Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
4 min of reading 
0 comments 
From Rejected Invention to Key Component in Aviation Investigations, the Black Box Evolved Over Decades to Become Indispensable for the Safety of Commercial Flights
Few inventions have had such a direct impact on flight safety as the black box. Mandatory in all commercial aircraft, it has become essential for investigating accidents and understanding what happened before tragedies.
The data recorded by this device helps experts explain nine out of ten accidents. That’s why, even after the disappearance of an aircraft, the search for the black box continues.
The First Records: Film and Mirrors
The concept of recording flight data did not originate from a single inventor. The first known prototype was created in 1939 by French engineer François Hussenot.
-
Explosion in Jaguaré, SP destroys up to ten houses, leaves one dead and injured after street work
-
A 29-year-old man died after leaving a Mother’s Day lunch and his car fell into a river in Luiz Alves, in the Itajaí Valley, SC, on Sunday (10). Alisson Rafael Feder Pontes lived in Jaraguá do Sul.
-
A giant ship, set to depart from Brazil for Venezuela, sank with 5,000 cattle and tons of oil, and has remained at the bottom of the sea for over 10 years, rendering the beach unusable and causing environmental impacts.
-
Ignored alert at the Dukono volcano ends in disaster in Indonesia, with three deaths, 10 missing, injured, and difficult searches in a region engulfed by volcanic explosions.
He designed a rudimentary box using photographic film and mirrors. The system worked with onboard sensors that flashed onto photographic film, thus recording the flight history.
At the time, the world was at war. In June 1940, faced with the threat of invasion, Hussenot reportedly buried his creation near an Atlantic beach to hide it from the German Army.
After the war ended, the technology was refined. Some models still used photography, while others recorded data on aluminum reels.
The Absence of Audio and the Australian Solution
Even with these advances, a crucial element was missing: audio. It was Australian engineer and chemist David Warren who solved this issue.
In 1953, he was called to investigate a series of accidents involving Comet aircraft. The causes of the crashes were unknown and raised doubts about the safety of commercial flights.
The following year, Warren proposed something new: to install equipment that would record the conversations in the pilot’s cabin. In 1958, he presented the first functional prototype of the so-called “Flight Memory Unit.”
Small, approximately the size of an adult’s hand, the device recorded four hours of audio from the cabin and also information from onboard instruments. The recording was made on a magnetized steel reel.
Initial Rejection and International Recognition
But the idea was not well received. Aviation authorities initially rejected the project, claiming it offered no immediate benefits. Some pilots even said the device was like a “Big Brother” spying on their actions.
Warren then took his invention to the United Kingdom, where he found a more positive reception. After a report on the BBC, the invention began to gain visibility and attract manufacturers.
Meanwhile, in the United States, investigations into the use of similar equipment were already underway.
In 1960, efforts began to make the use of the device mandatory. The change came in the mid-1960s: data and voice recorders became a requirement on commercial flights.
The Technological Evolution of Black Boxes
Over time, the devices also evolved. Old magnetic tapes were replaced by digital systems. The new models record much more data and are more likely to withstand severe impacts.
Despite the name, the black box is not black. They are, in fact, two distinct devices: one for recording flight data and another for recording cabin voice.
Both are usually installed in the rear of the aircraft, the tail. They do not need to be in the shape of a box.
Regulations from the Federal Aviation Administration allow different formats, such as spheres or cylinders, as long as the device has a minimum size to facilitate its location among the wreckage.
Curious Name, Vibrant Color, and Resilient Structure
Today, all black boxes are orange, specifically to make them easier to locate. The name “black” may have several origins.
One hypothesis is that it comes from the similar functioning of a camera, whose interior needs to be dark. Another version suggests that the term originated after a British employee, in 1958, used a slang term from World War II to refer to the device.
The material of black boxes is highly resilient. They are usually made of titanium and insulated to withstand shocks much greater than the force of gravity, temperatures above 1000 °C for up to 30 minutes, and extreme pressures at the bottom of the ocean.
All this is to ensure that, even in the event of a serious accident, it is possible to recover the data and understand what happened. The black box, by recording the final moments of a flight, provides the most valuable information to explain errors and prevent new aircraft tragedies.
With information from BBC.
Be the first to react!