Why do black boxes have to stay in water?

Why are black boxes put in water if the plane crashes into the sea? They are placed in water to both delay the onset of corrosion or dilute any salts or chemicals they have come in contact with while they are submerged in water. Sudden exposure to air can cause rapid corrosion and can damage the already damaged parts.



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Question: Why, after a plane has crashed into the water, do investigators put the black box back in water? – Will Cowger, Houston. Answer: If a flight data recorder is recovered from the water, it is submerged in fresh, clean water to prevent deposits such as salt or minerals from drying out within the device.

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Flight recorders are designed to survive both high-speed impact and post-impact fire. They are, however, not invulnerable and are sometimes destroyed. The recorder is designed to ensure that data, rather than the recorder itself, survives an accident.

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An aircraft actually has two black boxes. One is a flight data recorder, which stores information on specific parameters such as flight control and engine performance. The second is a cockpit voice recorder, which records background sound and conversations between crew members and air traffic control.

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