The co-pilot who deliberately crashed a plane belonging to Germanwings into the French Alps, killing all 150 aboard, was receiving medical treatment, but he hid this information from the airline.
Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz seems to have hid his illness from his employers. According to the prosecutors, authorities found a doctor’s note in the co-pilot’s house, which excused him from work for the day he plummeted a passenger plane into a mountain.
The new evidence was discovered after the search of Lubitz’s home. It could provide an explanation for the crashing of the Airbus A320 into the French Alps, which killed all 150 people on board.
Ralf Herrenbrueck, the prosecutor’s spokesperson, didn’t reveal details about Lubitz’s illness, but such notes as the one found in his home are used to excuse employers from work in Germany.
Herrenbrueck added that other medical documents were found, which indicated that the co-pilot was undergoing and “appropriate medical treatment.” No suicide note was found in his house, nor other indications of any political or religious motivation for the co-pilot’s actions.
The German newspaper Bild published, of Friday, what it claimed were extracts of Lubitz’s medical records. Bild claimed that the co-pilot had been labeled as “not suitable for flying” by the Lufthansa’s training school in Arizona.
The paper added that Lubitz spent 18 months receiving psychiatric treatment. He was diagnosed with a “severe depressive episode.” The report said that investigators were trying to discover whether Lubitz was suffering from a “personal life crisis”, which included some domestic troubles with his girlfriend.
The Bild report could answer some questions about the mysterious period in Lubitz’s training to become a pilot, when he took some time of from his lessons. Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr said that “Lubitz’s flying abilities were flawless” and that he passed all tests and checks with flying colors.
German magazine Der Spiegel quoted friends of the co-pilot whom said the pilot had taken a break from training because of depression. After finishing his training, Lubitz worked as a flight attendant for 11 months before becoming a co-pilot with Lufthansa’s budget subsidiary Germanwings. He became a co-pilot in September 2013.
French prosecutors announced yesterday that Lubitz had deliberately crashed the airplane into the mountains. According to the conclusions which were brought forward by the French authorities, the co-pilot has locked out the cockpit and switched the aircraft’s autopilot to its lowest descent course. He also ignored all appeals from air traffic controllers.
Pilot Patrick Soderheimer desperately tried to enter the cabin, as Bild reported that he used an axe in his failed attempt to break the thick door.
Image Source: Der Spiegel
