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

Investigators have now recovered flight recorder data and are working hard to find out.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2025

The N.T.S.B. received data downloaded from the digital flight recorder that will help “investigators in determining the length and severity of the event,” the safety board said in the statement.

From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2024

The plane is not required to have a flight recorder but it is possible that there are other avionics equipment that will have data that they can examine, Gerhardt said.

From Washington Times • Jun. 5, 2023

Sitting next to Caviedes was his first officer, Mauricio Klotz, and in the flight recorder, there are long stretches of nothing but rustling and engine noise.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell