The black box from the Air India flight that crashed and claimed 271 lives is still in India and currently under examination by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), according to news agency ANI on Tuesday (June 24), citing Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. Naidu made the statement in response to reports suggesting the flight data recorder would be sent to the United States for analysis. “The black box of the crashed AI 171 flight remains in India and is being analyzed by the AAIB,” Naidu said, as per an ANI post on X (formerly Twitter).

The crash, which occurred on June 12 in Ahmedabad, stands as the deadliest aviation disaster globally in the past ten years. The Indian government stated last Thursday that a decision on where the black boxes would be decoded would only be taken after the AAIB completes a thorough evaluation of all technical, safety, and security factors. In Washington, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said she has had strong communication with Indian authorities, including the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the AAIB.

When asked whether the black boxes would be analyzed in the U.S. or when that would happen, Homendy declined to give details, saying, “That still needs to be resolved.” She emphasized the importance of timely access to flight data in understanding potential safety issues or deficiencies. Homendy also refrained from commenting on whether either of the recorders had sustained any damage.