Air India crash investigators recover plane's black box from a rooftop
Medics are conducting DNA tests to identify those killed
Indian investigators on Friday recovered the digital flight data recorder, or the black box, of the Air India flight that fell from the sky and killed 241 people on board and several people on the ground, authorities said.
The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane crashed into a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday.
The plane's black box was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said that it had begun its work with "full force."
The black box recovery marks an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post.
The flight data recorder has the information on engine and control settings, apart from the voice record of any cockpit conversations, Prof. Paul Fromme, at the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said in a statement.
"This should show quickly if there was a loss of engine power or lift after takeoff and allow a preliminary determination of the likely cause for the crash," said Fromme, who heads the professional association's aerospace division.
Separately, the country's civil aviation regulator issued an order directing Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines.
The key inspections include the fuel parameters, cabin air compressor, engine control system, hydraulic system and a review of takeoff parameters, according to the order.
The U.S. participants in the probe are expected to include people from the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and General Electric.
DNA testing being conducted to identify bodies
Investigators on Friday continued searching the crash site, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the lone surviving passenger.
DNA testing was being conducted to identify bodies that were mostly charred beyond recognition. More victims are expected to be found in the search of the crash site, which was one of India's worst aviation disasters.
The plane hit a building hosting a medical college hostel and burst into flames, killing several students.
"We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words," Modi said on social media after visiting the site, which was in his home state of Gujarat.
"We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come."
'I realized I was alive'
The survivor was seen in television footage meeting Modi at the government hospital where he was being treated for burns and other injuries.
Viswashkumar Ramesh told India's national broadcaster he still can't believe he is alive. He said the aircraft seemed to become stuck immediately after takeoff. He said then the lights came on, and right after that it accelerated but seemed unable to gain height before it crashed.
He said the side of the plane where he was seated fell onto the ground floor of a building and there was space for him to escape after the door broke open. He unfastened his seatbelt and forced himself out of the plane.
"When I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive," he said.
Grieving families gathered outside the hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Two doctors at the hospital said the bodies of four medical students killed on the ground after the plane crash were handed to their families. They said at least 30 other injured students were still admitted in the hospital and at least four of them were critical.
Modi is scheduled to hold a meeting with senior officials later Friday. He also met some of those injured on the ground during the hospital visit.
Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft.
According to experts, there are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide, and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation.
Eyewitness accounts describe damage
Residents living in the vicinity, who were among the first to rush to the crash site and help with rescue, described the scale of damage they had never before seen.
"In the beginning, I couldn't understand anything, it was only smoke everywhere. We could see some small parts [of the plane] burning," Indrajeet Singh Solanki said.
Solanki said he and many others helped the injured people and rushed them to hospitals. "We had only one aim — to save lives no matter what happens," he said.
The tragedy has left him shaken.
"It will be hard to sleep for the next few days at least," Solanki said.