A video showing the chaotic final seconds on board the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps last week has been discovered near the site, according to Reuters, who note that Germany's Bild daily reported on Wednesday that it had seen the footage. The video, which Bild described as being "indisputably authentic", was reportedly found on a mobile phone belonging to one of the passengers killed on the flight suggested passengers were fully aware of what was happening...
Bild says...
"It comes from the people who were investigating on the site. That is as much as we're going to say about it," he said, adding that a senior French reporter got it from his sources and then "went through the process of verifying it."
"There is no doubt that what we saw are the final seconds of what happened on board," Reichelt said.
As Reuters reports, [5]the scenes seen on the video were chaotic and very wobbly, said Bild, adding screams and shouts of "My God" could be heard in variuous languages, indicating the passengers knew what was happening.
Prosecutor Brice Robin, who is handling the case in France, said none of the mobile telephones collected at the crash site had been sent for analysis.
"All are for now being kept at Seynes-Les-Alpes. If people at the site have picked up mobile phones, I am not aware of it," he told Reuters by telephone. France's BEA investigation authority could not immediately be reached for comment.
On the video, which Bild described as being "indisputably authentic", a banging of metal could be heard at least three times, possibly the sound of the pilot who had been locked out of the cockpit by Lubitz trying to break through the door.
Near the end there was a heavy shake and the cabin tilted sharply to one side. After further screams the video ended, said the paper.
The footage appeared to have been taken from near the back of the plane but no individuals could be identified, said Bild.
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As Paris Match further confirms,
"The atmosphere is very chaotic, making it difficult to identify the passengers. But the sound of screaming passengers indicate that they are all aware of the tragedy that will happen."
...
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.
