Investigators have successfully accessed flight recorder data from the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, killing at least 270 people.

The civil aviation ministry confirmed this significant step in the ongoing probe, which aims to unravel the cause of one of India's most puzzling recent air disasters.

Both Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs), commonly known as "black boxes," were recovered from the crash site on June 13 and June 16 one from a rooftop and the other from the debris.

The particular Boeing 787 model is equipped with two sets of recorders to facilitate comprehensive analysis. These units meticulously record both flight data and cockpit audio.

On Wednesday, a team led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), successfully accessed data from the recorders.

"The analysis of CVR [cockpit voice recorder] and FDR [flight data recorder] data is underway," the ministry stated. "These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences."

The flight data recorder precisely tracks critical parameters such as gear and flap lever positions, thrust settings, engine performance, fuel flow, and even fire handle activation.

The cockpit voice recorder captures pilot radio calls, individual microphone audio, and ambient cockpit sounds, all crucial for reconstructing the flight's final moments.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy expressed her hope that the Indian government would swiftly release details from the investigation.

"For aviation safety and for public safety and public awareness, we hope that they will make their findings public swiftly," Homendy said, commending the "excellent cooperation" between the NTSB team and the Indian government and AAIB.

The decision to download and investigate the data nearly two weeks after the crash has, however, raised questions among some aviation experts, who described the delay as unusual.

Air India Flight 171 was airborne for less than 40 seconds before it tragically crashed into a crowded Ahmedabad neighborhood, claiming the lives of all but one of the 242 passengers on board.

Piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kundar, the London-bound Boeing 787 took off at 13:39 local time, issuing a mayday call moments before its final transmission.

The retrieved black box data is now central to understanding the events that led to this catastrophic incident.