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How do black boxes work?

What Are Black Boxes?

  • Despite the name, black boxes are painted bright orange for high visibility at crash sites.
  • Modern aircraft black boxes include:
    • Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) – captures crew conversations, alarms, and ambient cockpit sounds.
    • Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) – records technical flight data such as altitude, speed, engine performance, etc.
  • In many aircraft, CVR and DFDR are integrated into a single unit.

Relevance : GS 3(Technology, Disaster Management)

How Do They Work?

  • Black boxes record data continuously during flight.
  • Use solid-state memory chips for high durability and long recording duration.
  • Are shock-resistant, fire-resistant, and often waterproof.
  • Equipped with underwater locator beacons that emit signals to help locate them after a crash.
  • Positioned typically at the rear of the aircraft, where survival chances are higher during a crash.

Technical Features

  • Coated in bright orange with reflective materials.
  • Designed to withstand extreme conditions:
    • Temperatures up to 1,100°C for 1 hour
    • Water pressure at depths up to 20,000 feet
    • High-impact crashes (forces of 3,400 Gs or more)
  • CVRs usually record last 2 hours of cockpit audio.
  • DFDRs record data on hundreds of parameters for 25 hours or more.

Historical Timeline

  • 1950s: Flight recorders used metal foils.
  • 1953: First commercial sale by General Mills; device used spherical shell.
  • 1954: Invented by David Warren (Australia) while investigating the de Havilland Comet crash.
  • 1960: FDRs and CVRs made mandatory in aircraft.
  • 1965: Regulation to paint them orange or yellow for visibility.
  • 1990: Magnetic tapes replaced by solid-state memory.

Use in Accident Investigation

  • Investigated by agencies like Indias Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
  • AAIB has a dedicated flight recorders lab (established in New Delhi).
  • Flight data + cockpit voice insights help reconstruct:
    • Pre-crash aircraft behaviour
    • Crew reactions, errors, or communication failures
    • External interference like radio disruptions
  • Helps refine safety protocolspilot training, and aircraft design.

Recent Context

  • Used in ongoing probe into Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad.
  • Remains a critical tool in global civil aviation safety infrastructure.

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