Black Box: Saturday, June 14, 2025, a plane crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. A shadow of grief has fallen across the country following this tragic incident. However, amidst this, investigators have found a crucial clue – the aircraft’s black box, which has been recovered in a nearly intact state. This black box can now reveal the true cause of the plane crash. But what is this black box? Why is it called a black box, and how does it survive even when the aircraft is destroyed? Let’s find out the details.
What is an Airplane’s Black Box?
First of all, it’s worth mentioning that although the name ‘Black Box’ brings to mind a black-colored box, it is actually bright orange. The reason for this is so it can be easily located amidst the wreckage after a crash. Its real name is the Flight Recorder. Every commercial aircraft has two main black boxes:
- Flight Data Recorder (FDR): This records various data related to the aircraft’s flight.
- Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): This records all the conversations and sounds from within the cockpit.
How does it work?
These two recorders are placed at the very rear or tail section of the aircraft because, during a crash, the tail section is generally the least damaged part.
- Flight Data Recorder (FDR): This device continuously records more than 88 different parameters or data points of the aircraft. Notable among these are the plane’s airspeed, altitude, heading, engine status, fuel quantity, and the position of various levers controlled by the pilots, etc. In modern aircraft, the FDR can store up to 25 hours of data.
- Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): This device records all sounds from inside the cockpit. This includes conversations between the pilots, communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC), the sounds of various warning alarms, and other mechanical sounds in the cockpit. The CVR retains the last 2 hours of audio recording.
How does it survive even if the plane is destroyed?
The black box is designed in such a way that it can remain intact even in the most horrific plane crashes. Its outer casing is made of extremely strong metals like titanium or stainless steel. Inside, there are several layers of protective shielding to safeguard the memory chips.
- Ability to withstand immense pressure: It can endure a force of 3400 Gs (3400 times the force of gravity).
- Fire-resistant: It can remain undamaged for up to 1 hour in temperatures of about 1100 degrees Celsius.
- Safe underwater: The black box can withstand the water pressure at depths of about 20,000 feet. It is equipped with an Underwater Locator Beacon (ULB). As soon as it is submerged in water, it gets activated and starts emitting a sound wave at a specific frequency every second, which can last for up to 30 days. This signal helps in locating it even from deep water.
What kind of records are there?
As mentioned earlier, there are two types of records in a black box:
- Data Record: All technical and flight-related information of the aircraft, which is recorded in the FDR.
- Audio Record: The conversations of the pilots and other sounds from inside the cockpit, which are recorded in the CVR.
Is video recorded?
No, current black boxes do not have any facility for video recording. Although this is being discussed, it has not yet been made mandatory to install video recorders in the cockpit, keeping in mind pilot privacy and some technical limitations.
Is audio recorded?
Yes, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) records all audio or sounds from inside the cockpit. The final moments of conversation between the pilots and the ambient sounds of the cockpit play a very important role in investigating the cause of an accident.
The black box recovered in Ahmedabad has now been sent to a forensic lab. Investigators are hopeful that by analyzing the data and audio contained within, it will soon be possible to determine the real cause of this tragic accident and take necessary steps to prevent such disasters in the future.
