The UK Air Accidents Investigation report on the tragic helicopter accident at Lanark in September 2007 mentions evidence provided from camcorder footage taken during the flight by one of the passengers. Stills from the footage feature in the report.

Air Accidents Investigation: Eurocopter AS350B2 Squirrel, G-CBHL (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/february_2009/eurocopter_as350b2_squirrel__g_cbhl.cfm)

The footage survived the high impact forces (estimated at 100 g peak) and subsequent fire, but the neither the make or model of the camera nor the storage medium is mentioned. I don't suppose that's the kind of publicity any manufacturer wants, but it would be interesting to know.

I wonder medium what is most robust - tape, card, DVD or HD?

I'd vote card...

Tape is hearty, but the mech is subject to G-force damage/misalignment, as is the tape, which also is vulnerable to heat and water damage.

HDD - head crash, air pressure disturbances or de-pressurization resulting in head crash, electrical discharge - although probably possible to recover data from platters in a clean room for a price.

DVD - probably not the best if heat is involved, and again, the mechanism is subject to G-force and mechanical issues, but maybe fairly recoverable once the data is written IF the disc isn't damaged....

Card - once the data is written, should be fairly indestructible, and recoverable from the media, and the data should continue to record from the camera under all but the absolute worst conditions. No G-force issues, or mechanical problems...

As a practical matter, it's probably possible to recover the 1's and 0's from any digital recording device/media if there's sufficient incentive and budget, with the right expertise.

As a practical matter, it's probably possible to recover the 1's and 0's from any digital recording device/media if there's sufficient incentive and budget, with the right expertise.

They recovered like 99% of the data off a harddrive that was in the Space Shuttle Columbia...

Hard Drive Data From Space Shuttle Columbia Recovered -- Data Recovery -- InformationWeek (http://www.informationweek.com/news/storage/disaster_recovery/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207602714)

It was only half full but still, it's quite possible :)

But I doubt they had to do any work to get this footage off the camera (which is why they're making a big deal of it)

Depends on the situation, I figure any of these are "possible"

The footage survived the high impact forces (estimated at 100 g peak) and subsequent fire, but the neither the make or model of the camera nor the storage medium is mentioned. I don't suppose that's the kind of publicity any manufacturer wants, but it would be interesting to know.


From the Scotsman's report today on yesterday's proceedings at the Fatal Accident Inquiry Colin McRae twice let pilot health check lapse, doctor tells inquiry - Scotsman.com News (http://news.scotsman.com/glasgow/Colin-McRae-twice-let-pilot.6705592.jp)
A statement was later read to the court confirming that officers from Strathclyde Police had retrieved a Sony camcorder belonging to Mr Duncan from the wreckage.

He had filmed footage of the fatal flight using the camera and the footage was accessed by a forensic investigation company.

Camcorder and tape was recovered on the ground when shuttle Columbia broke up. That's the last footage just before the accident. You can view it online.

http://www.life.com/image/1821085