Which of the following statements with regard to Black Boxes used in modern aircrafts is/are correct?
- 1.They carry a beacon emitting red light pulses to facilitate underwater detection.
- 2.They record both the cockpit voice and flight data.
- 3.Their memory units are made using either stainless steel or titanium.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
A black box holds the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, and it is built from tough materials such as steel and titanium. Its locating aid at sea is an underwater beacon that sends an acoustic signal at 37.5 kHz, not red light.
- ✗ 1. The underwater locator beacon on flight recorders is a 'pinger' that sends an acoustic (sound) signal at 37.5 kHz once it is immersed in water. It is not a red-light beacon.
- ✓ 2. A flight recorder combines a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder. The Air India AI171 investigation describes recorders that store digital flight data and cockpit voice on the same device.
- ✓ 3. DD News (Prasar Bharati), reporting on the Air India AI171 recorders, says the device is constructed from highly durable materials like steel and titanium, so the memory units are made of stainless steel or titanium.
Remember · Black box: records flight data and cockpit voice; built from durable steel or titanium; its underwater locator beacon sends a 37.5 kHz acoustic signal, not light.
Sources
- AAIB India: Preliminary Report, Air India AI171 (VT-ANB), Flight Recorders ↗ “The two EAFRs are similar in construction and record a combined data stream of digital flight data and cockpit voice information, with both stored on the same device.”
- U.S. National Transportation Safety Board: Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) ↗ “It transmits an acoustical signal on 37.5 KHz that can be detected with a special receiver.”
- DD News (Prasar Bharati): Ahmedabad plane crash, black box recovered from Air India AI 171 wreckage ↗ “Constructed from highly durable materials like steel and titanium, the device houses two main components: the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·