Mayday Files – Behind the Scenes of Aircraft Accident Investigation
- Published on: September 16, 2025
- Featuring: Maximilian Kunz (Aviation Author & Host), Dr. Thomas Friesacher (PhD, active Aircraft Accident Investigator; former Airline Captain; Flight Instructor & Examiner; Expert Witness)
- Fact-checking Voice-over: Verena Gleitsmann – Journalist & Fact-checker; provides precise voice-overs (not in the studio)
- Brief Description
Who actually investigates when an aircraft crashes – and why is this regulated worldwide? Max & Thomas guide you step-by-step through the official process of an aircraft accident investigation: from alarm and securing the accident site, through evidence collection, recovery, and data analysis (CVR/FDR), to analysis, safety recommendations, and the Final Report. Verena provides the hard facts on ICAO Annex 13, EU Regulation 996/2010, and ICAO Doc 9756 – in the spirit of prevention over blame
- Chapter Markers
- 00:00: COLD OPEN
- 00:30: Intro & Welcome
- 02:30: Recap Episode 1 (Pilot): Concept, Crew, Crash Course
- 05:00: Legal Framework in Brief (Annex 13, EU Regulation 996/2010, EASA Reference)
- 10:00: The Process in 9 Steps (Go-Team to Final Report)
- 25:00: Black Boxes Explained (CVR/FDR, Protection Requirements, ULB)
- 33:00: Why All This? – From Insight to Safety Change
- 40:00: Outlook: Episode 3 – Evidence Collection: Tracing Clues at the Accident Site
- 44:30: Outro
- Topics & Terms
- Legal Basis: ICAO Annex 13 (international standard), EU Regulation 996/2010 (European implementation), ICAO Doc 9756 (Methodology & Practice).
- Organization & Responsibility: Independent Investigation Authorities (e.g., BFU, BEA, NTSB); State of Occurrence/Registry/Design/Manufacture; Accredited Representatives & Advisers.
- Process & Tools: Alerting, Site Safety/Zoning, Evidence Preservation, Parts Mapping/3D Scan, Recovery, Recorder Handling, Data Download, Radar/ATC Data, Expert Groups (Engine, Systems, OPS, ATS, Human Factors).
- Black Boxes: CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder), FDR (Flight Data Recorder), Crash Survivability Criteria, Underwater Locator Beacon (37.5 kHz).
- Principles: No Blame / Just Culture, Prevention, Safety Recommendation, Interim Report.
- Examples Mentioned in the Episode (brief)
- Tenerife 1977: Standardized Phraseology & Crew Coordination.
- Helios 522 (2005): Independent Investigation Authorities (e.g., BFU, BEA, NTSB); State of Occurrence/Registry/Design/Manufacture; Accredited Representatives & Advisers.
- Spanair 5022 (2008): Take-off Configuration Warnings & Checklist Discipline.
- Further Resources
- ICAO – Accident Investigation (Annex 13 Info): icao.int
- EU Regulation 996/2010 (consolidated): eur-lex.europa.eu
- ICAO Doc 9756 – Manual of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation: icao.int
- Skybrary – CVR/FDR Fundamentals: skybrary.aero
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Note: Content serves safety education, not blame attribution. Sensitive passages are deliberately kept neutral.
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