Page 23 - Index

Figure 4: Spreadsheet updated with basic component information. Note: Included data is exemplar in nature and not indicative of the subject
event.
were marked for follow-up
by the systems group to try
to identify specific structural
damage and narrow down
the specific airplane section
where the structure might
have originated.

Naming and Orienting
Landmarks
Due to its wide distribu-
tion and ease of use, Google
Earth was chosen to plot the
locations of the wreckage
that were identified. Using
location information in the
text of news reports and the
most notable landmarks from
the initial photos, the team
identified an impact point in
a recreational area northwest
of the Tehran airport near
residential apartment com- Figure 5: Example photo with both airplane components and landmarks. Note the vertical concrete
plexes and continuing through walls and water tower in the distance. Source: CC BY Fars News Agency via Wikimedia Commons
an area of walled-in orchards. 5 business days. Following the
With the general area of the first two phases, the group was
wreckage field defined, the then split into subteams made
team could move to labeling up of the individual focus are-
particular landmarks in other as that were previously identi-
areas of the photos. fied. The spreadsheet was pro-
Labeling these landmarks vided to each team in parallel,
explicitly in Google Earth and each took additional time
proved to be highly benefi- to perform a more detailed
cial when sharing the photo review of the photos and
review with the larger inves- provide their specific notes on
tigative team and discussing each photo individually. Notes
observations over the phone. were collected directly in the
Both sides of the conversation spreadsheet, aligned with the
were able to refer to areas of individual photos and com-
the wreckage field by these ponent entries that provided
predetermined names.
the observations that were re-
corded. This process provided
Follow-On Work: Deeper a basis for recording the data
Engineering Review upon which each significant
Completing the initial review observation was based.
of photos, including identify-
ing components and marking Virtual Field Notes
images for follow up by specif- Using the observations gath-
ic groups, took approximately ered in all three phases and the Figure 6: Wreckage map with landmarks labeled. Source: Google Earth

January-March 2022 ISASI Forum • 23