Two European media outlets, Bild and Paris Match, have combined their legal and financial resources around their possession of a micro SD (data memory card) recovered from the Flight 9525 crash site.
According to reporters who have watched the content. The data card contains a short video showing the “chaos within the cabin” moments before the flight crashed. The video appears to have been taken from a cell phone belonging to a passenger who was on board the plane.
Bild/Paris Match are not saying how they came into possession of the fingernail sized data card. However, it is generally assumed someone picked it up from the crash site.
After Bild and Paris Match released a description of the video the initial crash investigative authority denied its authenticity. However, today the French authorities are walking back their doubtful statements and instead requesting the European media turn it over to them.
(Via The Telegraph) French police tell Paris Match and Bild to “hand over” what the two media claim is a “genuine” mobile phone video taken inside the Germanwings plane
[…] French authorities initially firmly denied the existence of the clip, which allegedly relays in a “few seconds” scenes of chaos and passengers screaming “My God” in several languages. But they are now calling on anyone in possession of such a film to “hand it over to investigators”.
French magazine Paris Match and German daily Bild said the authenticity of the video is “unquestionable” and that it had been retrieved from the wreckage of last Tuesday’s crash by “a source close to the inquiry”.
The magazine’s journalists added they had seen the video. “We have checked and rechecked its authenticity,” a Paris Match spokesman told the Telegraph. The phone had not survived the crash, but the memory card on which it was stored had, the two publications insisted.
“Its provenance leaves no room for doubt,” wrote Paris Match.
“We are very sure,” said Bild online editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt, noting that this is the first time investigators have spoken of finding mobile phones. “We didn’t know that before. Many results of the investigation are not being made public,” he said.
The footage appeared to have been taken from near the back of the plane but no individuals could be identified, said Bild.
According to Paris Match, the scene is “so chaotic that one cannot distinguish anyone but the screams of passengers reveal that they were perfectly conscious of what was about to befall them”. (read more)
As published by BILD: (Via Google Translate) […] Although the scenery on board is chaotic and totally blurred and no individuals are identified, the authenticity of the video is unquestionable.
The recordings were made very back of the plane. It is unclear whether this was done while standing or sitting. It is also not known whether a passenger or crew member has filmed.
The video supports the statements of the French prosecutor Brice Robin, who has given a detailed press conference last Thursday.
► The screams can be heard on the video, showing that the passengers on board knew in what a desperate situation they were in. In several languages is the cry heard “My God”.
► The video also seems to confirm what the previous analysis of the voice recorder found: At least three times you can hear clearly metallic beats. Apparently the pilot tried to the end, break up the cockpit door – either with an ax or other metal object.
► Shortly before the end of the video seems to be part of the aircraft touching a mountain. The video can be seen that the car is thrown with a blow to the side. Once again you can hear people cry – then the video ends.