Unveiling the Truth: Decoding the Secrets of Black Boxes on Airline Incidents

At the back of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, there is a cord that sends real-time updates of all flight details. This data includes over a thousand different parameters and is quickly stored in the flight data recorder (FDR). The FDR is one of the black boxes that contains essential information for aviation safety investigators. It is crucial for understanding incidents like the recent mid-air drop on LATAM Airlines flight 800, which resulted in injuries to 50 passengers.

The FDR and cockpit voice recorder from the LATAM flight are crucial pieces of evidence that can help verify or dispute the pilot's initial explanation. According to a passenger who spoke to CNN, the pilot claimed that the cockpit displays momentarily went blank and the plane became uncontrollable.

These recordings could also reveal whether the yoke was pushed forward, causing the plane to descend rapidly. The Wall Street Journal mentioned that investigators are looking into this possibility, which may have been triggered by a flight attendant accidentally activating a switch while serving food to the pilots.

Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board and now a CNN aviation analyst, expressed confidence that the information from the recorder will shed light on what occurred. He stated, "There's absolutely no way this will be a mystery. The recorder will indicate if something was starting and what happened."

In past airplane investigations, the contents of the orange steel box with reflective tape, typically mounted in the rear of the plane to reduce crash damage risk, have been crucial.

In 2015, investigators determined that the pilot of the Germanwings flight 9525 intentionally crashed the plane into a mountain, ruling out any mechanical issues. The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) stored 600 parameters on a modern memory card, which was successfully extracted despite being exposed to extreme temperatures during the crash.

Sophisticated laboratories such as those operated by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as well as their counterparts in France, Australia, and the United Kingdom, have the ability to reconstruct damaged memory cards. They can then align the data with audio recordings from the cockpit voice recorder. The bright orange color of the recorder container, along with locator beacons, aid search teams in finding the recorders. If the devices are found underwater, they are carefully transported to the lab in water and dried before analysis.

The 787 Dreamliner, a newer aircraft developed by Boeing, utilizes the Common Data Network system to feed information into the flight data recorder. Some liken this system to the central nervous system of the human body. This aircraft made its first flight in 2009 and incorporates advanced data transfer technologies.

In the United States, regulations require approximately 90 parameters to be recorded in the black box. These parameters include engine thrust, temperature, flap settings, and the aircraft's direction. International Civil Aviation Organization standards dictate how frequently and how detailed the data must be. For example, altitude is recorded four times per second with an accuracy of half a degree.

Kathleen Bangs, a former pilot and spokeswoman for FlightAware, described the vast amount of data available for aviation tracking as being like notes on a musical score. She explained that when all this data is combined and analyzed, a comprehensive picture emerges.

In addition to black boxes, modern planes are equipped with various components, like engines, that contain computer chips capturing detailed data. These additional tools will provide investigators with valuable information during their analysis.

Another useful tool is Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), which is a system on airplanes that sends out live information such as the plane's location. This data was utilized by the Federal Aviation Administration to monitor all Boeing 737 Max flights once they were allowed to fly again at the end of 2020.

Data is transmitted to airlines through the Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). This system sends messages, both automated and manually entered, between airlines and airplanes using radio waves and satellite links.

In addition to the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), some aircraft are equipped with a Quick Access Recorder (QAR). While not as robust as the FDR, the QAR collects the same data. It can be easily connected to a laptop, enabling airline staff to download and analyze performance data from the aircraft.

But things were not always like this.

When United Airlines flight 585 crashed in March 1991, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) only stored five data points: direction, speed, altitude, G-force, and whether the radio microphone was keyed to transmit. However, by the time US Air flight 427 crashed near Pittsburgh three years later, the FDR was able to record 11 parameters.

The NTSB, in a 1999 report discussing two airplane crashes, mentioned that if the airplanes had additional parameters in their Flight Data Recorders (FDRs), it would have helped in quickly identifying critical control surface movements and other airplane system conditions related to the loss of airplane control. This information could have helped investigators rule out certain factors faster and focus on other areas.

As a result of the NTSB recommendation, regulators decided to increase the requirements for FDRs, which was implemented in the early 2000s.

In the future, aircraft cockpits might have video cameras installed. The NTSB believes that these cameras could assist investigators in better understanding what happened leading up to an incident. However, some unions are against the idea, arguing that there are alternative methods to gather necessary data that are more effective and less intrusive. As a result, US lawmakers decided not to include cockpit video cameras in the recent FAA legislation.

Editor's P/S:

The advancements in flight data recording technology have revolutionized the investigation of aviation incidents. The wealth of data collected by the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and other systems provides invaluable insights into the events leading up to an incident, enabling investigators to determine the cause more accurately and quickly. The continuous expansion of data parameters and the use of sophisticated analysis techniques ensure that future investigations will benefit from even more comprehensive information, leading to improved safety standards and reduced risks in air travel.

The ongoing debate regarding the installation of cockpit video cameras highlights the balancing act between the need for comprehensive data for investigations and concerns about privacy and potential misuse. While such cameras could potentially provide valuable footage, the ethical and legal implications must be carefully considered. The decision to exclude them from recent FAA legislation demonstrates the need for a thorough assessment of the benefits and drawbacks before implementing new technologies in aviation.