Air India plane crash: What happens when Black Box is damaged? Will govt send it abroad for analysis?

The black boxes that have been retrieved from the wreckage of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad last week have sustained significant damage. Black boxes are highly-protected equipment placed in aircraft that store crucial data which can help investigate accidents. So, what happens when the black boxes get damaged? Can key data still be extracted from them? Let's find out in this article.

How much damage is there?
As per reports, the black boxes of the Air India plane have suffered external structural damage. Investigators are now concerned about opening it because if not handled delicately, this could pose a risk to the sensitive, internal data.
In such a scenario, the black boxes may be sent to more specialised and equipped facilities for analysis. Experts have told the media that several such options are currently being considered by investigators involved in the Air India plane crash probe. They are a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility near Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), the NTSB in the United States, the Civil Aviation Authority in the United Kingdom, and a facility in Singapore.
The central government is expected to soon take a call whether to send the damaged box abroad or not.

What is a black box?
A black box comprises two units: a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and a Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR). While it is called a black box, the equipment is not actually black in colour. In fact, the boxes are painted bright orange so that they are easier to spot after plane accidents. The black boxes are designed to survive extreme conditions, including explosions, fire, and deep water, and are made of strong substances such as steel or titanium. The boxes are strategically placed in highly-protected areas of the aircraft, mostly at the tail end, where the impact of a crash is often the least.
Black boxes are key to investigating airplane crashes as they can preserve a range of crucial data. The CVR records radio transmissions and other cockpit sounds, including conversations among pilots and noises in the engine. And, the FDR records over 80 different types of information, such as flight altitude, speed, vertical acceleration, autopilot status, and so on.

What happened in Ahmedabad?
On June 12, An Air India plane carrying 242 people -- 230 passengers and 12 crew members -- crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad international airport, killing almost everyone on board. The accident marked one of India's deadliest aviation accidents ever. The plane crashed in a residential area close to the airport and killed dozens others on the ground. Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian origin, is the sole survivor of the tragic incident.