Last week Air India Flight 171 tragically crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport, bound for London Gatwick. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, plummeted into a nearby residential neighbourhood. Remarkably, one British passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived by escaping through an emergency exit before the plane turned into a huge fireball.
Identifying Bodies After a Plane Crash: The Science, Process, and Future ✈️🧬
When a plane crash happens, one of the most urgent and sensitive tasks is identifying the victims. The science behind this vital work is called Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) - a multidisciplinary forensic process designed to restore names and dignity to those lost in mass fatality events, like the Air India crash. DVI teams use a mix of cutting-edge science and military-like teamwork to provide closure for families, as well as to support legal investigations.
"Identification is the first step toward justice and closure for families." (Dr. Michael Baden, American Forensic Pathologist)
The Science and Training Behind DVI 🎓🔬
DVI involves experts like forensic pathologists, anthropologists, odontologists and DNA analysts. These professionals are trained through forensic science programs at universities and specialized certification programs, such as the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA). International organizations like INTERPOL offer additional training to standardize DVI worldwide 🌍.
In the aftermath of the crash of Air India Flight 171, the identification of victims is being managed by a coordinated team of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) specialists. The primary agency leading this effort is the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The AAIB is supported by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which has ordered enhanced maintenance checks on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet to ensure safety.
In addition to Indian authorities, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have dispatched investigators to assist in the investigation. Boeing (the plane manufacturer) and GE Aerospace (the engine manufacturer) have also deployed expert teams to support investigators.
The Body Identification Process 🔍⚖️
- Scene Recovery: Carefully collecting remains and personal effects to avoid contamination
- Postmortem Data Collection: Gathering fingerprints, dental records, photos and DNA samples from remains, whenever possible
- Antemortem (Before Death) Data Collection: Collecting information from families, medical and dental records, and personal items
- Comparison & Reconciliation: Matching postmortem and antemortem data to confirm identities - DNA is often the core element here 🧬
- Reporting & Notification: Documenting confirmed IDs and notifying authorities and families with care
Challenges Faced ⚠️🔥
Plane crashes can cause extreme trauma, fire damage and fragmentation, making identification tough. DNA samples from the Air India crash site will undoubtedly be degraded and/or contaminated, and the large number of victims will strain resources.
In the Air India crash, key aspects of degradation affecting victim identification include:
- Thermal damage from post-crash fires, causing charring and DNA breakdown
- Mechanical fragmentation due to high-impact forces, leading to scattered and commingled bone fragments
- Environmental exposure as remains may be exposed to heat, moisture and contaminants before recovery
- Chemical degradation where combustion and fuel residues can chemically alter or destroy biological tissues and DNA
- Time elapsed before recovery, which can accelerate decomposition and complicate DNA extraction
These factors make advanced forensic techniques essential for accurate identification. The forensic methods likely to be used include:
- Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Analysis: to generate DNA profiles from the victims’ remains, even if samples are degraded
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): to amplify tiny or damaged DNA fragments for testing
- DNA Extraction: crucial for isolating genetic material from bones, teeth and tissue, especially given the trauma and fire damage
- Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS): may be employed to get detailed DNA data from severely compromised samples
- Osteometric Sorting: to sort and associate fragmented bones from multiple victims in the complex crash scene
- Forensic Anthropology and Anthropometric Analysis: to help determine age, sex and ancestry when DNA results are inconclusive or delayed
- Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS): possibly used to help verify geographic origin if needed for complicated identifications
These techniques combined will give the DVI teams the best chance to identify victims accurately.
Who Pays for All of This? 💰
Few realize that Tata AIG, a joint venture with American insurance giant AIG, is now Air India’s lead insurer - replacing state-run New India Assurance after decades. The airline holds a $12 billion policy, paying $30 million annually, with risk shared by Indian insurers and reinsured globally by firms like AIG, Allianz, and GIC Re. Risk sharing in insurance spreads large potential losses across multiple parties, protecting insurers from huge payouts, while keeping coverage affordable and stable.
When you buy an airline ticket, airlines typically pay just $0.90 to $2.00 per passenger 🛫 in insurance premiums to cover the cost of the aircraft and compensation for injuries and/or death. For Air India’s victims, that means insurers received a premium of less than $500 – a small fraction of the risk; however, it is not every day that a plane falls out of the sky, so the risk is actually small. Meanwhile, a brand-new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner costs $248 million 💸 (list price before discounts), and families of the victims are expected to receive around $70 million 💔 in total compensation. It’ll be a large payout for a small premium.
The Future of Body Identification 🚀🔮
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is revolutionizing DNA analysis, allowing faster and deeper insights from degraded human samples. AI and machine learning are beginning to assist in quickly decoding degraded DNA, matching facial and dental records, integrating multiple forensic data sources and predicting biological traits from skeletal remains for precise and faster victim identification. 🌟
Identifying victims after a plane crash blends science, technology and compassion. As training, technology, and teamwork improve, Disaster Victim Identification continues to evolve - bringing light to families during their darkest hours. 💙✨
To the families of all Air India victims and the sole recovering survivor, our hearts go out to you.
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