Flight recorders are crash-protected to survive both high-speed impact and post-impact fire. They are, however, sometimes destroyed.
 The data, rather than the recorder, must survive an accident. The data storage medium (tape or microchips) is mounted inside an impact and fire resistant container. The other components need not survive and are mounted outside the container.
The crashworthiness standards of flight recorders have been recently reviewed by the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) committee, an international body on which ATSB was represented. The recorder's memory module is now required to withstand an impact producing a 3,400-g deceleration for 6.5 milliseconds (equivalent to an impact velocity of 270 kts and a deceleration or crushing distance of 45 cm) and then to withstand a fire of 1,100 degrees C for 60 min.
Flight recorders are normally located near the aircraft's tail, as experience has shown that this area generally suffers the least damage during an accident.
Cockpit voice recorder as received by ATSB showing accident damage...
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