Ejectable flight data recorder systems, methods, and devices

An ejectable flight data recorder for robust retention of flight data and aiding in locating an aircraft after an emergency situation in a remote location over a body of water, the ejectable flight data recorder comprising:

• a buoyant housing configured to provide shock and heat protection to components positioned within the housing;
• a nonvolatile memory positioned within the housing, the nonvolatile memory configured to store flight data comprising at least duplicated data from a conventional flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder;
• an energy-dissipating nose cone positioned at a distal end of the housing for reducing an impact load on the housing and components positioned within the housing when the ejectable flight data recorder impacts a water surface;
• a distress signal generating circuit positioned within the housing;
• an antenna electrically coupled to the distress signal generating circuit, wherein the distress signal generating circuit is configured to transmit via the antenna a distress signal to a satellite;
• at least three hydrophones configured to be deployable from the housing and suspended beneath the housing after a water landing of the ejectable flight data recorder;
• and
• one or more computer processors programmed to analyze acoustic information received by the at least three hydrophones to estimate a sinking trajectory of the aircraft in a body of water.