The black box
Example: Black box records flight data for accident investigation
Definition
"The black box" refers to a flight recorder device installed in aircraft that records critical flight data and cockpit voice communications. It is essential for investigating accidents and understanding the sequence of events leading to incidents in air travel.
Etymology
The term "the black box" originated from early flight recorders that were actually painted bright orange to aid in visibility after crashes. Despite this, the name stuck because 'black box' was already used in engineering and technology to describe a device whose internal workings are not visible or understood.
Learn to use this word actively
"The black box" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - Air travel & Aviation - (A1-C2) - set 1", containing 110 commonly used words.
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