What is the usual colour of the aircraft data recorder commonly known as the black box?

Introduction / Context:
This question explores a common misconception in aviation related general knowledge. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of an aircraft are together popularly known as the black box. Despite this name, their actual colour is chosen for high visibility during search and rescue operations. Many examinations test whether candidates know the true colour of these critical safety devices, which is different from what the nickname suggests.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The device in question is the aircraft data recorder, commonly called the black box.
• Options list several colours including black, orange, blue and green.
• The candidate is expected to understand that the nickname does not refer to the physical colour.
• The focus is on the usual colour used in modern aircraft so that the device can be easily located after an accident.

Concept / Approach:
Although the device is called a black box, in practice it is painted in a bright, high visibility colour. This helps search teams identify it in debris fields or underwater. The standard colour used is a vivid shade of orange, sometimes called safety orange. This contrasts strongly with aircraft parts and natural surroundings. The approach is therefore to recognise that the term black box is historical or colloquial and to recall that the actual colour is orange.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the question carefully and note that it asks for the usual colour, not the nickname.Step 2: Recall that flight data recorders are intentionally painted bright colours to aid recovery.Step 3: From standard general knowledge references, identify orange as the typical colour used for black boxes.Step 4: Compare the options black, orange, blue and green and eliminate those that do not match the high visibility purpose.Step 5: Choose orange as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider photographs or video footage from accident investigations where recovered flight recorders are shown. These devices clearly appear in a bright orange colour with prominent labels. Aviation safety documents and textbooks also describe them as high visibility orange units. This visual and textual confirmation reinforces that orange rather than black is the usual colour of the aircraft data recorder.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Black is incorrect because it refers only to the popular nickname black box and not to the actual painted colour. Blue and green are not standard colours for flight recorders and would not provide the same visibility in debris or underwater environments. They are included as distractors to test whether candidates understand the practical design logic behind the device rather than just relying on its nickname.

Common Pitfalls:
The main pitfall is answering black reflexively because of the term black box without reading the question carefully. Some learners who remember that the box is not black may still guess one of the other colours if they are unsure. The best way to avoid these mistakes is to connect the device with its purpose in accident investigation and to remember that high visibility safety orange is used so that search teams can find it more easily.

Final Answer:
The aircraft data recorder known as the black box is usually painted in a bright orange colour.