flight recorder

American  

noun

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

---

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

---

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

In the 2018 crash of a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max in Indonesia, the flight recorder showed pilots struggled to keep its nose up, fighting an automated system that pushed it down.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 26, 2022

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