AHMEDABAD: In a major move in the ongoing probe into the deadly Air India AI-171 plane crash that took place on June 12, central security agencies questioned the ground handling staff at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and seized their mobile phones for forensic analysis.
A senior official confirmed to a news agency that all personnel involved in pre-flight inspection and ground operations have been interrogated, and their statements formally recorded.
The phones of the staff who handled the aircraft minutes before its tragic takeoff have been taken into custody to examine any suspicious activity or communication.
In progress, agencies have also secured the CCTV footage covering multiple angles of the airport premises, ensuring that no detail is overlooked.
Officials told a news agency a '360-degree investigation' is underway, leaving no room for assumptions. All possible leads, including human error, technical failure and sabotage, are being actively pursued.
The crash took place at 1:30 pm on June 12, when Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flight AI-171, plunged shortly after takeoff. The pilot had issued a chilling ‘Mayday’ call to Air Traffic Control just before the aircraft went down, indicating a catastrophic failure onboard.
On June 16, a technical team from Boeing landed in Ahmedabad to join the probe. Investigators have now retrieved both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the second black box, with the first black box already recovered last Friday.
These flight recorders are critical to piecing together the final moments of the doomed aircraft.
The probe is being led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is coordinating with Boeing experts, central intelligence units, and local aviation authorities to establish the exact cause behind one of India’s worst aviation tragedies in recent years.
With evidence mounting and high-stakes questions looming, the focus now turns to what triggered the sudden loss of altitude and whether it could have been prevented.