The black boxes, which are actually bright orange in colour, are critical in aircraft accident investigations as they provide data on numerous parameters and aircraft systems, helping the investigators identify the most likely causes of an accident.

As the probe into the tragic Air India crash that killed 260 people continues, investigators are now looking into whether the crash was caused by sabotage. All but one on board, including 52 Brits, died when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner slammed into a medical college after take-off on June 12.