flight recorder

American  

noun

1. an electronic device aboard an aircraft that automatically records some aspects of the aircraft's performance in flight.

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flight recorder British  

noun

1. Also called: black box.  an electronic device fitted to an aircraft for storing information concerning its performance in flight. It is often used to determine the cause of a crash

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Etymology

Origin of flight recorder

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

As part of the investigation into the incident, the agency confirmed that it’s gathering radar, weather and flight recorder data.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2025

Although data from the flight recorder shows the engines were subsequently restarted, it was too late to prevent the crash.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025

Investigators took the flight recorder into custody along with fuel samples and needed documentation, according to RIA Novosti.

From Washington Times • Oct. 18, 2022

The other flight recorder, presumably the one whose recovery was announced on Sunday, is used to store information about the plane’s motion, speed, altitude and mechanical performance.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2022

For months I studied and plotted the data from the plane’s flight recorder, noting the plane’s altitude, speed, acceleration, and so on, measured during the flight.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson