Officials said they had found the cockpit voice recorder that may provide crucial clues about what caused the Air India flight to crash, killing at least 270 people.

Investigators hope ‘black box’ data can shed light on whether jet crashed because of mechanical failure, human error or other factors

The Air India flight fell from the sky on Thursday and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state, officials said Saturday.

The aviation ministry on Saturday said that the flight data recorder of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday has been found, adding that the flight had climbed 650 feet in the air before it started descending.

Skift’s coverage of the Air India crash is offered free to all readers. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson boarded AI143 on Thursday for the 1 PM flight from

Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 carrying 242 people, crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad on its way to London.

Former pilot Ehsan Khalid said the Flight Data Recorder, Cockpit Voice Recorder, and the ACARS data will provide the exact cause of the crash.

HONG KONG — An Air India flight returned to Hong Kong on Monday shortly after takeoff due to a midair technical issue, days after another of the airline’s flights crashed and killed at least 270 people.