Invention and Engineering

Flight recorder

A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may be referred to colloquially as a "black box", an outdated name which has become a misnomer because they are required to be painted bright orange, to aid in their recovery after accidents. There are two types of flight recording devices: the flight data recorder (FDR) preserves the recent history of the flight by recording dozens of parameters collected several times per second; the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) preserves the recent history of the sounds in the cockpit, including the conversation of the pilots. The two devices may be combined into a single unit. Together, the FDR and CVR document the aircraft's flight history, which may assist in any later investigation. The two flight recorders are required by the International Civil Aviation Organization to be capable of surviving conditions likely to be encountered in a severe aircraft accident. They are specified to withstand an impact of 3400 g and temperatures of over 1,000 °C (1,830 °F) by EUROCAE ED-112. They have been a mandatory requirement in commercial aircraft in the United States since 1967. After the unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in 2014, commentators have called for live streaming of data to the ground, as well as extending the battery life of the underwater locator beacons.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸AK-47
• ▸HMS Magnificent (1766)
• ▸5AT Advanced Technology Steam Locomotive

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