Questions swirl over reports that cell phone video captured doomed Germanwings jets final moments

This is the CNN report,

originally posted by: smurfy
This is the CNN report,

A sim card is mentioned being found, I'm not sure, but I would imagine that the whole phone needed to be found, or the greater part thereof....anyone any ideas?

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Considering they don't even have the FDR (flight data recorder), and yet somehow cell phone video footage survived this...

I want to buy whatever brand of cell phone that is, as mine breaks from normal wear and tear.

Does this not sound like the finding of pristine passports at ground zero?

I think the reports on it only referenced that the memory card survived....likely still inside a phone and was pulled out an put into another device to view.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Found the transcript of the final moments, supposedly captured by one of the two black boxes: www.parismatch.com...



[From the link]

This version of the final moments of the Germanwings flight is confirmed by another element we recently obtained: the information from the “Cockpit Voice Recorder,” one of the A320’s two black boxes. This one recorded the sounds and conversations in the cockpit. Its contents were described in detail by a special investigator. Here is his account.



10:00 am

The airplane takes off.



10:10

The Captain says to Lubitz: “I didn’t have time to use the bathroom before taking off.” Lubitz: “Go whenever you’d like.”



10:27

The plane has reached cruising altitude: 38000 feet (11.500 meters)

The captain asks Lubitz to prepare the approach for landing and to verify that the plane can begin the landing process. Lubitz obeys. He repeats to the captain again: “You can go. You can go now.”



10:28

Noise can be heard coming from a seat: the captain removes his seatbelt. The door is opened. The captain says to Lubitz: “You are in control now.”

Lubitz answers with a seemingly light tone of voice: “I hope so.”



10:30

Lubitz is alone in the cockpit. He locks the armored door with the “Lock” button: it is no longer possible to open the door from the outside. The one can hear the sounds of the automatic pilot being reprogrammed to accelerate the descent, pushing the plane from 38,000 feet (11.000 meters) to 100 feet (30 meters) in a matter of minutes.



10:33

The landing begins: the plane drops 3000 feet (900 meters) per minute. Air traffic controllers detect the problem. They try several times to contact the airplane by radio. Lubitz does not respond.

The captain’s voice can be heard as he tries to open the door: “It’s me!” The captain is facing a camera connected to the cockpit: Lubitz sees him on screen but does not react. The captain grabs an oxygen tank or fire extinguisher in order to break down the door.No response from Lubitz. The captain yells: “For the love of God, open this door!”



10:34 approximately

A first alarm goes off, audible and visual: “SINK RATE, PULL UP.”

No reaction from Lubitz.

Through the cockpit door, the first sounds of passengers running in the aisles can be heard.



10:35

The captain asks for the crowbar hidden in the back of the plane. Louder bangs can be heard hitting the door, followed by metallic sounds. The captain tries to bend the door with the crowbar.



10:37 and several seconds

A second alarm is set off, audible and visual: “TERRAIN, PULL UP.” Still no reaction from Lubitz.

The captain yells: “Open this f… door!”



10:38

Despite the deafening noises, Lubitz’s breathing can cleary be heard through an oxygen mask he put on. He is breathing normally. The plane is at 13000 feet (4000 meters).



10:40

A violent sound can be heard outside. At the same time, inside, screaming. The Airbus hits the mountain with its right wing.

No other sound, save for the alarms and the screaming passengers.



10:41

The airplane hits the Estrop mountain range at 5000 feet (1500 meters) at 800 km/h.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Well, I guess with a video this will answer all the questions and close the book on this case. How convenient to have all the answers dumped on us with a bow on top. Pretty open and closed case, dontya' think?

a reply to: khnum

No biggie you know, in theory there could be a third possibility but since nobody came forward till now we can assume it did not happen. If someone on a plane would to write a regular text message and try to send it via their usual provider (roaming or not) that message could not be sent immediately but would wait in phone memory until the phone reaches ground level/cell coverage. In theory this happens all the time but in this case i don't know of any mobile phone that could withstand 700mph force.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: Vasa Croe

Well, I guess with a video this will answer all the questions and close the book on this case. How convenient to have all the answers dumped on us with a bow on top. Pretty open and closed case, dontya' think?

Well it would be if they were claiming they had it, but they (investigators) are claiming that they don't while media are claiming to have seen the video.

originally posted by: Exitt
a reply to: khnum
There is NO cell coverage in any airplane while flying in Europe.
Video's and pictures on a memory card or phone memory are the only possibility if they survived the crash of course.

I'll confirm that - even on the airport tarmac before takeoff, you won't get a signal. All that aluminum airframe reflects radio waves. GPS only works from triangulation of local wi-fi routers. The micro-SD or SIM card could have been shielded by the owner and the shell of the mobile phone.

originally posted by: Exitt
a reply to: khnum
There is NO cell coverage in any airplane while flying in Europe.
Video's and pictures on a memory card or phone memory are the only possibility if they survived the crash of course.

I'll confirm that - even on the airport tarmac before takeoff, you won't get a signal. All that aluminum airframe reflects radio waves. GPS only works from triangulation of local wi-fi routers. The micro-SD or SIM card could have been shielded by the owner and the shell of the mobile phone.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe


I think the reports on it only referenced that the memory card survived....likely still inside a phone and was pulled out an put into another device to view.

That's right, that's what the two papers are saying, but take a look at this,

"Lt. Col. Jean-Marc Menichini, a French spokesman with the team leading recovery efforts at the Germanwings crash site, told CNN that the French and German reports were "completely wrong."

" He said cellphones have been recovered at the site, but they haven't yet been analyzed for any footage or evidence. "

"However, that information only came to light after the existence of such a video was reported in the first place, Le Sommier, the French editor, told Today. According to him, that's another reason to be confident that it's authentic."

So they have found mobiles and said nothing about them until now....when this video newspaper story came out!

a reply to: smurfy

Yeah...makes me think they have it and are just not saying so. But what would be the point of not releasing that you have phones and a video? I mean they have already blamed it on the co-pilot and stated what they believe happened, so what do they gain from keeping this hidden?

a reply to: Vasa Croe

And what would happen if it showed something different?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Vasa Croe

And what would happen if it showed something different?

No idea...that's why I am wondering why there are conflicting reports coming from the media and the investigators. Makes me think it DOES show something different.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
a reply to: smurfy

Yeah...makes me think they have it and are just not saying so. But what would be the point of not releasing that you have phones and a video? I mean they have already blamed it on the co-pilot and stated what they believe happened, so what do they gain from keeping this hidden?

Probably they are concentrating on going through all the debris for human remains first. Then they will go through what's left of the aircraft to examine the wreckage, matching up serial numbers to part histories. They'll work out the exact point of impact and what happened to each component just for reference.

They'll probably keep the phones until they have been matched to the passenger list. It'll be impossible to get access to the SIM card data unless they have the unlock PIN code.

originally posted by: khnum
a reply to: Vasa Croe

Just looking at the French cell coverage map there are 824927 cell towers and 825 networks there are a few weaker signal areas but generally there seems to be acceptable coverage in the alps nothing that would last 8 minutes long in a jet I can see

When I fly on European flights, even budget flights, many have FREE internet wifi on board. I surf a lot when I fly.

Germanwings I believe does not have wifi, unless they added it recently. I know other airlines do have it.

What happens if you send an email with the video attachment and you are out of cell coverage?
If that phone is returned to a debris hanger with coverage does it then send the email?

Do we know yet if the controls were used after the pilot was locked out ? It makes all the difference between the pilot doing it intentionally or not and its premature to slander the co-pilot before we know the facts

originally posted by: bullcat

When I fly on European flights, even budget flights, many have FREE internet wifi on board. I surf a lot when I fly.

Germanwings I believe does not have wifi, unless they added it recently. I know other airlines do have it.

Sir , you better reply immediately with some links and names !!!

This is just my first about free internet on planes and neither you or I wanna go there.

At the moment only eight airlines offer free inflight WiFi: Emirates, JetBlue, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Nok Air.

I hate when articles talk about a video or picture, but don't link or post said image or video.

originally posted by: Exitt

originally posted by: bullcat

When I fly on European flights, even budget flights, many have FREE internet wifi on board. I surf a lot when I fly.

Germanwings I believe does not have wifi, unless they added it recently. I know other airlines do have it.

Sir , you better reply immediately with some links and names !!!

This is just my first about free internet on planes and neither you or I wanna go there.

At the moment only eight airlines offer free inflight WiFi: Emirates, JetBlue, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Nok Air.

Aer Lingus
Air Berlin
Air France
British Airways
Iberia
Jet Blue
Iceland Air
Lufthansa
Ryan Air - no really, on trial atm
SAS
Norwegian

more and more being added.

Some have a small fee, some are on trial, the others, when they work are free.