Ahmedabad Plane Crash

A tragic aviation disaster occurred on June 12 when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with registration VT-ANB, crashed shortly after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad. 

Black Box: Flight Recorder

• Origin and Development:
  • The concept of the flight recorder, known as the black box, dates back to the early 1950s.
  • Dr. David Ronald de Mey Warren, an Australian jet-fuel expert, played a pivotal role in its development. He proposed the idea of a miniature recorder to capture flight data after witnessing mid-air explosions in the early commercial jets.
  • Resistance was initially encountered, particularly from pilots concerned about privacy; however, by 1956, a prototype was created.
• Mandatory Implementation:
  • Following aviation disasters, Australia mandated flight recorders as a legal requirement in 1963.
  • Early black boxes recorded data on metal strips, progressing to magnetic drives and solid-state memory chips.
• Types of Black Boxes:
  • Aircraft typically have two black boxes: 1. Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): Captures radio transmissions, cockpit conversations, and engine noises. 2. Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Records over 80 types of data, including altitude and airspeed.
• Durability and Discovery:
  • Black boxes are constructed from robust materials like steel or titanium to withstand extreme conditions.
  • They are strategically placed at the aircraft's tail, the area often least affected by crashes.
  • To enhance discoverability, black boxes possess beacons emitting ultrasound signals, aiding underwater detection for up to 30 days.