The tragic crash of a Jeju Air passenger plane at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29 last year shocked not only the nation but the world. As investigators race to determine the cause, all eyes are on the black box—the key to uncovering the truth behind this devastating event.
The black box, officially known as a flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), was first developed in 1956 by Australian aviation expert David Warren (1925–2010). Its creation was prompted by a series of crashes involving the Comet, the world’s first commercial jet airliner. These tragedies revealed the need for a way to record and preserve crucial flight data. The mandatory installation of black boxes in civilian aircraft didn’t happen until 1962.
A typical black box measures around 50 cm (19.7 inches) long, 20 cm (7.9 inches) wide, and 15 cm (5.9 inches) tall, weighing about 11 kg (24.2 pounds). It consists of two main components: the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). To minimize the risk of data loss in the event of a crash, these devices are mounted separately, with the FDR typically installed in the tail section of the aircraft, which is less likely to sustain severe impact.
The black box is truly a marvel of resilience. The black box remains unharmed even if the aircraft is destroyed or completely burned. It’s built with special alloys designed to withstand extreme conditions. It can endure forces up to 3,400 times its weight, retain crucial flight data for 30 minutes at temperatures as high as 1,100°C (2,012°F), and even preserve data for up to 10 hours at 260°C (500°F). In underwater crashes, the black box can emit an emergency signal for up to a month, even at depths of 6,000 meters (20,000 feet).
So, is the black box really black? Technically, yes—if we’re talking about its name. But in reality, the box is far from black. Despite the term black box, it’s actually coated in bright fluorescent orange or yellow paint. This vivid coloring makes the box much easier to spot in the wreckage of a crash, ensuring rescuers can find it quickly.
The true origin of the term “black box” is a bit of a mystery. One popular theory suggests that the boxes were originally orange, but after exposure to fire, soot-blackened them, leading to the now iconic name. Whatever the origin, the term has stuck, even though it doesn’t accurately reflect the box’s color.
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