Fire-damaged black box slows Baramati plane crash probe, AAIB seeks US help to retrieve cockpit voice data

MUMBAI: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Tuesday said it has sought specialised assistance to retrieve data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the Learjet 45 that crashed near Baramati last month.Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others lost their lives in the fatal crash of the VSR Ventures-owned aircraft on January 28, according to news agency PTI. In a statement, the AAIB said the aircraft was fitted with two independent flight recorders. Both devices were exposed to intense heat for an extended period during the accident and sustained fire damage.According to the agency, the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3-Communications, has been successfully downloaded at its Flight Recorder Laboratory."The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), manufactured by Honeywell, is undergoing detailed technical examination. Assistance has been sought from the Accredited Representative of the State of Manufacture for specialised support in data retrieval," the probe agency said.In this case, the state of manufacture is the United States.Urging all stakeholders to refrain from speculation, the AAIB said it is strictly adhering to all prescribed technical and procedural protocols to ensure a thorough, objective and evidence-based investigation.The bureau added that the probe is being conducted in accordance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, as well as the international standards and recommended practices outlined in Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).Last week, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the preliminary report on the crash of the Learjet 45 aircraft VT-SSK would be released soon.