Ajit Pawar plane's black boxes damaged in fire: AAIB

Mumbai: The two independent black boxes of the Learjet aircraft that crashed at Baramati airport, killing the then Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar, sustained fire damage, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said on Tuesday. The AAIB said specialised support from the manufacturer was sought to retrieve data from one of the recorders, the cockpit voice recorder.

The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3-Communications, was successfully downloaded at the AAIB Flight Recorder Laboratory, it said. The DFDR records technical parameters of the flight like aircraft speed, altitude and heading. "The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), manufactured by Honeywell, is undergoing detailed technical examination. Assistance has been sought from accredited representative of the state of manufacture for specialised support in data retrieval," it said. The CVR records conversation between the pilots, the radio communications with the air traffic controller and ambient noises in the cockpit. "Both recorders were exposed to intense heat for a prolonged period during the accident and sustained fire damage," it said.




On Jan 28, a Learjet-45 aircraft operated by charter company VSR Ventures crashed during approach and landing at Baramati airport, killing all five people on board. While the fire that broke out after the accident left major portions of the fuselage charred, pictures from the accident site showed the tail section of the aircraft intact.

"Both the black boxes are installed in the tail section and that part of the aircraft was largely intact. In fact, cartons and other cargo stored in the tail section can be seen strewn around in the wreckage with hardly any fire damage. So how did the black boxes sustain so much fire damage?" asked Capt Amit Singh, an air safety expert. Black boxes like DFDR and CVR are placed in metal armour and insulation to survive the impact, high temperatures and pressure.

Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut said the damage to CVR was "mysterious" and "very serious". The comments came in the backdrop of allegations by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar last week. He had hinted at possible conspiracy and sabotage in the crash. Among the allegations he levied against VSR Ventures was one about the CVR. Pawar said he learned from the company's former employees that they regularly kept the CVR switched off on most flights. It is illegal to keep the CVR off.

The wait now is for the preliminary report, which under investigation norms should be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organisation within 30 days of an accident. The investigating state, India in this case, can decide whether to release the preliminary report to the public or keep it confidential.
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