New Delhi, June 14 -- The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is India's primary agency for investigating aviation accidents, established in 2012 under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. AAIB operates independently from regulators to ensure objective findings, following international standards set by ICAO Annex 13. The sole objective is accident prevention, not assigning blame. Before 2012, the DGCA handled investigations, but separation ensures independence from regulatory oversight. Aviation investigations follow ICAO Annex 13 protocols. Multiple countries can participate: the State of Occurrence (where the crash happened), State of Registry (where aircraft is registered), State of the Operator (airline's base), and State of Design/Manufacture (where aircraft was built). Each participating state can appoint representatives to join the investigation team. In this case, teams from the US led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and from UK (which lost over 50 citizens in the tragedy) are part of the process. The first is the immediate response by police, who secure the crash site then hand control to AAIB teams. Investigation teams include operations specialists, engineering experts, human factors investigators, and support staff. "The team, is usually divided in a way that they are able to search all the aircraft parts to be analysed for investigation. While the time taken to find material evidences depends of the severity of the crash, it is to be wrapped up within a week of the accident," said an AAIB official who asked not to be named. This person explained that teams document physical evidence, examine wreckage, collect samples, and interview witnesses. All debris remains untouched except by investigators-even passenger luggage cannot be returned until cleared. The critical equipment Modern aircraft carry sophisticated recording systems that investigators call "black boxes"-though they're actually bright orange for easier recovery. According to ICAO Annex 13, "the sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident is to prevent accidents and incidents," making these devices crucial for understanding what went wrong. Most aircraft carry two separate units designed to survive extreme conditions. The flight data recorder (FDR) records "specific aircraft performance parameters" with the "purpose to collect and record data from a variety of aircraft sensors onto a medium designed to survive an accident." These sophisticated devices capture thousands of flight parameters including engine performance, fuel flow, cockpit command inputs, altitude, flight path, airspeed, vertical acceleration, magnetic heading, landing gear status, flap position, and system status covering hydraulic and electrical systems. Modern DFDRs represent a remarkable technological evolution, now capable of monitoring around 3,500 parameters for 25 hours compared to barely 100 parameters that older recorders could track fifty years ago. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) creates "a record of the total audio environment in the cockpit area," including "crew conversation, radio transmissions, aural alarms, control movements, switch activations, engine noise and airflow noise." Modern CVRs retain between 2-25 hours of audio depending on aircraft type, capturing crucial evidence about crew actions and decision-making in the final moments before an accident. The Boeing 787 uses enhanced airborne flight recorders (EAFR). These are "combined 'black-box' cockpit voice and flight data recorders (CVR/FDR) with crash-protected memory and the capability to record datalink messages and cockpit imagery," the company states. The aircraft carries two separate EAFR units-one positioned in the nose, one in the tail-because FAA regulations require "two separate recorders for airplanes. Therefore, a single combination CVR/DFDR may not serve as both the required DFDR and the required CVR." This dual-system design ensures data recovery even if one unit is damaged during impact. Both types of recorders are designed as crash-protected units that can withstand fire, explosion, impact and hydrostatic pressure. Technical specifications require them to "withstand an acceleration of 3400 g (33 km/s2) for 6.5 milliseconds" and survive extreme fires and water immersion. For underwater crashes, recorders "must be equipped with an underwater locator beacon which is automatically activated" upon immersion, transmitting on "37.5 KHz that can be detected with a suitable receiver" for up to 90 days. When recorders are damaged or contaminated, they undergo specialised recovery in rare laboratory facilities worldwide, where technicians use microscopes and specialized techniques to repair circuit boards and memory chips to extract critical data. In this case, this is likely to go back to Boeing. Mostly, there are five broad areas. One, the technical analysis. This can span several areas. For instance, investigators will minutely attempt to reconstruct the manner in which the structure collapsed from patterns in the wreckage. Technical specialists examine aircraft systems including engine performance, flight controls, hydraulics, and electrical systems, while analysing recent repairs, inspections, and component history to identify any potential mechanical failures or maintenance-related issues that could have contributed to the accident. For this, the investigators might reach out to GE Aerospace, which build the two engines on the plane. Two, human factor scrutiny. The investigators will look beyond pilots to examine all human interactions and organisational influences that may have contributed, whether in the immediate lead-up to the accident or further back in time. This comprehensive analysis -- focussing on the airline (Air India) and its employees --- includes pilot training and experience levels, crew communication and coordination during the critical phase of flight, fatigue and workload assessment, decision-making processes under stress, and the broader organizational safety culture that may have influenced crew behaviour and operational procedures. Three, environmental conditions. The weather form another crucial investigation area, with teams analysing weather data, airport conditions, and visibility factors that existed during take-off. Investigators examine wind patterns and atmospheric conditions that could have affected aircraft performance, while reviewing air traffic control communications to understand the operational environment and any guidance provided to the flight crew during the critical moments before the accident. And lastly, operational factors. Flight planning procedures and fuel calculations that determined the aircraft's weight and balance configuration will be one of the first matters scrutinised. Teams examine airport operations and emergency response procedures, evaluating their effectiveness and compliance with regulatory standards. This analysis helps determine whether operational decisions or procedural failures contributed to the accident sequence and identifies potential improvements for future safety. Wreckage is laid out in specialised hangars for detailed examination. In many cases in the past, advanced computer graphics are used to combine data from FDR, CVR, radar, witnesses, and wreckage analysis to create accident reconstructions and animations. A preliminary report is required within 30 days and it may or may not be public or confidential. A final report is typically published within 12 months, includes aircraft history, probable causes, contributing factors, and safety recommendations. The AAIB is expected to focus purely on safety improvement and prevention, while the DGCA separately handles accountability and disciplinary actions based on investigation findings. This systematic approach ensures thorough, objective analysis serving the ultimate goal of preventing future accidents and improving aviation safety worldwide....