The clock is ticking on the battery life of the flight data recorder or black box aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

The battery life on the black boxes aren’t guaranteed after 30 days. Finding the plane’s black boxes is absolutely critical. But what happens once the boxes are found-and what answers will actually be answered once they’re recovered .

 There were two black boxes on board Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. One-recording conversations and other sounds in the cockpit. The other-recording data about everything else on the plane.

The flight data recorder would also reveal if there was a mechanical problem on board.

Going Inside the Flight Data Recorder

The clock is ticking on the battery life of the flight data recorder or black box aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The battery life on the black boxes isn’t guaranteed after 30 days. Finding the plane's black boxes is absolutely critical. But what happens once the boxes are found-and what answers will actually be answered once they're recovered.

There are several ways to try to find the black boxes. The one that investigators have placed most hope in is this-a so-called “underwater towed pinger locator.” It’s dragged underneath a ship, listening for pings.

In the last 18 years, it has been used four times in major commercial air crashes. It found the black box after the Birgen Air plane crashed in the Caribbean in 1996 the Egypt Air crash in the Atlantic in 1999 and the 2007 crash of an Adam Air jet off Indonesia.

But in 2009 it passed right over the black box from Air France Flight 447. Its pinger had apparently broken off from the box. But there have been other factors, complicating the search.

The investigation into the disappearance of flight 370 has taken so many different turns.  Is this latest discovery of a ‘pulse signal’ the most credible lead so far or just another false alarm? President of SOAR, captain Tom Bunn shares his perspective.

Are Signals Consistent with Aircraft Flight Recorder?

The investigation into the disappearance of flight 370 has taken so many different turns. Is this latest discovery of a 'pulse signal' the most credible lead so far or just another false alarm? President of SOAR, captain Tom Bunn shares his perspective.