flight data recorder
noun
: a device on an aircraft that records information (such as airspeed and altitude) about a flight
Examples of flight data recorder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Investigators have recovered the cockpit flight recorder and the flight data recorder, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said, in hopes of finding out more about Tuesday's tragic accident just outside of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
—
Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
The plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder will be a key part of the investigation.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Roughly half an hour before the news conference, investigators discovered the plane's flight data recorder, commonly known as a black box.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Nov. 2025
They also, if possible, recover recording devices from the aircraft, such as a flight data recorder.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Dell said an aircraft’s flight data recorder should help explain how the fuel switches were flipped in each case.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
Black boxes that contain the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder were recovered in mid-June.
—Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 3 July 2025
The airplane was not equipped with a flight data recorder.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025
Professor Paul Fromme at the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement that the flight data recorder has the information on engine and control settings, apart from the voice record of any cockpit conversations.
—Shonal Ganguly, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
The plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder will be a key part of the investigation.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Roughly half an hour before the news conference, investigators discovered the plane's flight data recorder, commonly known as a black box.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Nov. 2025
They also, if possible, recover recording devices from the aircraft, such as a flight data recorder.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Dell said an aircraft’s flight data recorder should help explain how the fuel switches were flipped in each case.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
Black boxes that contain the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder were recovered in mid-June.
—Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 3 July 2025
The airplane was not equipped with a flight data recorder.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025
Professor Paul Fromme at the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement that the flight data recorder has the information on engine and control settings, apart from the voice record of any cockpit conversations.
—Shonal Ganguly, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flight data recorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flight%20data%20recorder. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share