26 Mar 2014

Tribute to black box inventor

5:49 am on 26 March 2014

A Defence building in Canberra is to be named after the late Dr David Warren, the Australian who invented the black box flight recorder.

"Dr Warren was a visionary and his invention has made an extraordinary contribution to aviation safety around the world," Assistant Defence Minister Stuart Robert said on Tuesday.

His flight recorder captures crucial cockpit information that has been used by global agencies to improve safety levels in air travel.

The Defence Science and Technology Organisation building, close to Canberra airport, will be named after Dr Warren, in what Mr Robert said is a "fitting tribute to a great Aussie".

Dr Warren invented the black box in the mid-1950s when working at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory, a former Defence division, in Melbourne.