how Cockpit voice recorder helped in general aviation accidenet

Running Head: COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER 2

Cockpit Voice Recorder

Walid Saeed M Alghamdi

Florida Institute of Technology

Abstract

The cockpit voice recorder has helped manage accidents because they do record all the information in the cockpit. The cockpit might produce sounds that are significant, and it is easier to track the origin and its potential impact upon listening to the recordings. In addition, it is easier to monitor the conversations of the pilots in the cockpit which is vital in tracking their reactions and conversations just before an accident on potential causes. The fact that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) is made from basically indestructible materials helps maintain the credibility of information despite an accident which is beneficial for managing future accidents in aviation.

Introduction

The research focuses on trying to establish the impacts of the cockpit voice recorder in the quest to try and find solutions towards aviation accidents. Some aviation accidents are fatal and does not have a clear reason, so the answer can be in CVR. The research is investigating the better ways that will see the proper measures of how to utilize the CVR and how to make them better especially because they already exist. Cockpit voice recorder as a way of helping make sure that there is evidence left behind after an accident. Europe also emulated the same and it is established that the cockpit voice recorder is essential for the airplanes because it helps store information in the cockpit and thus it is easier to understand the potential causes of the accidents and how to work on avoiding them in the future. It is evident that the CVR are less effective in some cases such as when the planes crash in water end up with no trace. Also, water might have blocked the trace or even having extensive battery life to protect the CVR and keep sending signals for a longer duration. The CVR has helped in finding the reason behind an aviation accident since it is easier to trace planes activities, keep up with the pilot’s behaviors in the cockpit and find conclusive information on eventual causes to help avoid future accidents.

Background

The CVR is a major positive innovation in the airplanes, and they do contain materials that protect the machine up to even 1000˚C and 3400 g which makes it almost indestructible. It is important to make sure that there is a correct path towards solving the crisis that is discouraging numerous people from taking flights especially over long distances. The research seeks to establish how having the recording of the activities in the cockpit is essential for the general safety of the aircraft which makes it a major concern. It is important to explain the reasons for it to be in the cockpit and whether the reliance of information in real time will help make a difference or only information upon an accident is a major impact on the future of safety in planes.

SWOT analysis

Strengths

The CVR is a prone for aviation which helps in conservation of information. It is important to make sure that the CVR is supposed to store information that can then be retrieved and analyzed to help investigators to know what happens in the cockpit. The CVR can withstand up to 1,000˚C and a high gravitational force of over 3400 g which is high, and this is a major advantage because it can save information despite the temperature that exposed to (Siegel, 2014).

Weaknesses

The fact that the CVR does not relay live information to the control towers is a major problem because it stores information that can only be retrieved after an accident. The machine fails to save lives especially when a problem was minor, and the control tower could have managed to direct the pilots or control remotely (Alpert, 2018). The concept is a weakness because the machines efficiency should transform to become timely instead of an aftermath solution. It is also evident that the CVR does not have a long-term battery and its signal depends on the battery life. The recorder might shutdown especially when a plane crushes in a remote area or in the ocean where respondents will take time to get to the scene and thus fail to achieve its set out goal to provide information or even trace the actual scene of accident.

Opportunities

The main opportunity is to try and make sure that the CVR technology also fits and changes with the changing technology in the world. It is important to understand that it has been efficient, but it is time that they do change its practicality since there are still numerous crashes happening each year. The analysis of the information should happen in real time and feedback send back in time to help avoid escalation of some major problems. According to Siegel (2014), it is a major opportunity for technology companies to come up with better appliance and technology to replace the CVR to shift from the traditional functions to a more digital application that fits the current needs of a plane which reduces the number of accidents and plane crashes.

Threats

The main threats for the CVR are the fact that they are becoming obsolete since their purpose and functionality in the airplanes is becoming less applicable and efficient each day. The machines have been doing the same over half a century, but the results are still having a minimal impact on aircraft safety. The conveyance of information in real time through changing technology is a major threat to the CVR because the plane despite their distance from their tower controls, they can easily remain in contact and monitor their planes integrity to make sure that safety is paramount. The fact that there is a problem in battery life is a major threat for the technology since they are proving to have issues in their efficiencies.

The changing technology is influencing the relevance and functionality of the CVR inside the plane which is a major problem. The technology is changing at an alarming rate and thus the CVR lacking concept such as relaying information live to the office in the control towers is a major problem (Oster, Strong & Zorn, 2016). There are new technologies such as even video recordings and machines with better battery life that are replacing the CVR because they are more efficient.

Conclusions

The CVR technology is applicable and efficient in helping to improve on aviation safety and changing how the entire aviation did view the efficiency. The CVR stores information helps in coming up with conclusions of what happened in the last minutes of an accident and the conversations that pilots had in the cockpit. The CVR helps in understanding of the potential causes, reactions of the pilots before and during an aviation accident and thus help in improving avoiding accident and making sure that there are no repeat of similar mistakes in future.

Recommendations

Technology can come up with CVR systems that can transfer information to the nearest station of the conversations in case it is lost. In addition, introduction of batteries with longer life will help improve their performance which is vital to help maintain a signal in case it takes time before response teams get to the scene of accident.

References

Alpert, M. (2018). A Better Black Box. Scientific American, 283(3), 96-97.

Oster, C., Strong, J., & Zorn, C. (2016). Improving Air Safety: Long-Term Challenges. Issues in Science and Technology, 17(2), 77-83. 

Siegel, G. (2014). Black Boxes. In Forensic Media: Reconstructing Accidents in Accelerated Modernity (pp. 89-142). Durham; London: Duke University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctv123x6w1.7