Air India Flight 182 – CVR Transcript

Date: June 23, 1985

Aircraft: Boeing 747-237B (VT-EFO)

Operator: Air India

Fatalities: 329 (all onboard)

Cause: Terrorist bombing by Sikh extremists; bomb detonated in cargo hold

06:43:42  AI-182     And Air India 182 position.  
06:43:56  AI-182     Air India 182 Shanwick position is 51° N 20° W at 06:43, level 310, estimate 51° N 15° W at 07:04.  
06:44:15  Shanwick    Roger.  Select position after 15 minutes please.  
06:44:20  AI-182     182.  
06:46:38  AI-182     Shanwick, AI-182.  
06:46:41  Shanwick    AI-182 Shanwick, could you say your next position after 51 N 15 W, please?  
06:46:48  AI-182     After that we have 51 N 8 W and thereafter BUNTY.  
06:47:02  Shanwick    Roger.  AI-182 Shanwick confirm 51 N 20 W at 06:43, FL310; 51 N 15 W at 07:04.  Next 51 N 8 W.  Go ahead.  
06:47:14  AI-182     That’s affirmative.  
06:47:16  Shanwick    Roger.  At 15 W call Shannon on 135.6.  
06:47:21  AI-182     135.6 will do, sir.  
06:47:23  SR101       Shanwick, Swissair 101 position, over.  
06:47:26  Shanwick    101 Shanwick, standby one.  
06:47:27  SR101       Roger.  

06:50:15  [Cough]  
06:55:19  [Cough, cough]  

06:59:41  1831        Shannon, 1831.  
06:59:45  1831        Is flight level 330 available?  
06:59:55  Shannon     Shannon, flight level 330 is available.  
07:00:05  1831        FL330.  

07:00:13  AI-182       A couple of forms…  
07:00:16  AI-182       …of Air India—what about those forms?  
07:00:18  AI-182       Haaji…  
07:00:21  AI-182       And the customs form?  
07:00:25  AI-182       Later.  
07:00:29  COP          Dinshaw.  
07:00:29  AFP          Yes sir?  
07:00:30  COP          Do me a small favour.  
07:00:31  AFP          What’s that?  
07:00:32  COP          At the very end, row 54, a boy is sitting there.  Inder Thakur knows.  He wants a look in the cockpit.  
07:00:43  AFP          Where is he?  
07:00:45  COP          Inder knows.  Row 54.  
07:00:50  AFP          Can I send him now?  
07:00:51  COP          After about 15–20 minutes.  
07:00:52  AFP          OK.  
07:00:53  COP          Thank you.  
07:00:54  AFP          You’re welcome, sir.  

07:05:08  COP          Everybody is having whiskey and beer—whatever you know, that is what I mean.  
07:05:16  CAP          Without fail, all of them.  
07:05:17  CAP          Whatever is allowed.  
07:05:19  IFS          What will they do?  
07:05:20  COP          No.  
07:05:21  IFS          It is a hard-core problem.  
07:05:22  COP          No.  
07:05:24  CAP          All I mean—girls, all…  
07:05:30  [Crew call]  Cabin crew.  
07:05:34  COP          Cabin crew, everybody.  
07:05:58  CAP          They must be carrying for somebody else also.  
07:06:00  COP          Somebody—ten beers, six beers.  
07:06:03  CAP          Ten beers.  
07:06:05  [Pause]     Maybe some…  
07:06:07  [Pause]     Hold. Hold.  

07:06:39  AI-182     Shanwick, AI-182 good morning.  
07:06:49  Shannon     Station calling Shannon—go ahead again.  
07:06:54  AI-182     AI-182 is 51 N 15 W at 07:05, level 310, estimate FIR 51 N 08 W at 07:35; BUNTY next.  
07:07:10  Shannon     182, your correct Shannon frequency is 113.15.  
07:07:16  AI-182     131.15, sir.  

07:07:22  TWA770     Merlet, and Upper Red 37 to Ibsley, standard routing.  
07:07:32  Shannon     770, that checks—maintain 350.  
07:07:34  TWA770     Maintain 350, roger.  
07:07:39  Shannon     Empress 282, squawk 2011 and go ahead with your progress.  
07:07:43  CP282       282 is 51 N 15 W at 07:00, FL370, estimating 51 N 08 W at 350.  
07:07:53  Shannon     Empress 282, roger—cleared Amsterdam via 51 N 08 W, Upper Blue 40 to Brecon, Green 1 to Woodley, Blue 29 to Clacton, Red 1 to Amsterdam.  
07:08:10  CP282       Empress 282 cleared to Amsterdam via 51 N 08 W, Upper Blue 40 Brecon, Green 1 Woodley, Clacton, Red 1 Amsterdam.  
07:08:21  Shannon     Empress 282, that checks.  Maintain FL370.  
07:08:25  CP282       Roger, 370.  

07:08:28  AI-182     AI-182, good morning.  
07:08:34  Shannon     AI-182, good morning—squawk 2005 and go ahead, please.  
07:08:38  AI-182     2005 squawking.  AI-182 is 51 N 15 W at 07:05, FL310, estimate 51 N 08 W at 07:35; BUNTY next.  
07:09:02  Shannon     AI-182, Shannon—roger—cleared London via 51 N 08 W, BUNTY, Upper Blue 40 to Merley, Upper Red 37 to Ibsley, FL310.  
07:09:19  AI-182     AI-182 cleared to London via Upper Bravo 50 BUNTY, then Red 27 to Ibsley, maintain 310.  
07:09:37  Shannon     AI-182, after BUNTY maintain Upper Blue 40 to Merley, then Red 37.  
07:09:44  AI-182     Right—air BUNTY to Merley and Upper Red 37—AI-182.  
07:09:49  Shannon     AI-182, would you squawk 2005?  I repeat, 2005.  
07:09:58  AI-182     Right, sir—squawking 2005, 182.  

07:11:24  [In-flight]    Hann bhai bulao.  
07:11:30  [In-flight]    Kaun sa form hai?  
07:11:38  [In-flight]    That is all right.  
07:13:42  FE          Bhinder?  
07:13:43  COP         Haan ji.  
07:13:44  FE          London ops want 30 custom seals.  
07:13:45  COP         Hun.  
07:13:47  FE          Flight purser—they want 30 customs seals for bar clearance on arrival.  
07:13:50  COP         Customs.  
07:13:52  FE          Customs seals—bar seals.  
07:13:54  [Unintelligible]  
07:14:01  [Sound]     **End of recording**