Whenever a major plane accident occurs, only burnt metal and broken parts are seen in its remains. But among all this, one thing is often found safe and that is the black box. The question arises that when the entire plane is shattered, then what happens to this small...
Whenever a major plane accident occurs, only burnt metal and broken parts are seen in its remains. But among all this, one thing is often found safe and that is the black box. The question arises that when the entire plane is shattered, how does this small device remain safe? In this report, we will tell you what a black box is, why it is so important and how it is made so strong that it can remain safe even in terrible accidents.
What is a black box? Not just one device, the black box is a combination of two systems.
Actually, the black box is not one but a set of two special recording devices:
Cockpit Voice Recorder: It records the conversation of pilots in the cockpit, the sound of alarms, radio communication and other sounds.
Flight Data Recorder: It records the height, speed, engine status, direction and hundreds of technical parameters of the plane.
Both of these together are called "Black Box" in common language. However, its color is not black but orange so that it can be easily found after an accident.
Where is it located and why?
The black box is installed in the tail section of the plane, because during accidents the rear part of the plane is comparatively less damaged. This is the reason why the black box is installed there.
Why does the black box not get damaged in such a devastation?
The answer to this question is hidden in its design and construction. The black box is prepared in such a way that it can withstand almost any situation:
➤ Super strong material: Its outer shell is made of titanium or stainless steel, which is very strong and heat resistant.
➤ Durable in fire: It can remain safe for about 1 hour even in fire up to 1100 degrees Celsius.
➤ No effect of water and depth: If the plane falls into the sea, the black box is able to withstand water pressure up to a depth of 20,000 feet.
➤ Internal security layers: It has thermal insulation, shock absorber and data protection layer, which protects the data from every possible damage.
How is the black box found?
After the accident, the search for the black box begins in the debris. It has a special underwater locator beacon (ULB), which if it falls into the water, sends an ultrasonic signal at 37.5 kHz. This signal continues for 30 days, which helps the search operation to find it.
Why is the black box so important?
The most important question after any plane crash is: What exactly happened? The answer to this is found only from the data of the black box:
➤ What did the pilot say at the last moment?
➤ Was there any technical fault in the plane?
➤ Was any alarm or warning activated?
➤ At what height and at what speed did the accident happen?
Data becomes a lesson for future flights
Based on the data received from the black box, airlines and aviation agencies decide that such accidents are not repeated in the future. Technical flaws are rectified, pilot training is improved and safety rules are made more stringent.
Black box goes from saving lives to knowing.
Even though plane accidents are painful, but the black box is the strongest means to reach the bottom of those accidents. It not only helps in understanding the events of the past but also plays an important role in making the future safe.
PC:Punjab Kesari
