The flight data recorder has been recovered and should shed some light on the cause of the disaster, which killed at least 270 people.

Air India Flight AI171 crashed moments after takeoff, sparking flap vs. engine failure debate. Experts await both black boxes before confirming what caused the disaster.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor of Air India flight 171, which crashed seconds after takeoff on Thursday.

Experts say the cause of the crash — the first involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its commercial debut 14 years ago — will become clear once investigators examine the flight data recorder, the cockpit voice recorder,

Still photographs show passengers being evacuated from Air India flight AI379, bound for New Delhi from Phuket, after it made an emergency landing due to a mid-air bomb threat. Image credit: Chalit Saeton. ANC passes resolution against military parade on President Trump’s birthday

These are only early-stage hypothesis and the actual reasons will only be determined once investigations are complete and after recovery and analysis of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).

Viswashkumar Ramesh, 40, the sole survivor of Air India Flight 171, is among the ranks of those spared by fate.