How to Recover Black Box Recordings (FDR/CVR) from a Flight/Plane
Air travel is one of the safest and fastest forms of transport, but recent disasters such as the China Eastern MU5735 and AirAsia QZ8501 crashes, as well as the tragic Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 incident, serve as a grim reminder that there will always be a need for black box data recovery to help investigators understand the causes of these tragic events and prevent similar disasters in the future.
What Is a Black Box from a Flight/Plane
A black box, also known as a flight recorder, is a small device, the size of a shoebox, that fits inside an aircraft to record in-flight information. This data can be used in the event of an incident or accident. Australia was the first country to make black boxes mandatory in its airplanes.
The flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) are two types of flight recording devices used in aircraft. The FDR records a wide range of flight data, including speed, altitude, and engine performance, while the CVR captures the conversations between pilots and other sounds in the cockpit.
- FDR preserves the recent history of the flight through the recording of dozens of parameters collected several times per second.
- The CVR preserves the recent history of sounds in the cockpit, including the pilots' conversation.
The FDR and CVR can be combined into a single unit, providing a comprehensive record of an aircraft's flight history. This objective documentation can aid in investigations, allowing investigators to understand the plane's activity before a crash. In the event of power loss, the black box disconnects and an internal power supply initiates a "pinger" that emits a periodic signal, making it detectable by investigators searching for lost aircraft.
Part 1. How to Recover Black Box Recordings
If the black box is damaged after a crash, you can recover the recordings using professional data recovery software. If the black box can be recognized with a computer, you can use a data recovery tool like Qiling data recovery software, which can restore CCTV recordings, black box recordings, lost videos, screen recordings, and more. This software has many highlights.
Deep Data Recovery
- You can use a data recovery software to retrieve data from an SD card, memory card, HDD, SSD, USB, external hard drive, etc. Some popular options include EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, and Disk Drill.
- Data recovery is the process of retrieving lost or deleted data from a system, whether due to a crash, accidental deletion, or mistaken format.
- You can restore almost all types of files, including pictures, videos, music, documents, and more.
Download and install this video recovery software and follow the steps below to get back black box recordings.
Step 1. Run Deep Data Recovery. Select file types and click "Next" to start.
Step 2. To recover deleted videos, select the location or device where you lost them, then click "Scan" to find the missing videos.
Step 3. After the scan, choose "Videos" in the left panel, go to "Lost" or "All" to find the wanted videos, select the found videos and click "Preview" to proceed.
Step 4. Select the video files you want to recover, then click "Recover" to save them to a secure location.
Part 2. How to Repair Corrupted Black Box Recordings
If the recovered recordings are corrupted or you can't open the videos, you may need to repair them on your own. Fortunately, you can easily do so by uploading the files to a free online tool, such as Qiling RepairVideo, which can fix corrupted or unplayable videos. Just follow the steps to get started.
Step 1. Open Qiling RepairVideo and Upload Problematic Video
To repair a video using Qiling RepairVideo, go to the repair.idiskhome.com page and click "Update Video" or simply drag and drop the corrupted, broken, or non-playing video into the upload area.
Step 2. Enter a Valid Email Address and Start Repairing Video
To fix the video, enter a valid email address and click on the "Start Repairing" button to initiate the repair process. This will allow the system to upload and process the video for repair.
Step 3. Wait for the Automatic Uploading and Repairing Process to Finish
Qiling RepairVideo automatically uploads and repairs broken videos, allowing you to leave the page open and multitask while the repair process completes.
Step 4. Enter Extraction Code and Download Repaired Video
Once the repair process is finished, you can view the video in the right-hand pane. Additionally, you will receive an email with a video extraction code.
To repair and download a video, go to the Qiling RepairVideo page, click "Download Video", enter the extraction code, and then click "OK" to initiate the download of the repaired video.
Part 3. Damaged Black Box, Contact Our Experts
If the black box is damaged, you may need to seek help from data recovery experts. A manual data recovery service can be helpful in this situation.
Consult with Qiling Data Recovery Experts for a one-on-one manual recovery service, which includes the following services after a FREE diagnosis:
- Repair corrupted RAID structure, unbootable Windows OS and corrupted virtual disk file (.vmdk, .vhd, .vhdx, etc.).
- Recover/repair lost partition and re-partitioned drive.
- Unformat hard drive and repair raw drive(Bitlocker encrypted drive)
- Fix disks that become GPT protected partitions
Conclusion
Findings from data recovery should be kept secure and used as evidence in cases or investigations, requiring the help of data recovery experts from a specialized company, such as Qiling, to ensure accuracy and prevent doubt.
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