*Bumped and updated*
(Via UK Mirror) …”Police investigating the Germanwings air disaster co-pilot Andreas Lubitz have made a “significant discovery” at his home, according to reports.
While the officers confirmed that the discovery was not a suicide note, they would not reveal any further details as this next stage of their investigation deepens.
Markus Niesczery of Düsseldorf Police said: “We wanted to search to see if we could find something that would explain what happened.
“We have found something which will now be taken for tests.
“We cannot say what it is at the moment but it may be very significant clue to what has happened.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he added: “We hope it may give some explanations.” (read more)
I find it interesting that his social media was scrubbed before his name was released to the press. He was 28 years old; this obviously implies active concern for content. (Facebook via google cache here) Why would authorities find it important to remove his social media profile ?
(VIA BBC) The co-pilot of the Germanwings plane that crashed into the French Alps on Tuesday appeared to want to “destroy the plane”, French officials said. Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the “black box” voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit.
He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out.
Mr Robin said there was “absolute silence in the cockpit” as the pilot fought to re-enter it.
The co-pilot, now named as Andreas Lubitz, was alive until the final impact, the prosecutors added.
“We hear the pilot ask the co-pilot to take control of the plane and we hear at the same time the sound of a seat moving backwards and the sound of a door closing,” Mr Robin told reporters.
“At that moment, the co-pilot is controlling the plane by himself. While he is alone, the co-pilot presses the buttons of the flight monitoring system to put into action the descent of the aeroplane.
“This action on the altitude controls can only be deliberate.”
The Airbus 320 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf hit a mountain, killing 150 people, after an eight-minute descent. (read more)
(Via Daily Mail) Responding to revelations, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said all pilots undergo annual medical checks, but not special psychiatric assessments beyond training.
He added: ‘He passed all medical exams, all checks. He was 100 per cent fit to fly without any restrictions.
‘I am not a lawyer. I am the CEO of a big company. If one person takes 149 people with him to death, it is not suicide.’
However, it emerged today that Lubitz had to stop his pilot training in 2008 because he was depressed and suffering ‘burnout’.
A schoolmate told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he had taken a break because of depression.
The woman said: ‘Apparently he had burnout, he was in depression.’….
In Montabaur, acquaintances today said Lubitz showed no signs of depression when they saw him last autumn when he renewed his glider pilot’s license.
‘He was happy he had the job with Germanwings and he was doing well,’ said a member of the glider club, Peter Ruecker, who watched Lubitz learn to fly.
‘He gave off a good feeling.’ (read more)
