Black Box (2021) Movie Script
1
We weigh 251 tons.
Just over optimal
with a 1.5g buffer margin.
1.6 even.
- Jeanne and your meal.
- I'll let her in.
Thanks.
We're serving breakfast.
It may get rocky. Let them know.
Ok, I'll get your meal.
Did you rest?
Sir!
Please sit down, sir.
Still Swiss control?
They'll soon hand us over to Paris.
On turnaround this week?
New Delhi, then Bali right after.
Any room in your bags?
- Jeanne again.
- I'll let her in.
That's the lot.
An iPhone video,
no flight recorder on board.
It looks like the tail rotor went.
Not just that.
Listen.
A transmission gear is too slow.
On a Dauphin, it should be at 1730.
I hear it at 1680.
You can hear a 50 Hz difference?
I see it too.
Here, this line at 1680 Hz.
Pitch that part 300% to bass.
All I hear is the tail rotor.
I'm not sure.
We need a test flight.
The same phone, the same distance.
Mathieu, I've seen this before.
The video is clear.
Sorry, but I really think
we should do a test flight.
Mathieu, believe me,
you'll end up at the same conclusion.
If you say so.
We'll never know.
Want Balsan to take over?
Right...
We need the 800 FCOM.
The updated one.
The whole avionic system.
The go-team's due at 3 pm.
Call the airline.
Get the recorder serial numbers.
I need to cancel, we have a crash.
We'll free the lab.
Ok, I'll hold.
Yes, I'll hold.
An Atrian 800 went down.
300 passengers.
When?
Air traffic just informed us.
All technical data.
Plane, engine, the lot.
Pollock's in charge.
Who's going?
Rnier wants a CVR guy
and a wreck tech.
Yes.
We need to work
with your technical adviser.
The go-team flies out ASAP.
Balsan, get your things.
Sorry, but you usually take me.
Balsan is as capable.
If it's about earlier...
I can't deal with your misgivings now.
The case bag.
- What?
- The bag.
We need it.
Heard anything?
I've been side-lined
Tonight is off?
Don't chicken out.
I don't know what time I'll finish.
I've got everyone together,
you have to come.
No one will come after the crash.
They'll all be after information.
Make an effort, for my sake.
Shit...
- What's up?
- Hold on.
Mathieu?
Fuck...
Mathieu?
- What's wrong?
- Nothing.
Are you coming?
If you want,
but there'll be no one there.
They act normal,
but they're thinking about the crash.
I'm not on it.
On what?
The investigation.
A huge case and I'm not on it.
I'm no better off.
If it's technical, Atrian is doomed,
with me and half this room.
Welcome to the Titanic.
Xavier!
- Ok?
- Fine, and you?
Pegase is securing CDG's network?
We're pleased, it's a big job.
Your single-fibre network
is awesome. It should be standard.
Lighter aircraft
means lower fuel consumption.
Let's do lunch and talk.
Next week, after Montreal.
- I'll call you.
- Ok.
He used to hate you.
They all want to give me their CVs now.
What are you two plotting?
I was asking how you got him here.
- Ok?
- Yes.
- When do you start with Varins?
- Next month.
I'm so pleased.
Thanks again.
Just one call.
How did the agency react?
Upset to see you in the private sector?
They'll recover.
Don't be modest,
you're their best element.
I'll need to work hard.
Varins is demanding.
- No, you'll be fine.
- I hope so.
I'm organizing a cocktail party
for gender equality.
Could the Entrepreneurs help?
- Want me to ask?
- Please.
Always after favours...
Stop it.
I'm kidding. I'll ask.
I have to see the Safran guys.
I'll call you.
Deal.
- Finished mingling?
- Yes.
Well?
Limited dispersion.
So, no explosion.
Got the ACARS and trajectory data?
Yes, a sudden nose-dive.
And traffic control?
The pilots tried to climb
before losing contact.
Could it be technical?
Not for me. Our certification showed
the 800 is a Rolls.
Not one major breakdown yet.
Nothing new on the Atrian 800 crash
in the Alps this morning.
With the gendarmes
at work all day in the mountains,
BEA experts
are on site
to localize the black boxes. Nothing...
Don't brood. You're not on it, ok.
I told you before,
don't get Pollock's back up.
So I just shut up?
We aren't judged on skills alone.
You know that.
Just be more diplomatic.
It's green.
I learned that in a coaching seminar.
"Boost a distressed co-worker."
You have no mercy.
None at all.
The European Airlines Atrian 800
was carrying
300 passengers and 16 crew.
There are no survivors.
Flight EA024 took off
at 1:40 am from Dubai
with a planned arrival in Paris at 8:50.
But shortly before 8 am,
the plane plummeted and crashed
near Bellevaux in the Alps
for reasons unknown.
A rescue operation was launched
after the loss of radar echo...
European Airlines Atrian
Manslaughter
Victor Pollock, BEA investigator.
It's 7:10 pm on October 10, 2020.
In the presence of a police officer,
we'll remove
and open the CVR
from the October 8 crash
of the Atrian 800
registered FHLBN,
operated by European Airlines.
Begin.
It's good, it's exploitable.
Land the plane at 800 m
with low auto-brake.
Reverse on my signal.
Reverse thrust!
On a wet runway,
the landing and late reverse
led to a runway excursion.
The crew should have tried extra thrust
before wheel contact.
A quick simulation
to accuse an absent pilot...
It's a bit too easy.
We reproduced the whole incident.
It's nothing like being in flight.
This may be tough, Mr Roussin,
but your colleague lied
when he blamed the plane.
Keep accusing the pilots
and planes will be flown like drones.
So you say.
We're judged by people like you.
Frustrated pilots.
Recommendation:
Review landing on short runways.
Mathieu, I must see you.
It's urgent.
Sorry, is Balsan alone?
Pollock still isn't here.
No one has heard from him all morning.
Yes, come in.
I'll send a copy of the CVR,
but we had to talk first.
There were leaks with your predecessor.
I need to be sure our information
will remain confidential.
Very good.
Mathieu, we have a problem.
Pollock can't be found.
Balsan is stuck on the CVR.
The sound is mangled.
Help him.
Ok. What did the FDR show?
It's almost useless.
We found some incoherent flight orders
in the final minutes,
but we don't know why.
- The minister's deputy.
- Put him on.
I know it's urgent, Antoine,
but I need time.
We're analysing the CVR.
No, 3 pm is too soon.
Ok, 7 pm.
I promise.
I'll keep you posted.
Press point at 7.
Make the CVR talk.
I need the full chain of events.
We've only processed the first hour.
The cockpit mic is dirty.
Stop.
- What?
- A buzz.
Unplug that.
We weigh 251 tons.
Just over optimal
with a 1.5g buffer margin.
1.6 even.
- Jeanne and your meal.
- I'll let her in.
We're serving breakfast.
It may get rocky. Let them know.
Ok, I'll get your meal.
Sooner than I thought. Seatbelt time.
See those cbs on the right?
We were right to avoid them.
It looks clear ahead.
The CDG update.
Westerly landing, visibility 3000 m,
rain, clouds at 800 feet, 8 C...
Static. They're in a cloud.
- Where do you live?
- Just north of CDG.
22 today in Biarritz.
You live there?
The engine speed has changed.
My wife's Basque and I surf.
Still with Swiss control?
Their earphones are off.
On turnaround this week?
New Delhi, then Bali right after.
Any room in your bags?
- Jeanne again.
- I'll let her in.
We're gonna crash!
Switch to RX.
Give me 200 to 1800 Hz.
Lower the engine noise.
Let's bring the voices out.
Let me try something.
Can you stop?
Your leg.
Thanks.
...akbar!
Allahu akbar!
At the end,
it could be the pilot or the co.
We can't determine what they did.
All the 800 controls are touch-screen.
How did the guy get in?
The sound is terrible.
We need more time.
I know,
but I can't delay the press point.
Can you do it?
Yes.
Switch to iZotope RX at 7'51.
The limited spread of debris
shows the plane was intact
prior to impact.
The initial analysis of the fuselage
shows no sign of explosives.
Moreover, the voice recorder shows
a passenger
entered the cockpit.
The pilots then fought with him.
Here, please.
Yes?
Caroline Delmas, Mediapart.
How could a passenger enter the cockpit
with three cameras over the door?
He apparently used a stewardess
to gain entrance.
What allows you to assert that?
The CVR analysis.
Our investigator, Mathieu Vasseur,
will present the initial CVR findings.
Hello.
On the recording,
at 7:48 am Paris time,
we hear the voice of the hostess
entering the cockpit
with the first meal tray.
She returns one minute 20 seconds later
and rings the doorbell.
Probably with the second meal.
The pilots identify her
and let her in.
The door remains open
and, over the central mic,
we hear hurried footsteps
approaching the cockpit.
It's clearly not the hostess.
That indicates an intrusion
into the cockpit.
Shortly before, we have isolated
the sound
of the pilots' lavatory latch.
This lavatory...
is here.
The man hid in there
before entering the cockpit.
The hostess should have checked
before ringing the bell.
Those are our deductions
after the audio analysis.
I hope I've answered your questions.
Thank you.
We subsequently hear
overspeed and imminent impact alarms.
Antoine Istier, Europe 1.
Is it a terrorist attack?
In all likelihood.
But the judicial inquiry
is still underway.
The full transcript of the CVR
will be the subject of a report
in the coming weeks.
Thank you.
Thanks, Mathieu.
Have you identified the terrorist?
I can say no more.
Mr Vasseur, Caroline Delmas, Mediapart.
One question.
Sorry, no comment.
Forgive me...
Isn't it a little easy,
blaming the hostess's negligence?
The CVR shows it. I don't theorize,
I analyse facts.
Excuse me.
A lead in the recent Atrian 800 crash
in the Alps.
Reliable sources
claim a radical Islamist
was on the passenger manifest.
Moqtada Sualazi, an Egyptian aged 26.
After analysing the black boxes,
the BEA investigators revealed
that the plane crashed
after a passenger entered the cockpit.
It's too early...
Mathieu!
Fine work yesterday.
Thank you.
After that excellent job, I want you
to head the investigation.
Thank you very much, sir.
Excuse me...
Any news of Pollock?
Still nothing.
Victor can be hard to reach at times,
but absent in this storm...
I don't get it.
I can't wait for him to show up.
Finish the report for me.
Of course.
Captain:
What's that noise?
Other sounds:
Change in engine speed / Interference
It's Julien. You're replacing Pollock
on the Dubai-Paris?
Yes.
A victim's husband contacted us.
She called him just before the crash.
Interested?
I'm on the transcript.
Try Balsan.
He's busy with the Atrian engineers.
Ok, I'll take it.
During a search, the Egyptian police
found Jihadi propaganda
on his computer.
Controversy reigns as Paris asks
how the Emirate authorities
allowed him to board.
Honey, I'm on the plane,
I don't know what's going on.
It's chaos, everyone's yelling.
I can see mountains.
I love you.
I love you, you hear?
Tell the girls I love them.
I love you all so much.
I love you.
She'd gone to Dubai
for a job interview.
If it worked out,
we planned to move there.
When she called,
I was busy at work.
Too busy to speak to her.
Forgive me, Mr Reynal,
but I need the original message.
I'll have to borrow your phone,
just overnight.
One new message.
October 8, at 7:56 am.
Honey, I'm on the plane,
I don't know what's going on.
It's chaos, everyone's yelling.
One new message.
October 8,
at 7:56 am.
Honey, I'm...
Time of crash, CET, 07:53 am.
Three minutes?
Yes.
Remember Germanwings.
Between Civil Aviation, the airline,
Flight Radar and others,
no one agreed on the time
by up to eight minutes.
I know, but there's this too.
Listen.
Honey,
I'm on the plane,
I don't know what's going on.
It's chaos...
Hear the announcement tone?
It's from the cockpit.
But the pilot's voice isn't on the CVR.
You mean you can't hear it.
The audio is bad.
Yes...
Hold on, one last thing.
Here.
Emergency d...
Emergency d...
I hear "emergency descent".
Like for a technical problem.
Play it again.
I hear "Emergency",
not "descent".
Checked European Airlines'
security protocol?
In a cockpit intrusion,
the code is "Emergency Delta".
The "d" you hear could be "Delta".
Carry on with the transcript.
Last passenger evacuated.
58 seconds.
Congratulations,
your plane is certified.
Thank you.
Thank you all.
- Jeanne again.
- I'll let her in.
Are you making a speech?
It's informal.
Dorval will say a few words.
Are you ok?
Yes.
You can relax, you know.
Have some champagne,
chat to people.
Come and meet Varins.
Claude...
Meet Mathieu, my husband.
Hello.
Your speech yesterday
was very clear and precise.
Thank you.
I'm not head-hunting a couple,
but if you tire of the BEA,
join us at Atrian.
You'll never persuade him.
Was working at the BEA
a vocation?
He wanted to be a pilot.
Yes.
But with my eyesight...
I specialized in acoustics at the ENAC.
Flight recorders
fascinated me and...
There you go.
Fascinating but exacting too,
to obtain answers.
Which you did.
Bravo. At a time like this,
the families and everyone need them.
Let's meet the Safran managers
you'll work with.
- Excuse us.
- Certainly.
- Hello?
- It's Samir.
The passenger data's on the server.
Anything interesting?
A few Facebook photos
and videos during the flight.
Thanks.
Hello, everyone.
Well done, all of you,
for this certification.
I'd like to salute Nomie Vasseur.
This is her final certification as,
unfortunately for us,
she's leaving this month,
lured away by Atrian.
Thank you for your commitment
and passion.
I'm speaking for everyone here
at the agency
when I say we'll miss you.
Thank you.
Where are you?
Sorry, emergency at work
We weigh 251 tons.
Just over optimal
with a 1.5g buffer margin.
1.6 even.
- Jeanne and your meal.
- I'll let her in.
We're serving breakfast.
It may get rocky. Let them know.
Ok. I'll get your meal.
Sir!
Please sit down, sir.
Sir...
Sir.
Sit down, please.
Sir!
Don't over-interpret things.
You tend to.
You're diligent,
but all the filtering and equalizing
makes a recording say anything.
After 20 years on CVRs,
believe me, the best filter is the ear.
And about the meal trolley?
Do you really think a trolley
can stop a madman hijacking a plane?
No, but...
Focus on what we really hear.
Report by Monday?
Yes.
Excuse me...
I need Pollock's input.
I can't complete a report like this.
You'll have to.
He's officially missing.
The police are investigating.
Anything's possible.
I admit we're worried.
A Turkish company applied.
Serious but, with the crash,
the Germans
are wary.
You've decided?
A work group is handling it.
What's up?
Doubts about the crash.
Inconsistencies...
- Inconsistencies?
- It's awkward like this.
There's a problem with the CVR.
What kind of problem?
I'll tell you.
I'll tell you.
It's a big case.
Keep your head this time.
Victor Pollock. Leave a message.
How did he get the case?
He heard phantom sounds again.
That you can't hear, huh?
You'll see.
It's like the Cessna again.
What's that?
The Bourget Falcon 20.
The pilot and the tower.
Limited bandwidth is tough.
- What is it?
- Tell me,
when you listened to the CVR
with Pollock,
did you notice anything odd?
No, nothing special.
When did you finish?
Midnight. He stayed.
Why?
You finished before he did?
Pollock was anxious to carry on.
Are you done? I need to get on.
I hear a thud on the first call.
Probably a bird.
Then the engine surges fast,
beyond its limit, up to 200%,
before exploding.
The engineer will deny it
but it's happened before with that plane.
Continue
for 50 metres.
You have reached your destination.
The file is empty
Basement speakers
Down, boy.
Down.
Looking for something?
Sorry?
Looking for something?
Yes.
Victor Pollock. He lives here?
Yes. And?
I work with him.
I rang, but there's no reply.
Have you seen him?
Not recently.
Your colleagues came yesterday.
He wasn't here.
Ok.
Ok, thank you.
CVR Opening and Analysis
- Hello?
-
Caroline Delmas, Mediapart.
We met at the press point.
Who gave you my number?
You know the Atrian 800
has automation issues?
I can't talk to the press.
With the Bourget salon coming up,
a fault would look bad.
Are you still there?
I have to go. Goodbye.
A new coup for Pegase Security
The CEO, Xavier Renaud,
is a leader in aeronautics.
Pegase is specialized
in civil aviation security.
Renaud signed a lucrative deal
with Atrian...
Here.
The flight reports.
What're you after?
Look, another.
Paris-Washington,
a control surface problem.
Three in six months.
Jolts and lagging reported each time.
Maintenance reports?
I brought them.
Here.
Nothing to report
Could the 800 have a control problem?
I don't think so.
Is the MHD an anti-stalling system?
It lowers the nose if it pitches up.
How would a MHD problem look?
- Can the pilots override it?
- In theory, no.
No reason to.
Tested the crash one?
Why? We know what happened.
- Received it?
- Not yet.
We need to check it when you do.
Samir...
Samir.
Sorry to ask,
but don't tell Rnier yet.
Don't screw up.
Atrian 800 technical incident
Captain: Alain Roussin
Mr Roussin?
Mr Roussin!
Hello, Mathieu Vasseur.
Remember me?
The EM315 runway excursion simulation.
I have a flight.
I have some questions
about the Dubai-Paris case.
I don't have time.
I understand you not wanting to answer,
but I need your help.
You had a control surface problem
on the 800?
Could the MHD be faulty?
Why ask me that?
Ask Atrian.
The BEA gets on well with them.
I have to be in my cockpit
in five minutes.
You talked more to defend a colleague.
Now 300 people have died.
It's a dumb Atrian system.
The machine pilots the pilot.
I told you that.
I'm ready to listen now.
Give me five minutes.
The plane was marketed too soon,
to counter the competition.
They turned a blind eye
to the auto-pilot system?
Qatar and India had signed.
The penalties for delay were astronomic.
But the certification commission
ran checks.
You're that naive?
The pride of European aviation.
Atrian's influence is huge.
Heard of Claude Varins?
He has people on the commission.
Alain!
The crew is waiting.
I have to go.
We need to talk.
I'll be in touch.
They want me next week.
They'll exploit me to the last minute.
What is it now?
A study group on drone traffic.
Heard of control surface problems
on the 800?
We had pilot reports six months ago.
Certification saw nothing?
Why? For your investigation?
I'd just like an answer.
It's absurd, Mathieu.
You think the plane has a problem?
There were latency problems,
but they were resolved.
So why do the pilots say
the MHD took over the plane?
You know that's pure fantasy.
It's just an assistance system.
But which pilots do you mean?
Those opposed to automation
and cockpit cameras?
They'll say anything
to keep their old habits.
You really think the agency
would approve a faulty plane?
We did our job and Atrian complied.
C'mon, drive.
I forgot how close you are.
Meaning what?
There's a report on those tests?
Forget I mentioned it.
It's confidential.
There was a report.
It's confidential, ok.
You're a drag. Now drive.
Drive, I said!
You won't give up?
I need to test the MHD.
The facts are confirmed.
They're your conclusions.
I know.
The MHD
is in a Defence Ministry warehouse.
Why Defence?
It's sensitive.
They've sealed the plane's avionics.
You could order them to return the MHD.
I won't do that
without tangible evidence.
Return to your other files.
How's the Dauphin crash going?
I'm still waiting.
This is Alain Roussin.
Please leave a message.
This is Mathieu Vasseur again.
You said we could meet.
I need to talk to you.
Please call me.
This is Alain Roussin...
Stop calling me!
I don't want to see you.
I don't understand.
Stop calling me, ok!
I thought we agreed...
I keep hearing about you.
You harassed a pilot
and questioned the 800's reliability?
Who said that?
Nomie?
No, European's sales manager.
You think Nomie and I talk about you?
Trying to get fired?
Nomie's new job is sensitive.
She needs your support,
not conspiracy theories.
I say that as a friend.
Don't shoot yourself in the foot.
Where's that from?
3 years I've worked with Pollock,
you never said you knew him.
We met in a work group.
Working on what?
A distress beacon to permanently locate
a plane in flight.
Why show me this?
I don't know.
Pollock vanished
two days after the crash, it's weird.
And I'm a suspect?
- I didn't say that.
- This is absurd.
What is this?
I get on too well with Nomie?
You need to relax.
You're getting worked up.
We know what happened on board.
Accept it.
Are you ok?
I have to go.
And now yet another day
marked by emotion,
10 days after the Atrian 800 attack.
The victims' families
took part in a private ceremony
near the crash site.
They were accompanied to the site
by gendarmes
and spoke to official representatives,
as well as the examining magistrate.
Reporters were kept to one side
and were given no new information.
The judicial authorities...
XAVIER
Dinner confirmed with Varins tomorrow.
Dinner out would do us good.
- We're a bit on edge.
- Mostly you.
True.
Dinner where?
How about Matsuda?
It's been ages and you like it.
Yes, why not?
Tomorrow evening?
I can't tomorrow.
I'll finish late.
The drone report with Isabelle.
Thursday if you want.
Thursday then. Great.
Test flight
Copy file to flash drive?
How did you get this?
You wanted evidence.
You'd better be right.
Atrian named Solignac project head.
They just announced it.
Claude, what's going on?
- Why name Solignac?
- Things have changed.
What do you mean? I don't understand.
You can only blame yourself.
You really disappoint me.
I have to go.
You're wanted in the Vauban room.
We wished to talk
about a subject that puts us
in a tricky position.
I had a very unpleasant call
from Atrian's CEO.
He claims we leaked information
about one of their planes.
You know what I mean?
No.
A warrant has been filed
on the Dubai-Paris 800.
It was issued by the BEA,
based on the initial report,
which has an electronic signature.
It's from your laptop.
Do you see how serious this is?
Those tests were confidential.
You broke your non-disclosure agreement.
It's gross misconduct.
You're suspended.
I'm not behind the leak.
You can explain that later
in a disciplinary hearing.
Please hand over your laptop.
You can't...
That'll be all, Nomie.
Dorval suspended me today
for gross misconduct.
How could you do that to me?
I'm sorry.
- It shouldn't have...
- You realize
you'll get me fired.
I didn't know it would leak.
I needed the document.
Why? It was an attack.
- You heard that first.
- I didn't.
I heard a ton of incoherent bullshit.
They stuffed the guy's laptop
with Salafist videos.
That's what's going on.
- Fuck!
- You're mad.
I'm mad?
Your dinner with Varins...
Why do you lie?
- What?
- Why didn't you tell me?
To avoid a fit of paranoia like this.
Don't you realize?
I was scared of a scandal,
scared for me, my job.
Just listen to you!
Forget the job
and ask some real questions!
I did!
Atrian got the plane certified
before it was ready!
Maybe you turned a blind eye,
maybe you helped...
You're sick.
We owe the families the truth!
300 dead!
Forget the families!
This is about you.
Only your mad ideas count!
Mathieu, are you ok?
Are you ok?
Are you ready?
What for?
The test. Let's go.
No counter-order.
There must be. Check.
Still nothing.
Make the plane stall.
It's working.
- As per normal.
- Again.
Redo the first test.
Again.
Find the problem.
- Mathieu, I think...
- Let's find it.
It's not normal.
Try again.
Try again, I said.
Let me do it.
That's enough, Mathieu.
Wait.
Wait.
Impossible.
It's the wrong box.
The wrong box.
Samir, turn it off.
Wait!
We're gonna crash!
Allahu akbar!
We're gonna crash!
Allahu akbar!
Hi, you've reached Nomie Vasseur.
Leave a message.
Four weeks before opening,
the Bourget
aeronautics and space salon
looks exceptional. 240 exhibitors,
150 civilian and military craft
will perform...
You should go out a bit.
Don't stay in all day.
Can you take Tho
to the park?
Maybe.
The order books should be full,
making Atrian a market leader.
Any news of the BEA?
I'm summoned Thursday.
Explain things.
Say what you went through.
- The endless pressure...
- Stop.
I screwed up.
I screwed up, it's that simple.
Know what? He was right.
Who was?
Him.
A useless pilot.
A useless acoustician.
Mr Vasseur?
Yes.
Hello, I'm Laura Saunier.
Philippe Reynal gave me your number.
My son was on the Dubai-Paris flight.
His name was Lucas.
I...
I need to understand what happened.
Sorry, ma'am,
I'm no longer on the investigation.
Mr Reynal told me you're a good man.
I'd like to know if he realized...
that he was going to die.
My son was in seat...
I can't hear you, ma'am.
Uncle!
Why's it flying on its own?
- What's that noise?
- No idea...
What's that noise?
No idea. Interference.
I can't keep my phones on.
What made you change your mind?
Come in.
Come on in.
- How are you?
- Fine.
I don't have long,
an Air China delegation is due.
Want a drink?
No, thanks.
Have a seat.
How are you?
What is it?
I need your advice.
What about?
Your firm handles computer security
for Atrian's planes?
Yes.
How is the 800 better protected
against hacking?
Why?
As you know,
piloting and communication systems
are hard to make secure.
Could we imagine someone
hacking into the navigation system?
It's unlikely.
Data exchange and onboard wifi
cause new flaws.
Couldn't hackers exploit them?
We work to remedy that.
Could some geek enter the pilot system
via the in-flight entertainment?
Impossible,
the two are physically separate.
Passenger cabin data on one side,
the cockpit on the other.
Separate networks.
At the ENAC reception,
didn't you vaunt a single-fibre network?
Networks can be separate
on the same cable.
Don't you know about computing?
You think the flight was hacked?
Yes.
And that, as network chief,
you knew in real time.
First, an auto-pilot problem,
now hacking, what next?
A new theory every day?
Your job is to analyse recordings,
not to make stuff up.
I believe Pollock falsified the CVR.
He was alone from midnight to 2 am.
And you asked him to do it.
What can I say?
You're pathetic.
I have to work now.
Xavier Renaud
ignored a security flaw?
Altering a line of code costs a million
and takes a year to be certified,
so yes.
No one could delay the market launch.
Maybe,
but there's no proof of a fault.
We've only seen one case
of plane hacking.
A guy was arrested on landing in Warsaw.
He said he altered airspeed
via the in-flight entertainment.
- Got his name?
- Hold on.
Apparently, it's...
David Keller.
These guys love to use their real names.
Flights interrupted in Vienna
Computing breakdown at Vienna airport
We now know more about the incident.
Austrian police arrested
a French citizen at the airport.
David Keller,
a computer security technician,
claimed to have hacked a plane before.
This looks huge.
Keller was fired
after three months at Pegase.
Now he's vanished.
No sign of him since last June.
Caroline, I'll call you back.
What's that noise?
No idea.
Interference.
I can't keep my phones on.
He wanted publicity?
To show the fault, not wreck the plane.
The MHD wasn't faulty,
but it couldn't handle
contradictory orders
from both Keller and the pilots.
You can't prove it.
We have the photo of Keller onboard.
You see Keller.
He isn't on the manifest.
I know. He must have been erased.
Are you on my side?
You came looking for me.
Will you do the article?
CEO's Cessna found
in the English Channel
At the time,
a whistle-blower contacted a colleague.
The informer claimed,
with documents,
that the engine fractured.
But when the wreckage was found,
the engine was intact.
The investigation showed the pilot
overdid the trim.
My colleague is categorical.
The documents
had to come from the BEA.
It was you?
Am I wrong?
I heard the propeller shaft snap.
You thought you did,
but you were wrong.
I couldn't wait
until they found the wreckage,
with other planes flying.
But you were wrong.
You should have told me.
How can I trust you now?
Don't drop me. I know I'm right.
Sorry, Mathieu.
You're a risk.
Count me out.
Wait.
Nomie, please.
Just give me five minutes.
Blame me. Say I stole the document.
Say it was my fault.
I'll talk to them.
They'll reinstate you.
You have to help.
I have no other solution.
I'll be fired, no one believes me.
But I know the truth about the crash.
It's all I have left.
All I have.
If you go back, they'll believe you.
Wait.
I was wrong. It was on the CVR.
The interference, the pilots' phones...
It was a hacking job, see.
- Listen to me.
- Let go!
- Listen...
- Get out of my life!
Mathieu, this is a difficult decision.
You know how I appreciate your work.
You also know a collective approach
is crucial here.
You ignored that in recent weeks
and followed your instincts,
not for the first time.
You've gone too far.
I'll have to ask for your transfer.
Excuse me, I need
the Dauphin crash data.
I can't access it.
Sorry, I need all your files.
Modified: 11/10/2020 5:12 am
- You worked on it?
- I can't open it.
Only Pollock and you could.
I'm in a hurry.
I'll collect the files and send them.
Ok. Thanks.
Searching...
In 2 km, bear right
to join the A86.
Had any news?
Sorry?
Of the hearing.
It meets in ten days.
My offer still stands.
I'd love you to join us.
Thank you. I'm touched.
I'll think it over.
Seen Mathieu?
How's he doing?
Badly.
It's awful.
He got so wound up
over the investigation.
He was totally obsessed
about the black box.
God knows what he heard.
Exactly, it was inaudible.
The pilots took off their phones.
How did you know that?
About the headphones.
It's in the report.
The BEA already published it?
No, Atrian got it early.
Excuse me.
The Dubai-Paris manifest.
Shall I give it to Balsan tomorrow?
Who requested it?
Mathieu.
Give it to me.
We had the manifest.
He wanted the boarding copy.
Did he say why?
Attention to detail.
You know him.
Thank you.
In 50 metres,
turn right.
Continue
for 170 metres.
Turn right.
Continue 110 metres.
Continue 90 metres.
It's me. I have to see you.
Meet me at the apartment.
It's important.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Listen, I don't know but...
maybe I was too hasty.
Something's weird.
I need to talk to you.
Why aren't you speaking?
Where are you?
Don't worry.
I'll see you in an hour, ok?
I love you.
Thank you.
Need a ride?
I'll get a cab.
Sure?
Yes, really.
Continue 90 metres.
Continue 50 metres.
Continue 10 metres.
You have reached your destination.
Work station
- Jeanne and your meal.
- I'll let her in.
We're serving breakfast.
It may get rocky. Let them know.
Ok, I'll get your meal.
Sooner than I thought. Seatbelt time.
See those cbs on the right?
We were right to avoid them.
It looks clear ahead.
The CDG update.
Westerly landing, visibility 3000 m,
rain, clouds at 800 feet, 8 C
and 1014 QNH.
Stuck at home with the kids again.
- Where do you live?
- Just north of CDG.
22 today in Biarritz.
You live there? Not too far?
My wife's Basque and I surf.
We had no choice.
What's that noise?
No idea. Interference.
I can't keep my phones on.
What was that?
I didn't see.
The route changed.
Is the FMS screwed?
AP off.
Taking the controls.
What is this shit?
The AP is back on alone.
We're descending.
I know. Are you doing it?
No, I'm not.
Let me try.
It's not reacting!
I'll override the FCC.
The system isn't reacting.
Mountains below.
The limit's at 15 000.
Pull with me.
- Pull!
- I am pulling!
Nothing's reacting!
Cabin crew, emergency descent.
Someone has taken control.
They're piloting, not us.
We're gonna crash!
Mathieu,
I suppose you're watching.
It means I was right about you.
It also means no one will find me.
So go public with what follows.
My name is Victor Pollock.
I spent 20 years as a BEA analyst.
A few years ago, Xavier Renaud,
CEO of Pegase Security, contacted me.
He wanted advance information
to fix minor faults on Atrian planes.
He paid well.
I needed money.
I didn't see it as corruption,
just as a way to avoid bureaucracy.
But once we knew each other better,
he asked for more.
I had to correct certain conclusions,
focus investigations on human factors.
I was trapped.
Then the 800 crashed.
This time, he asked me
to alter the black boxes.
I refused,
but he threatened to destroy me.
I don't seek forgiveness.
I probably deserve what awaits me.
But the man behind it must be exposed.
Mathieu,
I didn't take you to the crash
as you might have found something.
I know how good you are.
And I'm recording this now
because I trust you.
Basement - Lab
The basement.
Basement speakers
- Pull!
- I am pulling!
Nothing's reacting!
Cabin crew, emergency descent.
Turn around.
Turn around.
Jesus!
Fuck!
Nomie!
Are you ok?
I'm good.
- Attending my speech?
- Too busy.
I have the Thales conference at 6.
Of course.
I'm glad you came.
I was going crazy at home.
If you need anything, ask.
Our generation
is slowly coming to terms with the idea
that pilots will vanish one day.
The challenge is to protect
and secure planes
in which artificial intelligence
is predominant.
Some say our ambitions are excessive,
calling us the Icarus of aeronautics.
Icarus flew too close to the sun,
his wax wings melted,
he fell into the sea and died.
I never really knew
if the moral of the tale
was do not fly too high,
as people think,
or forget wax and feathers
to build better wings.
In a perpetual quest for innovation...
Pegase Security is proud to...
My name is Victor Pollock.
I spent 20 years as a BEA analyst.
A few years ago, Xavier Renaud
contacted me.
He wanted advance information
to fix minor faults on Atrian planes.
He paid well. I needed money.
I didn't see it as corruption,
just as a way to avoid bureaucracy.
But once we knew each other better,
he asked for more.
The black boxes doctored
I had to correct conclusions,
focus investigations
on human factors.
I was trapped.
Then the 800 crashed.
This time, he asked me
to alter the black boxes.
A fresh twist
in the Dubai-Paris crash.
A BEA investigator's revelations
have created an upheaval.
It seems hacking led to the tragedy,
with the black boxes altered.
We're now joining the head of the BEA,
Philippe Rnier.
The BEA has received
a copy of the recording
of the Dubai-Paris
cockpit conversations.
If it proves to be authentic,
it will confirm our latest findings...
BLACK BOX
We weigh 251 tons.
Just over optimal
with a 1.5g buffer margin.
1.6 even.
- Jeanne and your meal.
- I'll let her in.
Thanks.
We're serving breakfast.
It may get rocky. Let them know.
Ok, I'll get your meal.
Did you rest?
Sir!
Please sit down, sir.
Still Swiss control?
They'll soon hand us over to Paris.
On turnaround this week?
New Delhi, then Bali right after.
Any room in your bags?
- Jeanne again.
- I'll let her in.
That's the lot.
An iPhone video,
no flight recorder on board.
It looks like the tail rotor went.
Not just that.
Listen.
A transmission gear is too slow.
On a Dauphin, it should be at 1730.
I hear it at 1680.
You can hear a 50 Hz difference?
I see it too.
Here, this line at 1680 Hz.
Pitch that part 300% to bass.
All I hear is the tail rotor.
I'm not sure.
We need a test flight.
The same phone, the same distance.
Mathieu, I've seen this before.
The video is clear.
Sorry, but I really think
we should do a test flight.
Mathieu, believe me,
you'll end up at the same conclusion.
If you say so.
We'll never know.
Want Balsan to take over?
Right...
We need the 800 FCOM.
The updated one.
The whole avionic system.
The go-team's due at 3 pm.
Call the airline.
Get the recorder serial numbers.
I need to cancel, we have a crash.
We'll free the lab.
Ok, I'll hold.
Yes, I'll hold.
An Atrian 800 went down.
300 passengers.
When?
Air traffic just informed us.
All technical data.
Plane, engine, the lot.
Pollock's in charge.
Who's going?
Rnier wants a CVR guy
and a wreck tech.
Yes.
We need to work
with your technical adviser.
The go-team flies out ASAP.
Balsan, get your things.
Sorry, but you usually take me.
Balsan is as capable.
If it's about earlier...
I can't deal with your misgivings now.
The case bag.
- What?
- The bag.
We need it.
Heard anything?
I've been side-lined
Tonight is off?
Don't chicken out.
I don't know what time I'll finish.
I've got everyone together,
you have to come.
No one will come after the crash.
They'll all be after information.
Make an effort, for my sake.
Shit...
- What's up?
- Hold on.
Mathieu?
Fuck...
Mathieu?
- What's wrong?
- Nothing.
Are you coming?
If you want,
but there'll be no one there.
They act normal,
but they're thinking about the crash.
I'm not on it.
On what?
The investigation.
A huge case and I'm not on it.
I'm no better off.
If it's technical, Atrian is doomed,
with me and half this room.
Welcome to the Titanic.
Xavier!
- Ok?
- Fine, and you?
Pegase is securing CDG's network?
We're pleased, it's a big job.
Your single-fibre network
is awesome. It should be standard.
Lighter aircraft
means lower fuel consumption.
Let's do lunch and talk.
Next week, after Montreal.
- I'll call you.
- Ok.
He used to hate you.
They all want to give me their CVs now.
What are you two plotting?
I was asking how you got him here.
- Ok?
- Yes.
- When do you start with Varins?
- Next month.
I'm so pleased.
Thanks again.
Just one call.
How did the agency react?
Upset to see you in the private sector?
They'll recover.
Don't be modest,
you're their best element.
I'll need to work hard.
Varins is demanding.
- No, you'll be fine.
- I hope so.
I'm organizing a cocktail party
for gender equality.
Could the Entrepreneurs help?
- Want me to ask?
- Please.
Always after favours...
Stop it.
I'm kidding. I'll ask.
I have to see the Safran guys.
I'll call you.
Deal.
- Finished mingling?
- Yes.
Well?
Limited dispersion.
So, no explosion.
Got the ACARS and trajectory data?
Yes, a sudden nose-dive.
And traffic control?
The pilots tried to climb
before losing contact.
Could it be technical?
Not for me. Our certification showed
the 800 is a Rolls.
Not one major breakdown yet.
Nothing new on the Atrian 800 crash
in the Alps this morning.
With the gendarmes
at work all day in the mountains,
BEA experts
are on site
to localize the black boxes. Nothing...
Don't brood. You're not on it, ok.
I told you before,
don't get Pollock's back up.
So I just shut up?
We aren't judged on skills alone.
You know that.
Just be more diplomatic.
It's green.
I learned that in a coaching seminar.
"Boost a distressed co-worker."
You have no mercy.
None at all.
The European Airlines Atrian 800
was carrying
300 passengers and 16 crew.
There are no survivors.
Flight EA024 took off
at 1:40 am from Dubai
with a planned arrival in Paris at 8:50.
But shortly before 8 am,
the plane plummeted and crashed
near Bellevaux in the Alps
for reasons unknown.
A rescue operation was launched
after the loss of radar echo...
European Airlines Atrian
Manslaughter
Victor Pollock, BEA investigator.
It's 7:10 pm on October 10, 2020.
In the presence of a police officer,
we'll remove
and open the CVR
from the October 8 crash
of the Atrian 800
registered FHLBN,
operated by European Airlines.
Begin.
It's good, it's exploitable.
Land the plane at 800 m
with low auto-brake.
Reverse on my signal.
Reverse thrust!
On a wet runway,
the landing and late reverse
led to a runway excursion.
The crew should have tried extra thrust
before wheel contact.
A quick simulation
to accuse an absent pilot...
It's a bit too easy.
We reproduced the whole incident.
It's nothing like being in flight.
This may be tough, Mr Roussin,
but your colleague lied
when he blamed the plane.
Keep accusing the pilots
and planes will be flown like drones.
So you say.
We're judged by people like you.
Frustrated pilots.
Recommendation:
Review landing on short runways.
Mathieu, I must see you.
It's urgent.
Sorry, is Balsan alone?
Pollock still isn't here.
No one has heard from him all morning.
Yes, come in.
I'll send a copy of the CVR,
but we had to talk first.
There were leaks with your predecessor.
I need to be sure our information
will remain confidential.
Very good.
Mathieu, we have a problem.
Pollock can't be found.
Balsan is stuck on the CVR.
The sound is mangled.
Help him.
Ok. What did the FDR show?
It's almost useless.
We found some incoherent flight orders
in the final minutes,
but we don't know why.
- The minister's deputy.
- Put him on.
I know it's urgent, Antoine,
but I need time.
We're analysing the CVR.
No, 3 pm is too soon.
Ok, 7 pm.
I promise.
I'll keep you posted.
Press point at 7.
Make the CVR talk.
I need the full chain of events.
We've only processed the first hour.
The cockpit mic is dirty.
Stop.
- What?
- A buzz.
Unplug that.
We weigh 251 tons.
Just over optimal
with a 1.5g buffer margin.
1.6 even.
- Jeanne and your meal.
- I'll let her in.
We're serving breakfast.
It may get rocky. Let them know.
Ok, I'll get your meal.
Sooner than I thought. Seatbelt time.
See those cbs on the right?
We were right to avoid them.
It looks clear ahead.
The CDG update.
Westerly landing, visibility 3000 m,
rain, clouds at 800 feet, 8 C...
Static. They're in a cloud.
- Where do you live?
- Just north of CDG.
22 today in Biarritz.
You live there?
The engine speed has changed.
My wife's Basque and I surf.
Still with Swiss control?
Their earphones are off.
On turnaround this week?
New Delhi, then Bali right after.
Any room in your bags?
- Jeanne again.
- I'll let her in.
We're gonna crash!
Switch to RX.
Give me 200 to 1800 Hz.
Lower the engine noise.
Let's bring the voices out.
Let me try something.
Can you stop?
Your leg.
Thanks.
...akbar!
Allahu akbar!
At the end,
it could be the pilot or the co.
We can't determine what they did.
All the 800 controls are touch-screen.
How did the guy get in?
The sound is terrible.
We need more time.
I know,
but I can't delay the press point.
Can you do it?
Yes.
Switch to iZotope RX at 7'51.
The limited spread of debris
shows the plane was intact
prior to impact.
The initial analysis of the fuselage
shows no sign of explosives.
Moreover, the voice recorder shows
a passenger
entered the cockpit.
The pilots then fought with him.
Here, please.
Yes?
Caroline Delmas, Mediapart.
How could a passenger enter the cockpit
with three cameras over the door?
He apparently used a stewardess
to gain entrance.
What allows you to assert that?
The CVR analysis.
Our investigator, Mathieu Vasseur,
will present the initial CVR findings.
Hello.
On the recording,
at 7:48 am Paris time,
we hear the voice of the hostess
entering the cockpit
with the first meal tray.
She returns one minute 20 seconds later
and rings the doorbell.
Probably with the second meal.
The pilots identify her
and let her in.
The door remains open
and, over the central mic,
we hear hurried footsteps
approaching the cockpit.
It's clearly not the hostess.
That indicates an intrusion
into the cockpit.
Shortly before, we have isolated
the sound
of the pilots' lavatory latch.
This lavatory...
is here.
The man hid in there
before entering the cockpit.
The hostess should have checked
before ringing the bell.
Those are our deductions
after the audio analysis.
I hope I've answered your questions.
Thank you.
We subsequently hear
overspeed and imminent impact alarms.
Antoine Istier, Europe 1.
Is it a terrorist attack?
In all likelihood.
But the judicial inquiry
is still underway.
The full transcript of the CVR
will be the subject of a report
in the coming weeks.
Thank you.
Thanks, Mathieu.
Have you identified the terrorist?
I can say no more.
Mr Vasseur, Caroline Delmas, Mediapart.
One question.
Sorry, no comment.
Forgive me...
Isn't it a little easy,
blaming the hostess's negligence?
The CVR shows it. I don't theorize,
I analyse facts.
Excuse me.
A lead in the recent Atrian 800 crash
in the Alps.
Reliable sources
claim a radical Islamist
was on the passenger manifest.
Moqtada Sualazi, an Egyptian aged 26.
After analysing the black boxes,
the BEA investigators revealed
that the plane crashed
after a passenger entered the cockpit.
It's too early...
Mathieu!
Fine work yesterday.
Thank you.
After that excellent job, I want you
to head the investigation.
Thank you very much, sir.
Excuse me...
Any news of Pollock?
Still nothing.
Victor can be hard to reach at times,
but absent in this storm...
I don't get it.
I can't wait for him to show up.
Finish the report for me.
Of course.
Captain:
What's that noise?
Other sounds:
Change in engine speed / Interference
It's Julien. You're replacing Pollock
on the Dubai-Paris?
Yes.
A victim's husband contacted us.
She called him just before the crash.
Interested?
I'm on the transcript.
Try Balsan.
He's busy with the Atrian engineers.
Ok, I'll take it.
During a search, the Egyptian police
found Jihadi propaganda
on his computer.
Controversy reigns as Paris asks
how the Emirate authorities
allowed him to board.
Honey, I'm on the plane,
I don't know what's going on.
It's chaos, everyone's yelling.
I can see mountains.
I love you.
I love you, you hear?
Tell the girls I love them.
I love you all so much.
I love you.
She'd gone to Dubai
for a job interview.
If it worked out,
we planned to move there.
When she called,
I was busy at work.
Too busy to speak to her.
Forgive me, Mr Reynal,
but I need the original message.
I'll have to borrow your phone,
just overnight.
One new message.
October 8, at 7:56 am.
Honey, I'm on the plane,
I don't know what's going on.
It's chaos, everyone's yelling.
One new message.
October 8,
at 7:56 am.
Honey, I'm...
Time of crash, CET, 07:53 am.
Three minutes?
Yes.
Remember Germanwings.
Between Civil Aviation, the airline,
Flight Radar and others,
no one agreed on the time
by up to eight minutes.
I know, but there's this too.
Listen.
Honey,
I'm on the plane,
I don't know what's going on.
It's chaos...
Hear the announcement tone?
It's from the cockpit.
But the pilot's voice isn't on the CVR.
You mean you can't hear it.
The audio is bad.
Yes...
Hold on, one last thing.
Here.
Emergency d...
Emergency d...
I hear "emergency descent".
Like for a technical problem.
Play it again.
I hear "Emergency",
not "descent".
Checked European Airlines'
security protocol?
In a cockpit intrusion,
the code is "Emergency Delta".
The "d" you hear could be "Delta".
Carry on with the transcript.
Last passenger evacuated.
58 seconds.
Congratulations,
your plane is certified.
Thank you.
Thank you all.
- Jeanne again.
- I'll let her in.
Are you making a speech?
It's informal.
Dorval will say a few words.
Are you ok?
Yes.
You can relax, you know.
Have some champagne,
chat to people.
Come and meet Varins.
Claude...
Meet Mathieu, my husband.
Hello.
Your speech yesterday
was very clear and precise.
Thank you.
I'm not head-hunting a couple,
but if you tire of the BEA,
join us at Atrian.
You'll never persuade him.
Was working at the BEA
a vocation?
He wanted to be a pilot.
Yes.
But with my eyesight...
I specialized in acoustics at the ENAC.
Flight recorders
fascinated me and...
There you go.
Fascinating but exacting too,
to obtain answers.
Which you did.
Bravo. At a time like this,
the families and everyone need them.
Let's meet the Safran managers
you'll work with.
- Excuse us.
- Certainly.
- Hello?
- It's Samir.
The passenger data's on the server.
Anything interesting?
A few Facebook photos
and videos during the flight.
Thanks.
Hello, everyone.
Well done, all of you,
for this certification.
I'd like to salute Nomie Vasseur.
This is her final certification as,
unfortunately for us,
she's leaving this month,
lured away by Atrian.
Thank you for your commitment
and passion.
I'm speaking for everyone here
at the agency
when I say we'll miss you.
Thank you.
Where are you?
Sorry, emergency at work
We weigh 251 tons.
Just over optimal
with a 1.5g buffer margin.
1.6 even.
- Jeanne and your meal.
- I'll let her in.
We're serving breakfast.
It may get rocky. Let them know.
Ok. I'll get your meal.
Sir!
Please sit down, sir.
Sir...
Sir.
Sit down, please.
Sir!
Don't over-interpret things.
You tend to.
You're diligent,
but all the filtering and equalizing
makes a recording say anything.
After 20 years on CVRs,
believe me, the best filter is the ear.
And about the meal trolley?
Do you really think a trolley
can stop a madman hijacking a plane?
No, but...
Focus on what we really hear.
Report by Monday?
Yes.
Excuse me...
I need Pollock's input.
I can't complete a report like this.
You'll have to.
He's officially missing.
The police are investigating.
Anything's possible.
I admit we're worried.
A Turkish company applied.
Serious but, with the crash,
the Germans
are wary.
You've decided?
A work group is handling it.
What's up?
Doubts about the crash.
Inconsistencies...
- Inconsistencies?
- It's awkward like this.
There's a problem with the CVR.
What kind of problem?
I'll tell you.
I'll tell you.
It's a big case.
Keep your head this time.
Victor Pollock. Leave a message.
How did he get the case?
He heard phantom sounds again.
That you can't hear, huh?
You'll see.
It's like the Cessna again.
What's that?
The Bourget Falcon 20.
The pilot and the tower.
Limited bandwidth is tough.
- What is it?
- Tell me,
when you listened to the CVR
with Pollock,
did you notice anything odd?
No, nothing special.
When did you finish?
Midnight. He stayed.
Why?
You finished before he did?
Pollock was anxious to carry on.
Are you done? I need to get on.
I hear a thud on the first call.
Probably a bird.
Then the engine surges fast,
beyond its limit, up to 200%,
before exploding.
The engineer will deny it
but it's happened before with that plane.
Continue
for 50 metres.
You have reached your destination.
The file is empty
Basement speakers
Down, boy.
Down.
Looking for something?
Sorry?
Looking for something?
Yes.
Victor Pollock. He lives here?
Yes. And?
I work with him.
I rang, but there's no reply.
Have you seen him?
Not recently.
Your colleagues came yesterday.
He wasn't here.
Ok.
Ok, thank you.
CVR Opening and Analysis
- Hello?
-
Caroline Delmas, Mediapart.
We met at the press point.
Who gave you my number?
You know the Atrian 800
has automation issues?
I can't talk to the press.
With the Bourget salon coming up,
a fault would look bad.
Are you still there?
I have to go. Goodbye.
A new coup for Pegase Security
The CEO, Xavier Renaud,
is a leader in aeronautics.
Pegase is specialized
in civil aviation security.
Renaud signed a lucrative deal
with Atrian...
Here.
The flight reports.
What're you after?
Look, another.
Paris-Washington,
a control surface problem.
Three in six months.
Jolts and lagging reported each time.
Maintenance reports?
I brought them.
Here.
Nothing to report
Could the 800 have a control problem?
I don't think so.
Is the MHD an anti-stalling system?
It lowers the nose if it pitches up.
How would a MHD problem look?
- Can the pilots override it?
- In theory, no.
No reason to.
Tested the crash one?
Why? We know what happened.
- Received it?
- Not yet.
We need to check it when you do.
Samir...
Samir.
Sorry to ask,
but don't tell Rnier yet.
Don't screw up.
Atrian 800 technical incident
Captain: Alain Roussin
Mr Roussin?
Mr Roussin!
Hello, Mathieu Vasseur.
Remember me?
The EM315 runway excursion simulation.
I have a flight.
I have some questions
about the Dubai-Paris case.
I don't have time.
I understand you not wanting to answer,
but I need your help.
You had a control surface problem
on the 800?
Could the MHD be faulty?
Why ask me that?
Ask Atrian.
The BEA gets on well with them.
I have to be in my cockpit
in five minutes.
You talked more to defend a colleague.
Now 300 people have died.
It's a dumb Atrian system.
The machine pilots the pilot.
I told you that.
I'm ready to listen now.
Give me five minutes.
The plane was marketed too soon,
to counter the competition.
They turned a blind eye
to the auto-pilot system?
Qatar and India had signed.
The penalties for delay were astronomic.
But the certification commission
ran checks.
You're that naive?
The pride of European aviation.
Atrian's influence is huge.
Heard of Claude Varins?
He has people on the commission.
Alain!
The crew is waiting.
I have to go.
We need to talk.
I'll be in touch.
They want me next week.
They'll exploit me to the last minute.
What is it now?
A study group on drone traffic.
Heard of control surface problems
on the 800?
We had pilot reports six months ago.
Certification saw nothing?
Why? For your investigation?
I'd just like an answer.
It's absurd, Mathieu.
You think the plane has a problem?
There were latency problems,
but they were resolved.
So why do the pilots say
the MHD took over the plane?
You know that's pure fantasy.
It's just an assistance system.
But which pilots do you mean?
Those opposed to automation
and cockpit cameras?
They'll say anything
to keep their old habits.
You really think the agency
would approve a faulty plane?
We did our job and Atrian complied.
C'mon, drive.
I forgot how close you are.
Meaning what?
There's a report on those tests?
Forget I mentioned it.
It's confidential.
There was a report.
It's confidential, ok.
You're a drag. Now drive.
Drive, I said!
You won't give up?
I need to test the MHD.
The facts are confirmed.
They're your conclusions.
I know.
The MHD
is in a Defence Ministry warehouse.
Why Defence?
It's sensitive.
They've sealed the plane's avionics.
You could order them to return the MHD.
I won't do that
without tangible evidence.
Return to your other files.
How's the Dauphin crash going?
I'm still waiting.
This is Alain Roussin.
Please leave a message.
This is Mathieu Vasseur again.
You said we could meet.
I need to talk to you.
Please call me.
This is Alain Roussin...
Stop calling me!
I don't want to see you.
I don't understand.
Stop calling me, ok!
I thought we agreed...
I keep hearing about you.
You harassed a pilot
and questioned the 800's reliability?
Who said that?
Nomie?
No, European's sales manager.
You think Nomie and I talk about you?
Trying to get fired?
Nomie's new job is sensitive.
She needs your support,
not conspiracy theories.
I say that as a friend.
Don't shoot yourself in the foot.
Where's that from?
3 years I've worked with Pollock,
you never said you knew him.
We met in a work group.
Working on what?
A distress beacon to permanently locate
a plane in flight.
Why show me this?
I don't know.
Pollock vanished
two days after the crash, it's weird.
And I'm a suspect?
- I didn't say that.
- This is absurd.
What is this?
I get on too well with Nomie?
You need to relax.
You're getting worked up.
We know what happened on board.
Accept it.
Are you ok?
I have to go.
And now yet another day
marked by emotion,
10 days after the Atrian 800 attack.
The victims' families
took part in a private ceremony
near the crash site.
They were accompanied to the site
by gendarmes
and spoke to official representatives,
as well as the examining magistrate.
Reporters were kept to one side
and were given no new information.
The judicial authorities...
XAVIER
Dinner confirmed with Varins tomorrow.
Dinner out would do us good.
- We're a bit on edge.
- Mostly you.
True.
Dinner where?
How about Matsuda?
It's been ages and you like it.
Yes, why not?
Tomorrow evening?
I can't tomorrow.
I'll finish late.
The drone report with Isabelle.
Thursday if you want.
Thursday then. Great.
Test flight
Copy file to flash drive?
How did you get this?
You wanted evidence.
You'd better be right.
Atrian named Solignac project head.
They just announced it.
Claude, what's going on?
- Why name Solignac?
- Things have changed.
What do you mean? I don't understand.
You can only blame yourself.
You really disappoint me.
I have to go.
You're wanted in the Vauban room.
We wished to talk
about a subject that puts us
in a tricky position.
I had a very unpleasant call
from Atrian's CEO.
He claims we leaked information
about one of their planes.
You know what I mean?
No.
A warrant has been filed
on the Dubai-Paris 800.
It was issued by the BEA,
based on the initial report,
which has an electronic signature.
It's from your laptop.
Do you see how serious this is?
Those tests were confidential.
You broke your non-disclosure agreement.
It's gross misconduct.
You're suspended.
I'm not behind the leak.
You can explain that later
in a disciplinary hearing.
Please hand over your laptop.
You can't...
That'll be all, Nomie.
Dorval suspended me today
for gross misconduct.
How could you do that to me?
I'm sorry.
- It shouldn't have...
- You realize
you'll get me fired.
I didn't know it would leak.
I needed the document.
Why? It was an attack.
- You heard that first.
- I didn't.
I heard a ton of incoherent bullshit.
They stuffed the guy's laptop
with Salafist videos.
That's what's going on.
- Fuck!
- You're mad.
I'm mad?
Your dinner with Varins...
Why do you lie?
- What?
- Why didn't you tell me?
To avoid a fit of paranoia like this.
Don't you realize?
I was scared of a scandal,
scared for me, my job.
Just listen to you!
Forget the job
and ask some real questions!
I did!
Atrian got the plane certified
before it was ready!
Maybe you turned a blind eye,
maybe you helped...
You're sick.
We owe the families the truth!
300 dead!
Forget the families!
This is about you.
Only your mad ideas count!
Mathieu, are you ok?
Are you ok?
Are you ready?
What for?
The test. Let's go.
No counter-order.
There must be. Check.
Still nothing.
Make the plane stall.
It's working.
- As per normal.
- Again.
Redo the first test.
Again.
Find the problem.
- Mathieu, I think...
- Let's find it.
It's not normal.
Try again.
Try again, I said.
Let me do it.
That's enough, Mathieu.
Wait.
Wait.
Impossible.
It's the wrong box.
The wrong box.
Samir, turn it off.
Wait!
We're gonna crash!
Allahu akbar!
We're gonna crash!
Allahu akbar!
Hi, you've reached Nomie Vasseur.
Leave a message.
Four weeks before opening,
the Bourget
aeronautics and space salon
looks exceptional. 240 exhibitors,
150 civilian and military craft
will perform...
You should go out a bit.
Don't stay in all day.
Can you take Tho
to the park?
Maybe.
The order books should be full,
making Atrian a market leader.
Any news of the BEA?
I'm summoned Thursday.
Explain things.
Say what you went through.
- The endless pressure...
- Stop.
I screwed up.
I screwed up, it's that simple.
Know what? He was right.
Who was?
Him.
A useless pilot.
A useless acoustician.
Mr Vasseur?
Yes.
Hello, I'm Laura Saunier.
Philippe Reynal gave me your number.
My son was on the Dubai-Paris flight.
His name was Lucas.
I...
I need to understand what happened.
Sorry, ma'am,
I'm no longer on the investigation.
Mr Reynal told me you're a good man.
I'd like to know if he realized...
that he was going to die.
My son was in seat...
I can't hear you, ma'am.
Uncle!
Why's it flying on its own?
- What's that noise?
- No idea...
What's that noise?
No idea. Interference.
I can't keep my phones on.
What made you change your mind?
Come in.
Come on in.
- How are you?
- Fine.
I don't have long,
an Air China delegation is due.
Want a drink?
No, thanks.
Have a seat.
How are you?
What is it?
I need your advice.
What about?
Your firm handles computer security
for Atrian's planes?
Yes.
How is the 800 better protected
against hacking?
Why?
As you know,
piloting and communication systems
are hard to make secure.
Could we imagine someone
hacking into the navigation system?
It's unlikely.
Data exchange and onboard wifi
cause new flaws.
Couldn't hackers exploit them?
We work to remedy that.
Could some geek enter the pilot system
via the in-flight entertainment?
Impossible,
the two are physically separate.
Passenger cabin data on one side,
the cockpit on the other.
Separate networks.
At the ENAC reception,
didn't you vaunt a single-fibre network?
Networks can be separate
on the same cable.
Don't you know about computing?
You think the flight was hacked?
Yes.
And that, as network chief,
you knew in real time.
First, an auto-pilot problem,
now hacking, what next?
A new theory every day?
Your job is to analyse recordings,
not to make stuff up.
I believe Pollock falsified the CVR.
He was alone from midnight to 2 am.
And you asked him to do it.
What can I say?
You're pathetic.
I have to work now.
Xavier Renaud
ignored a security flaw?
Altering a line of code costs a million
and takes a year to be certified,
so yes.
No one could delay the market launch.
Maybe,
but there's no proof of a fault.
We've only seen one case
of plane hacking.
A guy was arrested on landing in Warsaw.
He said he altered airspeed
via the in-flight entertainment.
- Got his name?
- Hold on.
Apparently, it's...
David Keller.
These guys love to use their real names.
Flights interrupted in Vienna
Computing breakdown at Vienna airport
We now know more about the incident.
Austrian police arrested
a French citizen at the airport.
David Keller,
a computer security technician,
claimed to have hacked a plane before.
This looks huge.
Keller was fired
after three months at Pegase.
Now he's vanished.
No sign of him since last June.
Caroline, I'll call you back.
What's that noise?
No idea.
Interference.
I can't keep my phones on.
He wanted publicity?
To show the fault, not wreck the plane.
The MHD wasn't faulty,
but it couldn't handle
contradictory orders
from both Keller and the pilots.
You can't prove it.
We have the photo of Keller onboard.
You see Keller.
He isn't on the manifest.
I know. He must have been erased.
Are you on my side?
You came looking for me.
Will you do the article?
CEO's Cessna found
in the English Channel
At the time,
a whistle-blower contacted a colleague.
The informer claimed,
with documents,
that the engine fractured.
But when the wreckage was found,
the engine was intact.
The investigation showed the pilot
overdid the trim.
My colleague is categorical.
The documents
had to come from the BEA.
It was you?
Am I wrong?
I heard the propeller shaft snap.
You thought you did,
but you were wrong.
I couldn't wait
until they found the wreckage,
with other planes flying.
But you were wrong.
You should have told me.
How can I trust you now?
Don't drop me. I know I'm right.
Sorry, Mathieu.
You're a risk.
Count me out.
Wait.
Nomie, please.
Just give me five minutes.
Blame me. Say I stole the document.
Say it was my fault.
I'll talk to them.
They'll reinstate you.
You have to help.
I have no other solution.
I'll be fired, no one believes me.
But I know the truth about the crash.
It's all I have left.
All I have.
If you go back, they'll believe you.
Wait.
I was wrong. It was on the CVR.
The interference, the pilots' phones...
It was a hacking job, see.
- Listen to me.
- Let go!
- Listen...
- Get out of my life!
Mathieu, this is a difficult decision.
You know how I appreciate your work.
You also know a collective approach
is crucial here.
You ignored that in recent weeks
and followed your instincts,
not for the first time.
You've gone too far.
I'll have to ask for your transfer.
Excuse me, I need
the Dauphin crash data.
I can't access it.
Sorry, I need all your files.
Modified: 11/10/2020 5:12 am
- You worked on it?
- I can't open it.
Only Pollock and you could.
I'm in a hurry.
I'll collect the files and send them.
Ok. Thanks.
Searching...
In 2 km, bear right
to join the A86.
Had any news?
Sorry?
Of the hearing.
It meets in ten days.
My offer still stands.
I'd love you to join us.
Thank you. I'm touched.
I'll think it over.
Seen Mathieu?
How's he doing?
Badly.
It's awful.
He got so wound up
over the investigation.
He was totally obsessed
about the black box.
God knows what he heard.
Exactly, it was inaudible.
The pilots took off their phones.
How did you know that?
About the headphones.
It's in the report.
The BEA already published it?
No, Atrian got it early.
Excuse me.
The Dubai-Paris manifest.
Shall I give it to Balsan tomorrow?
Who requested it?
Mathieu.
Give it to me.
We had the manifest.
He wanted the boarding copy.
Did he say why?
Attention to detail.
You know him.
Thank you.
In 50 metres,
turn right.
Continue
for 170 metres.
Turn right.
Continue 110 metres.
Continue 90 metres.
It's me. I have to see you.
Meet me at the apartment.
It's important.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Listen, I don't know but...
maybe I was too hasty.
Something's weird.
I need to talk to you.
Why aren't you speaking?
Where are you?
Don't worry.
I'll see you in an hour, ok?
I love you.
Thank you.
Need a ride?
I'll get a cab.
Sure?
Yes, really.
Continue 90 metres.
Continue 50 metres.
Continue 10 metres.
You have reached your destination.
Work station
- Jeanne and your meal.
- I'll let her in.
We're serving breakfast.
It may get rocky. Let them know.
Ok, I'll get your meal.
Sooner than I thought. Seatbelt time.
See those cbs on the right?
We were right to avoid them.
It looks clear ahead.
The CDG update.
Westerly landing, visibility 3000 m,
rain, clouds at 800 feet, 8 C
and 1014 QNH.
Stuck at home with the kids again.
- Where do you live?
- Just north of CDG.
22 today in Biarritz.
You live there? Not too far?
My wife's Basque and I surf.
We had no choice.
What's that noise?
No idea. Interference.
I can't keep my phones on.
What was that?
I didn't see.
The route changed.
Is the FMS screwed?
AP off.
Taking the controls.
What is this shit?
The AP is back on alone.
We're descending.
I know. Are you doing it?
No, I'm not.
Let me try.
It's not reacting!
I'll override the FCC.
The system isn't reacting.
Mountains below.
The limit's at 15 000.
Pull with me.
- Pull!
- I am pulling!
Nothing's reacting!
Cabin crew, emergency descent.
Someone has taken control.
They're piloting, not us.
We're gonna crash!
Mathieu,
I suppose you're watching.
It means I was right about you.
It also means no one will find me.
So go public with what follows.
My name is Victor Pollock.
I spent 20 years as a BEA analyst.
A few years ago, Xavier Renaud,
CEO of Pegase Security, contacted me.
He wanted advance information
to fix minor faults on Atrian planes.
He paid well.
I needed money.
I didn't see it as corruption,
just as a way to avoid bureaucracy.
But once we knew each other better,
he asked for more.
I had to correct certain conclusions,
focus investigations on human factors.
I was trapped.
Then the 800 crashed.
This time, he asked me
to alter the black boxes.
I refused,
but he threatened to destroy me.
I don't seek forgiveness.
I probably deserve what awaits me.
But the man behind it must be exposed.
Mathieu,
I didn't take you to the crash
as you might have found something.
I know how good you are.
And I'm recording this now
because I trust you.
Basement - Lab
The basement.
Basement speakers
- Pull!
- I am pulling!
Nothing's reacting!
Cabin crew, emergency descent.
Turn around.
Turn around.
Jesus!
Fuck!
Nomie!
Are you ok?
I'm good.
- Attending my speech?
- Too busy.
I have the Thales conference at 6.
Of course.
I'm glad you came.
I was going crazy at home.
If you need anything, ask.
Our generation
is slowly coming to terms with the idea
that pilots will vanish one day.
The challenge is to protect
and secure planes
in which artificial intelligence
is predominant.
Some say our ambitions are excessive,
calling us the Icarus of aeronautics.
Icarus flew too close to the sun,
his wax wings melted,
he fell into the sea and died.
I never really knew
if the moral of the tale
was do not fly too high,
as people think,
or forget wax and feathers
to build better wings.
In a perpetual quest for innovation...
Pegase Security is proud to...
My name is Victor Pollock.
I spent 20 years as a BEA analyst.
A few years ago, Xavier Renaud
contacted me.
He wanted advance information
to fix minor faults on Atrian planes.
He paid well. I needed money.
I didn't see it as corruption,
just as a way to avoid bureaucracy.
But once we knew each other better,
he asked for more.
The black boxes doctored
I had to correct conclusions,
focus investigations
on human factors.
I was trapped.
Then the 800 crashed.
This time, he asked me
to alter the black boxes.
A fresh twist
in the Dubai-Paris crash.
A BEA investigator's revelations
have created an upheaval.
It seems hacking led to the tragedy,
with the black boxes altered.
We're now joining the head of the BEA,
Philippe Rnier.
The BEA has received
a copy of the recording
of the Dubai-Paris
cockpit conversations.
If it proves to be authentic,
it will confirm our latest findings...
BLACK BOX