Episode 2 – Securing evidence: searching for clues at the accident site
- Published on: 2025-04-21
- With: Thomas Friesacher, Maximilian Kunz
- Duration: approx. 45 minutes
✈️ What is this episode about?
In this episode, Max and Tom take listeners to the “aviation crime scene”: the accident site. The focus is on securing evidence—i.e., the entire process by which wreckage, traces, data, and statements are turned into a robust factual basis. Together with Alex, the voice of facts, we trace what the first minutes and hours after an accident look like, which stakeholders are involved, and why proper evidence preservation is the key prerequisite for any serious investigation—and thus for future safety improvements.
🔊 Listen now
🕒 Chapter markers
- Intro & situation overview – Max & Thomas: Why evidence preservation determines the quality of the entire investigation.
- Arrival & securing the site – cordons, entry/exit points, roles (Site Safety Officer), cooperation with emergency services.
- Volatile vs. non-volatile evidence – snow tracks, temperature patterns, fuel puddles, RAM data vs. FDR/CVR, structural breakup, ground crater.
- Reading specialist traces – snow tracks & match marks (propeller/tree), runway markings; 3D scanning, photo lines, plaster casts.
- Avoiding tampering – chain of custody, evidence bags, typical mistakes on scene.
- Protecting investigators – PPE levels, hazardous substances (batteries/composites), blood-borne pathogens, mental hygiene.
- Practical interview – Friesacher’s real cases: the most fleeting trace and how to coordinate ten organisations.
- Recap & outlook – key takeaways and a teaser for Episode 3 (data analysis/black boxes).
🧭 Contents & Highlights
- First document, then remove: Why documentation (photos, 3D, drone) comes before recovery.Volatile evidence first: snow tracks, temperature and fuel patterns—seconds matter.
- Understanding match marks: What nicks, smears, and impacts reveal about angle, energy, and sequence.
- Avoid contamination & tampering: cordoning off, souvenir traps, an unbroken chain of custody.
- Investigator safety: From hi-vis to full protective gear—and why mental hygiene is part of it.
- Standards & best practices: ICAO Doc 9756 / Annex 13 with practical guidance from the AAIB, NTSB, and ATSB.
🗂️ Bonus content (for supporters) 🔒
- Deep-dive dossier (PDF): from field to lab phase to reporting
- Go-Team-Toolkit (checklists & priority matrix)
- Black-Box-Pipeline (Recovery → Download → Validation)
- Interview guide Human Factors (HF/CRM)
- Case timelines & maps for the short cases
- Downloadables (DAW template, recording checklist, chapter markers)
🗣️ That's what the crew says
“Secure first, then recover. If you reverse the order, you lose evidence.”
- Thomas Friesacher
“We make investigative work audible—structured, accurate, understandable.”
- Maximilian Kunz
📌 Shownotes & Contact
- Shownotes & Literature: www.maydayfiles.com (Production: AeroXpert Visuals)
- Backstage clips: YouTube – Maydayfiles
- Questions/Suggestions: redaktion@maydayfiles.com
