ABSTRACT

As the technology progressing, the speed of traveling is also increased. The source to
destination became so closer to each others. The main advancement in the field of the
air traveling system with the help of airplane. This is the major discovery of technology.
But as the speed increases, the horror of air crash also introduced. Because at a height of
2000m and above if a plane crashes, it will be a terror for anybody. So to take the
feedback of the various activities happens in the plane and record those engineers need a
mechanism to record such activities.
With any airplane crash, there are many unanswered questions as to what brought the
plane down. Investigators turn to the airplane's flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit
voice recorder (CVR), also known as "black boxes," for answers. An aircrafts flight
recorders are an invaluable tool for investigators in identifying the factors behind an
accident. These flight recorders are in fact painted orange to help in their recovery
following an accident.

1. INTRODUCTION
1

Black boxes may be one of the most important pieces of technical equipment on board a
plane, despite the fact they do nothing to help the plane while its in the air. Airplanes
actually have two black boxes, made up of two separate pieces of equipment a cockpit
voice recorder, which records all of the sound and conversations that happen in the
cockpit, and a flight data recorder, which records the planes operating functions.
A flight recorder/black box is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the
purpose of facilitating the investigation of an aircraft accident or incident. For this
reason, flight recorders are required to be capable of surviving the conditions likely to
be encountered in a severe aircraft accident. They are typically specified to withstand an
impact of 3400 g and temperatures of over 1,000C (1,832F).
Each unit is fitted with an underwater locator beacon (ULB) that is activated as soon as
the recorder comes into contact with water this is what creates the ping that
investigators use to locate the device.
Black boxes are usually located in the tail of the plane because it is usually the last part
of the plane to make impact.
Despite its name the device is actually bright orange, making it easier to spot in
wreckage.

2. INVENTION

As with many successful devices, probably no single person could be credited with the
invention of the flight recorder. One of the earliest and proven attempts was made by
Franois Hussenot and Paul Beaudouin in 1939 at the Marignane flight test center,
France; they were essentially photograph-based flight recorders since the record was
made on a scrolling photographic film. The latent image was made by a thin ray of light
deviated by a mirror tilted according to the magnitude of the data to record (altitude,
speed, etc.). Since the inside of the recorder was pitch black, this may be the origin of
the "black box" name, often used as a synonym for a flight recorder.
The Black Box was first invented by a young Australian scientist named Dr. David
Warren. While Warren was working at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory in
Melbourne in the mid-1950s he was involved in the accident investigation surrounding
the mysterious crash of the worlds first jet-powered commercial aircraft, the Comet.
Realizing that it would have been useful for investigators if there had been a recording
of what had happened on the plane just before the crash, he got to work on a basic flight
data recorder. The first demonstration unit was produced in 1957, but it was not until
1960, after an unexplained plane crash in Queensland, that Australia became the first
country in the world to make the Black Box mandatory for all commercial aircraft.

3. BLACK BOXES

Black boxes refer to the aircrafts Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice
Recorder (CVR). Both collect and store data from a variety of airplane sensors in a
memory unit that is designed to survive a crash.
Contrary to the "black box" reference, the exterior of the FDR is coated with heatresistant bright orange paint for high visibility in wreckage, and the unit is usually
mounted in the aircraft's empennage (tail section), where it is more likely to survive a
severe crash. Following an accident, the recovery of the FDR is usually a high priority
for the investigating body, as analysis of the recorded parameters can often detect and
identify causes or contributing factors.

Flight Data Recorder (FDR)

A flight data recorder (FDR) (also ADR, for accident data recorder) is an electronic
device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft.
It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters. The FDR records
selected flight parameters, both mandatory and non-mandatory continuously for 25
hours. The FDR records parameters of the aircraft and stores it in case of a crash. The
FDR data can be pulled from the memory and analyzed to determine how the aircraft
was flying and what problems existed, such as engine stopped or hydraulic failure.
Most modern airliners have Flight Computers that collect data from sensors through-out
the aircraft. It gets inputs on the altitude of the aircraft, the speed and data from many
parameters, such as hydraulic pressure, engine speeds, flap position and many more. It
also records the pilots' inputs; such as inputs to the yoke and pedals and brake pedals
and many more.
A typical FDR is 16 cm (6.3 in) in height, 12.7 cm (5.0 in) in width and 50 cm (19.6 in)
in depth. It weighs 4.8 kg (10.6 lbs).
Here are a few of the parameters recorded by most FDRs:

Time

Pressure altitude

Airspeed

Vertical acceleration

Magnetic heading

Control-column position

Rudder-pedal position

Control-wheel position

Horizontal stabilizer

Fuel flow

Flight Data Recorder (FDR)

Cockpit video recorder (CVR)

The CVR captures all sounds in the cockpit such as conversations, engine noise, landing
gear noise, warning sounds and radio transmission continuously for 30 minutes. While
investigators might be interested in any witty banter between pilots that went on just
before an explosion or plane malfunction, trained investigators are keen to pick up on
sounds such as engine noise, stall warnings or emergency pings and pops. Investigators
are so skilled that they are then able to work out crucial flight information such as the

speed the plane was travelling and engine rpm and can sometimes pinpoint the cause of
a crash from the very sounds the plane was making before it crashed. The Cockpit Voice
Recorder is also extremely important for determining the timing of events as it contains
information such as communication between the crew and ground control and other
aircraft. The Cockpit Voice Recorder is usually located in the tail of a plane. The earliest
CVRs used analog wire recording, later replaced by analog magnetic tape. Some of the
tape units used two reels, with the tape automatically reversing at each end. Other units
used a single reel, with the tape spliced into a continuous loop, much as in an 8-track
cartridge. Recovery of sound from magnetic tape often proves difficult if the recorder is
recovered from water and its housing has been breached. Thus, the latest designs
employ solid-state memory and use digital recording techniques, making them much
more resistant to shock, vibration and moisture. With the reduced power requirements of
solid-state recorders, it is now practical to incorporate a battery in the units, so that
recording can continue until flight termination, even if the aircraft electrical system
fails.
In almost every commercial aircraft, there are several microphones built into the cockpit
to track the conversations of the flight crew. These microphones are also designed to
track any ambient noise in the cockpit, such as switches being thrown or any knocks or
thuds. There may be up to four microphones in the plane's cockpit, each connected to
the cockpit voice recorder (CVR).
Any sounds in the cockpit are picked up by these microphones and sent to the CVR,
where the recordings are digitized and stored. There is also another device in the
cockpit, called the associated control unit that provides pre-amplification for audio
going to the CVR.
Here are the positions of the four microphones:

Pilot's headset
Co-pilot's headset
Headset of a third crew member (if there is a third crew member)
Near the center of the cockpit, where it can pick up audio alerts and other sounds

Most magnetic-tape CVRs store the last 30 minutes of sound. They use a continuous
loop of tape that completes a cycle every 30 minutes. As new material is recorded, the

oldest material is replaced. CVRs that used solid-state storage can record two hours of
audio. Similar to the magnetic-tape recorders, solid-state recorders also record over old
material. A typical traditional CVR is 16 cm (6.3 in) in height, 12.7 cm (5.0 in) in width
and 32 cm (12.6 in) in depth. It weighs 4.5 kg (10 lbs).

Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)

Both black boxes are powered by one of two power generators that draw their power
from the plane's engines. One generator is a 28-volt DC power source, and the other is a
115-volt, 400-hertz (Hz) AC power source. These are standard aircraft power supplies.
The Flight Data Recorder and the Cockpit Voice Recorder are invaluable tools for Air
Crash Investigators worldwide and will continue to play a major role in finding out the
causes of aviation accidents, as well as offering plane manufacturers and governments
considerable ideas to help make air travel as safe as possible.

4. CONSTRUCTION
Black boxes are designed to withstand catastrophic events or in other words black boxes
are built to survive. In Airline accidents, the only devices that survive are the CSMU.
Crash-Survivable

Memory

Unit

(CSMU)

receives

vehicle,

subsystem

and

environmental parameters via several available communication interfaces, and stores

these parameters in uncompressed form in EEPROM solid-state memory. It protects the
data records from incidents and mishaps, to levels exceeding EUROCAE ED-55. The
CSMU can be easily adapted to any aircraft. L-3 EDI can also supply a Flight Data
Acquisition Unit suitable for operation with the CSMU.
The CSMU mounts in a survivable and accessible area of the vehicle, up to 100 feet
from its data source. It contains a micro-controller, communication interfaces, power
conditioner, crash survival memory and an externally mounted acoustic beacon. This
highly reliable unit contains no moving parts or adjustments. It is suitable for circular
loop rewrites as often as every 20 minutes or as long as 25 hours, for up to 17,000
operating hours. The memory format handles periodic and aperiodic parameters and
events, with readafter- write and CRC error-detecting codes. All records are independent
and self-documenting as stored. The unit is also suitable for audio and video recording.
Three layers of materials in CSMU:

Aluminum housing
High-temperature insulation
Stainless-steel shell

To ensure the quality and survivability of black boxes, manufacturers thoroughly test
the CSMUs. Remember, only the CSMU has to survive a crash -- if accident
investigators have that, they can retrieve the information they need. In order to test the
unit, engineers load data onto the memory boards inside the CSMU. L-3
Communications uses a random pattern to put data onto every memory board. This
pattern is reviewed on readout to determine if any of the data has been damaged by
crash impact, fires or pressure.
There are several tests that make up the crash-survival sequence:

Crash impact - Researchers shoot the CSMU down in air cannon to create an
impact of 3,400 Gs (1 G is the force of Earth's gravity, which determines how
much something weighs). At 3,400 Gs, the CSMU hits an aluminum,
honeycomb target at a force equal to 3,400 times its weight. This impact force is
equal to or in excess of what a recorder might experience in an actual crash.

Pin drop - To test the unit's penetration resistance, researchers drop a 500-pound
(227-kg) weight with a 0.25-inch steel pin protruding from the bottom onto the
CSMU from a height of 10 feet (3 m). This pin, with 500-pounds behind it,
impacts the CSMU cylinder's most vulnerable axis.

Static crush - For five minutes, researchers apply 5,000 pounds per square-inch
(psi) of crush force to each of the unit's six major axis points.
9

Fire test - Researchers place the unit into a propane-source fireball, cooking it
using three burners. The unit sits inside the fire at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit
(1,100 C) for one hour. The FAA requires that all solid-state recorders be able to
survive at least one hour at this temperature.

Deep-sea submersion - The CSMU is placed into a pressurized tank of salt

water for 24 hours.

Salt-water submersion - The CSMU must survive in a salt water tank for 30
days.

Fluid immersion - Various CSMU components are placed into a variety of

aviation fluids, including jet fuel, lubricants and fire-extinguisher chemicals.

During the fire test, the memory interface cable that attaches the memory boards to the
circuit board is burned away. After the unit cools down, researchers take it apart and
pull the memory module out. They restack the memory boards, install a new memory
interface cable and attach the unit to a readout system to verify that all of the preloaded
data is accounted for.
Black boxes are usually sold directly to and installed by the airplane manufacturers.
Both black boxes are installed in the tail of the plane -- putting them in the back of the
aircraft increases their chances of survival. The precise location of the recorders
depends on the individual plane. Sometimes they are located in the ceiling of the galley,
in the aft cargo hold or in the tail cone that covers the rear of the aircraft.

Memory boards
Most of the black boxes in use today use magnetic tape, which was first introduced in
the 1960s, or solid-state memory boards, which came along in the 1990s. Magnetic tape
works like any tape recorder. The Mylar tape is pulled across an electromagnetic head,
which leaves a bit of data on the tape. Black-box manufacturers are no longer making
magnetic tape recorders as airlines begin a full transition to solid-state technology.

10

Solid-state recorders are considered much more reliable than their magnetic-tape
counterparts. Solid state uses stacked arrays of memory chips, so they don't have
moving parts. With no moving parts, there are fewer maintenance issues and a
decreased chance of something breaking during a crash.

Solid state recorder

Magnetic tape recorder

11

5.

WORKING OF BLACK BOX

Black boxes - which are actually orange, are a group of data collection devices mounted
in the tail of an aircraft. Dr.David Warren, an Australian aviation scientist, proposed a
flight recording device and by 1958 he had produced the prototype "ARL Flight
Memory Unit.
Computers have now replaced magnetic tape, meaning the device can record more data
and are far more likely to survive an impact.
The CVR captures all sounds in the cockpit such as conversations, engine noise, landing
gear noise, warning sounds and radio transmission continuously for 30 minutes. The
earliest CVRs used analog wire recording, later replaced by analog magnetic tape. There
are several microphones built into the cockpit to track the conversations of the flight
crew. These microphones are also designed to track any ambient noise in the cockpit,
such as switches being thrown or any knocks or thuds. There are up to four microphones
in the plane's cockpit, each connected to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR).
Any sounds in the cockpit are picked up by these microphones and sent to the CVR,
where the recordings are digitized and stored. There is also another device in the
cockpit, called the associated control unit that provides pre-amplification for audio
going to the CVR.
Solid-state recorders are considered much more reliable than their magnetic-tape. Solidstate recorders can track more parameters than magnetic tape because they allow for
faster data flow. Solid-state FDRs can store up to25 hours of flight data. Solid state uses
stacked arrays of memory chips, so they don't have moving parts. With no moving parts,
there are fewer maintenance issues and a decreased chance of something breaking
during a crash.

12

6. DATA STORAGE
The Wright Brothers pioneered the use of a device to record propeller rotations,
according to documents provided by L-3 Communications. However, the widespread
use of aviation recorders didn't begin until the post-World War II era. Since then, the
recording medium of black boxes has evolved in order to record much more information
about an aircraft's operation.
Most of the black boxes in use today use magnetic tape, which was first introduced in
the 1960s, or solid-state memory boards, which came along in the 1990s. Magnetic
tape works like any tape recorder. The Mylar tape is pulled across an electromagnetic
head, which leaves a bit of data on the tape. Black-box manufacturers are no longer
making magnetic tape recorders as airlines begin a full transition to solid-state
technology.
Solid-state recorders are considered much more reliable than their magnetic-tape
counterparts, according to Ron Crotty, a spokesperson for Honeywell, a black-box
manufacturer. Solid state uses stacked arrays of memory chips, so they don't have
moving parts. With no moving parts, there are fewer maintenance issues and a
decreased chance of something breaking during a crash.
Data from both the CVR and FDR is stored on stacked memory boards inside the
crash-survivable memory unit (CSMU). In recorders made by L-3 Communications,
the CSMU is a cylindrical compartment on the recorder. The stacked memory boards
are about 1.75 inches (4.45 cm) in diameter and 1 inch (2.54 cm) tall.
The memory boards have enough digital storage space to accommodate two hours of
audio data for CVRs and 25 hours of flight data for FDRs.
Airplanes are equipped with sensors that gather data. There are sensors that detect
acceleration, airspeed, altitude, flap settings, outside temperature, cabin temperature and
pressure, engine performance and more. Magnetic-tape recorders can track about 100
parameters, while solid-state recorders can track more than 700 in larger aircraft.
13

All of the data collected by the airplane's sensors is sent to the flight-data acquisition
unit (FDAU) at the front of the aircraft. This device often is found in the electronic
equipment bay under the cockpit. The flight-data acquisition unit is the middle
manager of the entire data-recording process. It takes the information from the sensors
and sends it on to the black boxes.

Position of black boxes

Older CVRs were analogue recorders which used magnetic tape as the recording
medium. Modern solid-state CVRs, however, store the digitized audio information in
memory chips.
Older FDRs were mostly digital recorders using magnetic tape as the recording
medium. As with CVRs, modern solid-state FDRs store the digitized data in memory
chips.

14

Memory chip recording medium (left) and tape recording medium (right)

15

7. AFTER CRASH
Although they are called "black boxes," aviation recorders are actually painted bright
orange. This distinct color, along with the strips of reflective tape attached to the
recorders' exteriors; help investigators locate the black boxes following an accident.
These are especially helpful when a plane lands in the water. There are two possible
origins of the term "black box": Some believe it is because early recorders were painted
black, while others think it refers to the charring that occurs in post-accident fires.

Underwater Locator Beam(ULB)

In addition to the paint and reflective tape, black boxes are equipped with an
underwater locator beacon (ULB). If you look at the picture of a black box, you will
almost always see a small, cylindrical object attached to one end of the device. While it
doubles as a handle for carrying the black box, this cylinder is actually a beacon.
If a plane crashes into the water, this beacon sends out an ultrasonic pulse that cannot be
heard by human ears but is readily detectable by sonar and acoustical locating
equipment. There is a submergence sensor on the side of the beacon that looks like a
bull's-eye. When water touches this sensor, it activates the beacon.
The beacon sends out pulses at 37.5 kilohertz (kHz) and can transmit sound as deep as
14,000 feet (4,267 m). Once the beacon begins "pinging," it pings once per second for
30 days. This beacon is powered by a battery that has a shelf life of six years. In rare
instances, the beacon may get snapped off during a high-impact collision.
Special care is taken in transporting these devices in order to avoid any (further) damage
to the recording medium. In cases of water accidents, recorders are placed in a cooler of
water to keep them from drying out.

16

A close-up of an underwater locator beacon

17

8. CRASH WORTHINESS
Flight recorders are designed to survive both high-speed impact and post-impact fire.
They are, however, not invulnerable and are sometimes destroyed.
The recorder is designed to ensure that data, rather than the recorder itself, survives an
accident. The data storage medium (tape or microchips) is mounted inside an impactresistant and fire-resistant container.

Cockpit voice recorder showing accident damage

The crashworthiness standards of flight recorders were revised in 2003 by the European
Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) committee. The recorders
memory module is now required to withstand:

an impact producing a 3,400-g deceleration for 6.5 milliseconds (equivalent to

an impact velocity of 270 knots and a deceleration or crushing distance of 45
cm)

a penetration force produced by a 227 kilograms (500 pounds) weight which is

dropped from a height of 3 metres (10 feet)

a static crush force of 22.25 kN (5,000 pounds) applied continuously for five
minutes

a fire of 1,100 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes.

18

Recorder partially dismantled showing protective enclosure

19

9. RETRIEVING THE INFORMATION

After finding the black boxes, investigators take the recorders to a lab where they can
download the data from the recorders and attempt to recreate the events of the accident.
This process can take weeks or months to complete.
If the FDR is not damaged, investigators can simply play it back on the recorder by
connecting it to a readout system. With solid-state recorders, investigators can extract
stored data in a matter of minutes. Very often, recorders retrieved from wreckage are
dented or burned. In these cases, the memory boards are removed, cleaned up and a new
memory interface cable is installed. Then the memory board is connected to a working
recorder. This recorder has special software to facilitate the retrieval of data without the
possibility of overwriting any of it.
A team of experts is usually brought in to interpret the recordings stored on a CVR. This
can be a painstaking process and may take weeks to complete.
Both the FDR and CVR are invaluable tools for any aircraft investigation. These are
often the lone survivors of airplane accidents, and as such provide important clues to the
cause that would be impossible to obtain any other way. As technology evolves, black
boxes will continue to play a tremendous role in accident investigations.

This portable interface can allow investigators quick access to the data on a black box.

20

10. TYPES

OF RECORDERS

Deployable recorders
Deployable recorders incorporate the functions of the Cockpit Voice Recorder, the
Flight Data Recorder and an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) into a package that
is automatically deployed (released) from the aircraft at the start of an accident
sequence.
The deployable package possesses capabilities that enable it to deploy and rapidly
establish a flight trajectory that clears the airframe during the accident sequence. The
deployable package is designed to float on water after deployment. After deployment,
the deployable package starts transmitting an emergency signal that can be detected by
satellite and search aircraft/ships.
Deployable recorders are mainly installed on helicopters operating over water as well as
military aircraft. Commercial aeroplanes have not adopted deployable recorders.

Combined recorders
Combined recorders incorporate the functions of the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the
Flight Data Recorder in one box. When combined recorders are used on an aeroplane,
two combined recorders are required. One is installed near the cockpit and one installed
towards the rear of the aircraft. The forward-mounted recorder has the advantage of
shorter cable distances between the cockpit area and the recorder, reducing the chance
of the wires being breached during an in-flight fire or breakup. Traditional rear mounted
recorders maximize impact survivability.

Image recorders
Image recorders record images of all flight crew work areas including instruments and
controls. The image recorder supplements existing information recorded by the Cockpit
Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder.
A general view of the cockpit area, instrument and control panel displays provides an
insight into the cockpit environment, serviceability of displays and instruments, crew
activity, and the human/machine interface. Image recorders have not been widely
adopted due to crew privacy issues and they are not installed in commercial airliners.

21

11.

MODERN FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

The recorders made of strong materials, such as titanium, and insulated to withstand a
crash impact many times the force of gravity, temperatures of more than 1,000 degC for
up to 30 minutes and the immense pressure of lying on the seabed.
Modern black boxes record up to 300 factors of flight including:-Airspeed and altitudeHeading

and

vertical

acceleration-Aircraft

pitch-Cockpit

conversations-Radio

communications.
FDRs receive inputs via specific data frames from the Flight Data Acquisition Units
(FDAU). They record significant flight parameters, including the control and actuator
positions, engine information and time of day. There are 88 parameters required as a
minimum under current U.S. federal regulations (only 29 were required until 2002), but
some systems monitor many more variables. Generally each parameter is recorded a
few times per second, though some units store "bursts" of data at a much higher
frequency if the data begins to change quickly. Most FDRs record approximately 1725
hours worth of data in a continuous loop. It is required by regulations that an FDR
verification check (readout) is performed annually in order to verify that all mandatory
parameters are recorded.
This has also given rise to flight data monitoring programs, whereby flights are
analyzed for optimum fuel consumption and dangerous flight crew habits. The data
from the FDR is transferred, in situ, to a solid state recording device and then
periodically analyzed with some of the same technology used for accident
investigations. In other cases the data is downloaded from the aircraft's Quick Access
Recorder (QAR), either by transfer to a portable solid state recording device or by direct
upload to the operator's headquarters via radio or satellite.

22

CONCLUSION
The study of black box reveals the cause of crash of an airplane. Investigators use the
black box to analyze the problem. They incorporate the results such that the disasters
are avoided by the use of advancements of technology. Todays technology is so
advanced that the data recorded on the airplane is sent directly to the ground station.
Advanced communication systems and high frequency transmissions are used for this
purpose. Many Aviation agencies and aircraft manufacturers are working towards the
advancement and efficient usage of black box technology.

23

REFERENCES
http://www.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/blackbox.html
http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/aviation/beyond-the-black-box
http://news.discovery.com/tech/beyond-the-black-box.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_data_recorder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box
http://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/8310/why-are-fdrs-andcvrs-still-two-separate-physical-devices
Black Box Flight Recorders, Fact sheet of Australian Transport
Safety Bureau.
Flight Data Recorders Built to Survive by Tony Bailey.
Wired Magazine Black Boxes by Jerry Adler.
How Black Boxes work?? by Kevin Bonsor.

24