also constituting a high-level committee of people with expertise in multiple disciplines to examine the incident and devise ways to strengthen aviation safety by preventing such incidents in the future. "Additionally, the government is constituting a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines to examine the matter in detail. The committee will work to strengthen aviation safety and prevent such incidents in future". Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board, a federal agency authorised by Congress to investigate civil aviation accidents in the US, is gearing up to send a team of investigators to India to assist with probing the deadly crash. "The NTSB will be leading a team of US investigators travelling to India to assist the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau with its investigation into the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday," NTSB posted on X. A total of 241 people onboard the Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, including 12 crew members, have died in the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday....