Cockpit 'Voice' Recorder, And Not Cockpit 'Video' Recorder In Aircrafts. Any Scientific Reason?

@abhishek-fg9tRh • Oct 19, 2024

Oct 19, 2024

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Blackbox is undoubtedly the most important device in the Aircrafts. The cockpit voice recorder is used to recorder what crew/pilot converse within cockpit.

My question is : Why still cockpit 'voice' recorder is used, Why not cockpit 'video' recorder ? I mean video gives more details on the situation isn't it ? Then why it is not used & still voice recorder is used ?

Is there any specific reason behind using voice recorder & not video recorder ? 😕

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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jul 12, 2013

Interesting question! I think the Blackbox does much more than recording just the voices; it also records critical flight data as well. The aeronautical and electrical engineers may know why are the cameras not included in the kit?
Apurwa.Thakur

@apurwathakur-8cwdkc • Jul 12, 2013

These two are for different purpose.
Cockpit voice recorder installed with expectation of pilot privacy.
There may be other video device which give detail of situation.
Abhishek Rawal

@abhishek-fg9tRh • Jul 12, 2013

Kaustubh Katdare
I think the Blackbox does much more than recording just the voices; it also records critical flight data as well.
Yep, I read that. Blackbox is even tested in very critical situation like : 1000 degree C, water-resistancy test.Also, there's electronic mechanism that whenever plane crashes in sea, black-box ,the moment it touches the moisture/water, it starts to radiate the waves which can give exact location to the main HQ at what depth the aircraft is crashed.
But I wanna know, why not video recorder in cockpit ? (Well, a Aeronautical Engineer asked me this question)

Apurwa.Thakur
Cockpit voice recorder installed with expectation of pilot privacy.
Why we need pilot privacy ?

Apurwa.Thakur
There may be other video device which give detail of situation.
From what I have heard there's no other video device within cockpit.I can be wrong though.
Apurwa.Thakur

@apurwathakur-8cwdkc • Jul 12, 2013

Cockpit voice recorder designed to track conversation of flight crew.Any sound in cockpit voice recorder are picked up by microphone and send to CVR,where the recording are digitized and stored.
This record the information about flight which is know by only member assigned for this work.that what i am talking about privacy.

Blackbox contain two devide
1.Flight data recorder(FDR)
2.cockpit voice recorder

FDR use for measuring
time
pressure altitude
airspeed
vertical acceleration
magnetic heading
control column position
rubber peddle positiom
control wheel position
horizontal stablizer
fuel flow

I think you should mention for what purpose you are expecting cockpit video recorder.
Abhishek Rawal

@abhishek-fg9tRh • Jul 12, 2013

Apurwa.Thakur
I think you should mention for what purpose you are expecting cockpit video recorder.
- To know what's going on within cock-pit.
- To know what steps(or mistakes) pilots made resulting in crash.
- Terrorists in past have hijacked the plane & have killed many civilians, with video recorder we can know what is really happening in the cockpit.
There could be many more reasons.
Sarathkumar Chandrasekaran

@sarathkumar-FEGRPw • Jul 13, 2013

An crazy but a nice discussion out here.
Yes the blackbox may be considered as brain of airplane that really helps in recalling the last moments of aircrash.But what are the difficulties in implementing a video recorder in a cockpit?
Is there a inconvienience?
How about the success percentage of recovery of data from blackbox ?
Anoop Kumar

@anoop-kumar-GDGRCn • Jul 13, 2013

I don't think there is any reason not to have video recorder except there is no need of video.
Primary purpose of blackbox is to record every move including clutch, gear and switching of controls to find root cause of crash.

- To know what's going on within cock-pit.
- To know what steps(or mistakes) pilots made resulting in crash.
- Terrorists in past have hijacked the plane & have killed many civilians, with video recorder we can know what is really happening in the cockpit.
There could be many more reasons.
I suppose only frightened faces of pilot would be there for first two point. Recording movement is not required as switching of controls is already being recorded.

If it's terrorist attack they would definitely try to block the camera first if needed and its not a tough job.
The Observer

@the-observer-Vms2ZU • Jul 13, 2013

well.. the question you've asked is good. but one obvious reason would be to have enough space in the recording device. I guess they use highly chemical and heat resistant tapes and since the recording goes on for every flight the aircraft takes.. having a video recorder would not be feasible. Moreover for smaller cabins a video recorder might not be able to cover the footage of the entire cabin while a voice recorder doesn't have any such problems .I'm just blabbering. i know that 😁
Satya Swaroop Dash

@satya-swaroop-YDeBJM • Jul 13, 2013

The reason according to me, is the that storing recorded video shall take up a lot of storage and the tape based ones being used now would have to big to store video data. Plus, installing video cameras shall consume more power on the flight.
Jeffrey Arulraj

@jeffrey-xA7lUP • Jul 13, 2013

Well even with a black box some of the flight crash go unanswered Well how on earth will you know what is the source of the problem without actually recording everything That can create a glitch at any time

PS: 6000 Ft is not an easy place to handle pressure and stuff along and not easy to even talk about solution without knowing the problem
Abhishek Rawal

@abhishek-fg9tRh • Jul 13, 2013

Conqueror
PS: 6000 Ft is not an easy place to handle pressure and stuff along and not easy to even talk about solution without knowing the problem
Dude, I read on Discovery website that Blackbox is engineered in such a way that it can handle very high pressure, very high temperature about 1100 C & even huge amount of moisture can't affect that orange colored box.
I am reading more on it, There outta be scientific (or any logical) reason behind not using video recorder in cockpit.

We don't want "I think" comments please. I want proof with a link. Sorry if I sound harsh. But I want correct reason.

Tagging most experienced Engineer : #-Link-Snipped-#
Ramani Aswath

@ramani-VR4O43 • Jul 13, 2013

Though I did work long in aerospace lab my work was on materials. My opinions are no better than any other non aero engineer on flight monitoring.
The so called 'Black box' (actually orange for visibility) is used for recording all sounds in the cockpit for the duration of the longest flight. It usually stores the previous 18 to 20 hours info on a loop. There is no need of info of a normal flight after it is over.

Video info occupies much more memory and there is nothing much to record visually. All instrument data can be recorded easily. Though one could conceive of uploading info dynamically by wireless. I do not think that there is any technical problem. It may be legal. As of now CVR is the only legally accepted evidence for resolving issues. There has to be an international agreement on change of technology.

But there may be a case for developing an adjunct system using modern internet and digital technologies, which can work in parallel with the 'black box'. Once the validity is established, it may supersede the other.
However, being a completely self contained system CVR is virtually fail proof, which may not be true of other systems where an external connectivity is needed.
With modern solid state very high density memories (Multilayer glass permanent memories that can outlast the human race on earth, any amount of data video or otherwise can be stored.

I do not know why one cannot just change the memory module after each flight. That the CVR has to stand fire and submergence in sea water to 20000 feet depth does place constraints on internal volume and accessibility. Now it is completely sealed.