Air India, Black Box and America ? surrender of sovereignty?

Poonam Sharma
In the aftermath of the deadly Ahmedabad-bound Air India flight crash, the world watched as Indian authorities scrambled to piece together what went wrong. The most critical clues — the black box containing the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) — were recovered from the wreckage, heavily damaged by post-crash fire.

And then, quietly, came the decision that should have shaken every conscious citizen: the black box would not be decoded in India. It would be sent to the United States — to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) lab in Washington, D.C.

For some, this may seem like a purely technical choice. But for many others, it has sparked deep discomfort. Was this a moment of technical pragmatism, or a quiet abdication of national responsibility?

The Technical Argument: Valid, But Not Absolute

It is true that the black box suffered serious damage — the type that can cripple standard decoding tools. India’s own aviation bodies — the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) — have made commendable strides in flight data analysis. Their labs are equipped for interpreting FDR and CVR recordings under normal or even moderately damaged conditions.

But in rare, extreme cases like this, global best practices do call for more specialized recovery equipment. The NTSB is regarded as one of the most technically advanced labs in the world, with proprietary tools to extract data even from melted memory chips or charred storage modules.

So yes, the technical argument is not baseless.

But is that the whole story? Or is it, in fact, an all-too-convenient narrative?

The Political Subtext: Boeing’s Shadow Looms Large

Let us not forget the manufacturer of the ill-fated aircraft — Boeing. A corporation that has weathered scandal after scandal, with billions paid in fines, whistleblowers silenced, and recurring safety lapses that have claimed hundreds of lives.

The 737 MAX disasters in 2018 and 2019 were initially pinned on pilot error — until internal documents exposed software flaws that Boeing knowingly withheld. It was only after relentless global pressure that the real story surfaced.

Is history repeating itself?

Already, whispers are surfacing that the Ahmedabad crash might be due to pilot error or procedural oversight. Once again, the narrative appears to be shifting focus — away from potential technical faults in the aircraft — toward those least able to defend themselves: the pilots.

And now, the evidence that could confirm or challenge this narrative — the black box — is being sent thousands of miles away, into a country that houses the manufacturer under scrutiny. Into a system known to have close ties with Boeing. Into a jurisdiction where India will have only partial control.

Transparency or Technocratic Surrender?

Indian authorities have promised that officials from the AAIB will be present during the data extraction process in the US. They assure that the chain of custody will remain intact and that the findings will be interpreted in India.

But in an age where information is power, does presence equal control?

Who owns the recovery process when the equipment, the software, the decoding algorithms, and the very environment are foreign? Can we truly expect impartiality when Boeing’s corporate reputation — and by extension, the U.S. aviation industry’s credibility — is on the line?

Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to invite foreign experts to India, rather than send Indian evidence abroad?

What’s at Stake: More Than Just Data

This isn’t just about recovering digital data from a broken flight recorder. This is about national credibility, investigative sovereignty, and justice for those who died.

By outsourcing the most sensitive part of the investigation, India risks not just losing control over the narrative — it risks losing the truth altogether. If the eventual report downplays or obscures a potential Boeing fault, what recourse will Indian authorities have? What recourse will the victims’ families have?

Worse, what message does this send to future investigations? That when the evidence gets inconvenient, we pack it up and send it to a foreign lab — no questions asked?

What Could Have Been Done Instead?

India has collaborated with international agencies in the past — there is no shame in asking for help. But in this case, technical cooperation could have taken other forms.

Experts from the NTSB, or even Boeing, could have been flown in to assist Indian investigators directly. Cutting-edge equipment can be temporarily transported. The labs could have been upgraded for urgent, one-off use. All of this would have ensured that the physical evidence never left Indian jurisdiction.

Instead, we’ve opted for the path of least resistance — and in doing so, potentially surrendered more than just a black box.

 Time to Rethink Sovereignty in the Sky

Aviation safety demands global cooperation. But it also demands national self-respect. If India wishes to be taken seriously as a global aviation hub, it must invest not only in equipment but in institutional courage.

The decision to send the Air India black box to the US may have been framed as a technical necessity. But unless matched with firm oversight, transparency, and accountability, it will remain — in the public’s eyes — a quiet betrayal of trust.

In the end, we must ask ourselves: when the truth about Indian lives lies in a foreign lab, who really owns our skies?