Flight Recorders: Every Flight Is Monitored

Every Flight Is Recorded

Every airliner carries two flight recorders, often called "black boxes" — though they're actually bright orange, so they're easy to find. They help keep flying safe in two ways: everyday monitoring, and learning from rare events.

The Two Recorders

The flight data recorder records hundreds of measurements, all the time. These include height, speed, direction, engine performance and autopilot settings. A Boeing 737 records over 1,500 of them, and an Airbus A380 more than 2,800.

The cockpit voice recorder keeps the last two hours of sound from the cockpit: the pilots' conversations, radio calls and background sounds.

Built to Last

The recorders sit in the tail, the best-protected part of the plane. They're built to be almost indestructible:

• Strength: tested against forces thousands of times stronger than gravity
• Heat: temperatures above 1,000°C
• Crushing: 5,000 pounds of force for 5 minutes
• Water: sealed against deep-sea pressure

Used on Everyday Flights

Recorder data isn't only used after rare events. Airlines regularly download and study data from ordinary flights. They look for anything outside normal procedures, such as firm landings or unusual speeds. Then they use what they find to improve training and procedures.

That way, small issues are spotted and fixed long before they could matter.

The Bigger Picture

Thanks to flight recorders, every flight helps make future flights safer. Lessons from one plane's data improve procedures for airlines everywhere. It's one of the reasons aviation keeps getting safer.

Sources

• EUROCAE ED-112, the international performance standard for flight recorders
• Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Flight Recorders: https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/fiches-facts/a20f0002/enregistreurs-recorders/20200309.html
• FAA, Flight Operational Quality Assurance: https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/atos/air_carrier/foqa