A common Misunderstanding of systems in airplanes - Essay Example

A Common Misunderstanding of Systems in Airplanes One of the most common misunderstandings in airplane systems concerns the cockpit flight recorders. On this, most people hold a belief that the flight data recorders are indestructible. This misunderstanding has emerged because even in some of the most devastating aviation accidents, the data recorders have been recovered with the data intact. However, the idea that the ‘black boxes’ are indestructible is false. This is because there are instances, although few, that the black boxes have been destroyed following an accident leading to loss of crucial information that investigators use in determining the cause of an accident.

Nevertheless, the flight data recorders have been designed to withstand substantial hardships, high temperatures, and even violence such as one that occurs on impact of a plane crash. At most times, the boxes can withstand this and still be useful with regard to providing essential data to investigators. In spite of this, people should understand that at extreme temperatures that may be caused by aviation fuel fires, the boxes could be destroyed. In most instances, this damage is viewed from the point of recoverable data.

The fires may destroy the data inside the data recorders making it unreadable. At such an instance, the black box was destroyed. Such a misunderstanding can be avoided in the future by educating people. If the people have prior information concerning the characteristics and behavior of a black box at certain circumstances, they would stop expecting too much out of the black box. There are usually two black boxes on commercial airplanes and their color is orange.