The black boxes of the flight recorders are bright orange to make them easier to find at the scene of the accident. (Image credit: marko_n via Getty Images)
In the mid-1950s, while investigating a series of mysterious incidents involving the de Havilland Comet, the world’s first commercial jet aircraft, David Warren came up with a solution that would have a profound impact on all future accident investigations: the flight recorder. The basic idea was to be able to record flight parameters such as speed and altitude, as well as the pilot’s actions in the moments before the crash.
Warren, then a 28-year-old researcher at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia, was convinced that every aircraft should have this device. Although his idea was not immediately accepted, the innovation eventually became a major milestone in the safety of modern aircraft.
Since then, black boxes have played a key role in numerous aviation accident investigations, including those involving commercial jets and helicopters. But what information do they record?
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