What is an Aircraft Black Box and Why is it so Important?
The Cockpit Voice Recorder records not just voices but all the sounds made within the cockpit. By listening to conversations between people on the flight deck and conversations between the flight crew and cabin crew, ground crew, airport tower, and Air Traffic Control, investigators can determine what the cockpit crew was doing and thinking up to the time of the crash. Because all cockpit sounds, not just conversations, are recorded investigators can find other clues to what happened before a crash. Things like a change in engine sound, a change in overall noise, audible equipment warnings, and odd or unexpected noises can all provide vital clues that may identify why a plane went down. Because of the personal nature of the information recorded by the CVR an order of Congress prevents the release of any CVR recording to anyone but investigators. A team made up of representatives of the NTSB, the FAA, the operator of the aircraft, the manufacturer of the airplane, the manufacturer of th
