From time to time we hear comments regarding the infamous “black boxes” installed on commercial aircraft, although no one is certain why it is described as such or who coined term. The nickname for the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), the “black box”, more than likely stems from a reference to miscellaneous electronic equipment. The recorders are actually orange in color to allow it to stand out among other metal debris. The recorders consist of numerous computer chips surrounded by a strong metal cylinder-like case to ensure it can survive high impacts. The CVR can store approximately two hours of audio, including pilot-to-pilot conversations and transmissions with air traffic control (ATC).

The FDR stores details of the last 18-25 hours of flight, including the time of day, altitude, vertical and lateral speed, fuel burn, and even the force exerted on the flight controls by the pilots to help determine the cause of a crash. The search for Air France Flight 447’s recorder is still underway. The recorder has an Underwater Locator Beacon (ULB) sends a signal to rescue ships to assist in the locating the box, but being two miles under the Atlantic Ocean can impede rescue efforts, because the signal may only be detected within a mile of the flight recorder. The only way to find these flight recorders are for ships to drag underwater devices that listen for the “ping” that the recorder emits. Once the approximate area of the recorder is found, submarines are sent down the retrieve it. It is important that the recorder is found quickly before the lithium battery depletes, otherwise locating it will be next to impossible.