#Newsflash: Lufthansa Germanwings Co-Pilot Deliberately Down Flight 4U9525

Lufthansa Germanwing co-pilot Andreas Lubitz

"The German flag carrier — the biggest aviation group by revenues in Europe — was due to mark its 60th anniversary in April. Now, the celebrations are cancelled and employees will instead watch the broadcast of a memorial service for the victims of the crash, in which all 150 people onboard died.

But Lufthansa has been criticised for its apparent ignorance of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz’s previous history of severe depression — a problem that worsened on Tuesday when the airline conceded that Lubitz had told its pilot training school about his condition in an email. - Article from FT.Com (Financial Times).






What we do know 

• Lubitz, the co-pilot, was alone at the controls of the Airbus A320 in the 10 minutes before the crash.
• He did not respond to pleas from the captain to be let in to the cockpit and set the plane on a descent course that took it into the mountains.
• Lubitz had been receiving treatment for a psychological or psychiatric condition that he did not disclose to his employer.
• He had also sought treatment for visions problems.
• He had doctors’ sick notes in his apartment excusing him from work, including one good for Tuesday, the day of the crash.
• His pilot’s license included a designation indicating that he had a medical condition.
• Antidepressants were found in his apartment.

What we do not know 

• When the co-pilot's psychological problems began, their severity and precise nature, or when he began treatment.
• The severity of his eye problems, when they first occurred or whether they could have been psychosomatic and related to his psychological problems.
• What antidepressants he might have been prescribed, and what dose and whether he was taking them.
• Whether family members, friends or colleagues were aware of his problems and raised any flags with the airline about his suitability to fly.
• Whether an interruption in his pilot training was related to psychological or medical problems.

Article from Mirror