How Does The Black Box Survive Airplane Crashes

After the search for survivors and recovery of victims in tragic aviation accidents — like that of a UPS cargo plane shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky last month — comes the search for flight data and a cockpit voice recorder often called the "black box."
Every commercial plane has them. Aerospace giants GE Aerospace and Honeywell are among a few companies that design them to be nearly indestructible so they can help investigators understand the cause of a crash.

A crash can cost airlines or plane manufacturers hundreds of millions of dollars and leave victims' families with a lifetime of grief. And this crucial data can also help prevent future accidents. But in some circumstances black boxes were destroyed or never found.

Experts say further developments such as cockpit video recorders and real-time data streaming are needed. CNBC explores the evolution of black box recorders.

Chapters:
0:00 - 1:49 Introduction
1:50 - 5:36 From aluminum foil to chips
5:37 - 9:50 How black boxes work
9:51 - 13:40 The future of flight data recorders

Produced and Edited by: Erin Black
Animations by: Emily Park, Jason Reginato
Senior Director of Video: Jeniece Pettitt
Additional Reporting: Leslie Josephs

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How Black Boxes Became Key To Solving Airplane Crashes

Post from CNBC on November 30, 2025

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