How do flight data recorders survive crashes?

The boxes themselves are made of stainless steel or titanium and made to withstand high impact velocity or a crash impact of 3,400 Gs and temperatures up to 2000 degrees F (1,100 degrees C) for at least 30 minutes. The recorders inside are wrapped in a thin layer of aluminum and a layer of high-temperature insulation.



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For this reason, they are typically specified to withstand an impact of 3400 g and temperatures of over 1,000 °C (1,830 °F), as required by EUROCAE ED-112. They have been a mandatory requirement in commercial aircraft in the United States since 1967.

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Each recorder is equipped with an Underwater Locator Beacon (ULB) to assist in locating in the event of an overwater accident. The device called a pinger, is activated when the recorder is immersed in water.

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In many crashes the aircraft structure collapses and the individual is injured by impact with the airframe. These injuries can include amputations, major lacerations and crushing. When the structure collapses, the victims may become trapped within the wreckage and die of fire, drowning or traumatic asphyxia.

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Most business aircraft are not equipped with a flight data recorder unless required by regulation. This is only the case for aircraft with 10 or more seats. But at NetJets, the majority of our aircraft are equipped with flight data recorders.

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