Which is an example of evidence you should report, such as the Flight Data Recorder?

• A. Passenger manifest.
• B. Cockpit voice recorder.
• C. Flight Data Recorder.
• D. Maintenance schedule.

Answer: (C)

In incident investigations, data that shows how the aircraft actually behaved is the most valuable evidence to report. The Flight Data Recorder provides a precise, time-stamped record of a wide range of flight parameters—such as speed, altitude, control inputs, engine settings, and other system statuses—throughout the flight. This objective information lets investigators reconstruct the flight’s timeline, verify how the aircraft responded to pilot actions, and pinpoint where performance or systems diverged from normal. Because of its detailed, reproducible nature, it stands out as the primary example of reportable evidence.

The passenger manifest is useful for identifying who was onboard but doesn’t illuminate flight dynamics. The cockpit voice recorder records cockpit conversations and sounds, which are valuable but supplementary to the objective flight data for understanding the sequence of events. The maintenance schedule is administrative information and does not describe the actual behavior of the aircraft during the flight.