About us
About us
Every accident has a story. Every story has a lesson.
Black Box History is a global archive of aircraft accidents and incidents. We explain what happened, why it happened, and what changed afterwards, so the lessons paid for so dearly are never lost.
Why we exist
Flying is one of the safest ways to travel. That safety was not given; it was learned, often from the worst days in aviation. Each investigation adds a rule, a procedure, a design change or a piece of training that protects every flight that follows.
News coverage moves on within days. Official reports can run to hundreds of pages. We sit between the two: clear, accurate accounts that anyone can read, built on the findings of the investigators themselves.
How we write
The report comes first
Every article is built on the official investigation report. Every finding is attributed, and where something is not known, we say so rather than guess.
People, not spectacle
We never sensationalise. We do not describe injuries or final moments, quote recordings for effect, or name private passengers.
Explain, don't blame
Accidents rarely have a single cause. We trace the chain of events and end every article with what the industry changed as a result.
Our sources
We rely on the national bodies that investigate accidents under the international standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), including:
Every article ends with a list of its sources, starting with the official report, so you can read the original for yourself.
A note to families and survivors
We know some readers come here because an event on this site changed their lives. If anything we have written is inaccurate, hurtful, or names someone who should not be named, please tell us. We will review it promptly and with care.
How we use AI
Some articles are drafted with the help of AI writing tools working from the official reports. A human editor checks every fact, date and figure against those reports before anything is published.
Corrections and contact
Spotted an error, or have a primary source we should see? We correct mistakes openly and date every update.