RE: Black Box

Hi Kabir,

If I understand your question, the reason “Black Boxes”, which are almost all either bright orange or bright red, are often sent to the USA, UK or France is that the aeronautical research centres in those countries are centres of excellence and the major manufacturers of flight data recorders are either based, or maintain major units, in those countries.

As most FDRs are damaged to some extent on recovery it is essential that they are opened and decoded in controlled conditions that the manufacturers can guarantee.

As to fire survivability, the cases are hardened material, manufactured to withstand intense heat for short periods. In addition, the position of the FDR in the tail is often, though not always, well away from the centre of the most intense fires.